Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill
Right now, New Zealand holds a general election at least every three years. This bill would change the maximum time between elections to four years — but only if New Zealanders vote yes in a public vote (a referendum) held alongside a future general election. The referendum question would ask voters to choose between keeping the three-year maximum or switching to four years. If voters say yes, the change kicks in from the next election after the result is declared.
What this affects
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Businesses and communities would have more certainty about how long each government stays in power, as elections would happen no more than every four years instead of three.
A variable term would risk creating uncertainty for the public, local government, businesses, and communities regarding the frequency of changes to government policy.
We consider that the bill should be amended to provide for a maximum 4-year term of Parliament.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Justice Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 16 April 2025.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.