Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
TUESDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2023
COMMISSION OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
The Fifty-fourth Parliament opened at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 5 December 2023 in the City of Wellington pursuant to a Proclamation, dated 27 November 2023, issued by Her Excellency the Governor-General.
The Usher of the Black Rod announced the presence of His Majesty’s Commissioners. The Bar was raised and the Commissioners took their places at the head of the Table.
CHIEF COMMISSIONER (Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelman):
E te Whare Pāremata e tū nei
E ōna rangatira katoa
Kia tahuri mai ō koutou taringa
Members of the House of Representatives:
Her Excellency the Governor-General, not thinking fit to be present here in person, has caused Letters Patent to be passed under the Seal of New Zealand appointing me and my fellow Commissioners to open this Parliament of New Zealand. This is more fully set out in the Letters Patent which I ask that the Clerk of the House now read.
Letters Patent
CLERK:
CINDY KIRO
Charles The Third, by the Grace of God King of New Zealand and His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith:
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting!
Whereas, by a Proclamation made on the 27th day of November 2023, Our Governor-General of New Zealand, The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, proclaimed that the Parliament of New Zealand should meet in the parliamentary precincts in the City of Wellington at 11.00 am, on the 5th day of December 2023:
And Whereas Our said Governor-General does not think fit to be present at the opening of the said session:
Now, know that We, trusting in the discretion, fidelity, and care of Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellor
The Right Honourable Dame Helen Diana Winkelmann, Dame Grand Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit
and Our Trusty and Well-beloved
The Honourable Mark Leslie Smith Cooper, and
The Honourable Susan Elizabeth Thomas
do by these presents give and grant unto them, or any two of them, full power in Our name to open the said Parliament in Our behalf, and to do all things necessary to be done in Our name, or in the name of Our Governor-General of New Zealand, in and about the opening of the said Parliament, commanding also all whom it concerns to meet in the said Parliament, and that the said
The Right Honourable Dame Helen Diana Winkelmann
The Honourable Mark Leslie Smith Cooper, and
The Honourable Susan Elizabeth Thomas
or any two of them diligently attend in the premises, at the opening of the said Parliament.
In Testimony Whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent, and issued under the Seal of New Zealand, at Wellington on the 27th day of November in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty Three and in the 2nd Year of Our Reign.
Witness Our Trusty and Well-beloved The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, Chancellor and Dame Grand Companion of Our New Zealand Order of Merit, Principal Companion of Our Service Order, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Realm of New Zealand.
Christopher Luxon
By Her Excellency’s Command.
The Proclamation summoning Parliament was then read by the Chief Commissioner as follows:
Proclamation
CHIEF COMMISSIONER (Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann):
DAME CINDY KIRO, Governor-General
A PROCLAMATION
Whereas by Proclamation published on 8 September,2023 the Parliament of New Zealand was summoned to meet on 21 December 2023:
And whereas I have thought fit to summon it to meet on an earlier day:
Now, therefore, pursuant to section 18 of the Constitution Act 1986, I, The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, summon the Parliament of New Zealand to meet in the parliamentary precincts in the City of Wellington, at 11.00 a.m. on 5 December 2023.
Given under the hand of Her Excellency the Governor-General, and issued under the Seal of New Zealand, on 27 November 2023.
CHRISTOPHER LUXON, Prime Minister.
GOD SAVE THE KING!
E ngā rangatira o te Whare e tū nei:
Members of the House of Representatives:
We have it in command from Her Excellency the Governor-General to inform you that on 6 December 2023 at 10.30 a.m., Her Excellency the Governor-General will declare to you in person the cause of her summoning this Parliament to meet.
But since it is necessary that a Speaker of the House of Representatives be first chosen, Her Excellency requests that you, members of Parliament, now proceed to choose one of your members to fill that high and important office, and that having chosen that person, you present that person at 1.45 p.m., today, 5 December 2023 at Government House at Wellington for Her Excellency’s confirmation.
E te Whare, koinei te kupu a Te Kāwana
Turuturu ō whiti whakamaua kia tina!
Tina!
Haumi e, hui e!
The Commissioners then withdrew.
