New Zealand may extend political term to 4 years

September 27, 2024

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New Zealanders may get the chance to vote on whether to extend political terms from three to four years in the 2026 election.

This idea was proposed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during a speech in Auckland. He mentioned that the coalition government, which includes National, NZ First, and ACT, supports the idea, as do other opposition parties.

Luxon criticised the current three-year term, arguing that it encourages short-term decision-making and makes it harder for governments to focus on long-term plans. He explained that longer terms could allow for more stability, giving governments more time to implement and maintain policies.

The proposal will likely be decided through a referendum, allowing New Zealanders to vote on the change during the next election. Coalition partner ACT has already put forward a bill on the issue, and it is set for a vote in Parliament soon. If passed, New Zealand could join most other countries that already have four or five-year political terms.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research and writing.

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

On Saturday morning, a group of Year 8 students met at a beach near Tauranga for a community clean-up. They brought gloves, sacks, and water bottles. At first, the sand looked almost clean, but as the group moved closer to the rocks, they found bottles, food wrappers, and fishing line tangled in the seaweed. One student noticed that small pieces of plastic were hardest to collect because they blended in with the shells. By midday, the students had filled eight large bags. Their teacher said the real success was not only the rubbish they removed, but also the way the students helped protect the wildlife that lives along the shore.

Which sentence best summarises the main idea of the passage?

The students brought gloves, sacks, and water bottles to the beach. The students found that small pieces of plastic were hardest to collect because they blended in with the shells. By midday, the students had filled eight large bags with rubbish. A group of students cleaned up a beach and helped protect the wildlife there.