ニュージーランドの首相

概要

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New Zealand has a parliamentary system, in which parliament is supposed to be supreme. The prime minister is in its original sense first among equals, i.e., formally on the same footing as other cabinet ministers but virtually ahead of them to play a leading role. In reality the prime minister stands aloft at the apex of power. Surprisingly 22 out of 38 New Zealand prime ministers throughout history were born abroad. Quite a few prime ministers come from humble, unprivileged family backgrounds without necessarily high educational attainments. Prime ministers' tenure of office has become much stronger over the years due to the better organised political parties and government units. However, the introduction of Mixed Member Proportional in 1994 has complicated the electoral map a bit because it is now more difficult for a governing party to win the majority of seats alone, thereby making it necessary for one of the two major parties to consult with rather newcomer small parties. It will be a worthwhile task to compare New Zealand with other Westminster countries to appreciate the phenomena observed in New Zealand, thus to know better if they exhibit shared traits or unique features.
2011-06-18