Before a law is made, it is introduced to Parliament as a “bill” (proposed law). The bill should usually go through several stages before it can become law. This process gives people an opportunity to have their say. During these stages, the bill can be changed or stopped from becoming law. (You can read more about how a bill becomes laws on the New Zealand Parliament website.)

At one of these stages, the bill will be looked at by a “select committee”, a smaller groups of MPs drawn from both governing and opposition parties. The select committee will examine a bill and make recommendations about whether it should be passed into law and whether any changes need to be made. Select committees will normally ask the public to make submissions. By making a submission to a select committee, you can have a say on what recommendations they should make.

Anyone can make a submission. There will be a set date that submissions need to be made. You should clearly state what changes you want and put forward the best arguments you can think of in support. When you make a written submission, you will be asked whether you want to speak in front of the committee (called an “‘oral presentation”). If you feel comfortable, making an oral presentation can be worthwhile, as it gives the Select Committee a chance to ask you any questions they may have. If you are making an oral presentation as an individual, you will generally be given 5 minutes to speak. If you are making an oral presentation on behalf of an organisation or company, you will generally be given 10 minutes to speak.

For more information on making a submission to a select committee, visit www.parliament.nz.

Some bills are “passed” (made into law) under “urgency”. This reduces the time and scrutiny spent on a bill becoming law. If a minister suggests they want to take urgency on a particular bill, there will be a vote in Parliament on whether this happens—and because the government has majority support in Parliament, this will usually pass. When Parliament is under urgency, they can skip the select committee process for a bill altogether. This faster process means there is less opportunity for the public to be consulted, whether through the select committee process or other means.

Historically, urgency has not been used very often. However, recent governments have been using it much more frequently, including in cases where there is no real need to pass legislation rapidly. In such situations, members of the public have had to turn to alternative methods to make their voices heard, including protest.

Members of parliament or “MPs” are your representatives in parliament. A way to bring about law change is to contact your MP, either in person or in writing. It is their job to make and change laws.

You can contact them at their offices in parliament or at their community offices. You can find a list of all current MPs and their contact details if you visit www.parliament.nz.

Putting together a petition to parliament is another way to let the government know how you and your community feel about an issue. It can also help build awareness and support for your cause.

A petition asks parliament to take action on a matter of policy or law. Anyone can start a petition, and there are many sites (such as ActionStation and Change.org) that can help you spread the word and get the community to show their support. When your petition is ready, you can ask a member of parliament to arrange for it to be presented to parliament. It will then be passed to a select committee to consider and make recommendations.

You can also start a petition to ask for a national referendum, known as a “citizens-initiated referendum”. A referendum is a national vote on a question. If you are enrolled to vote, you can vote on a referendum. The government doesn’t have to act on or change the law based on the referendum result, but it is a good way to show how the public feel about an issue.

There are several processes that need to be followed when you start a petition to ask for a national referendum. For more information, visit www.petitions.parliament.nz.