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Parliament of New England
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The Parliament of New England is the supreme legislative institution in the New England (it alone has the ability to pass laws). The Parliament consists of the King, the House of Assembly and the Witan, whose powers and functions derive from the Constitution of New England, which was enacted on the 1 October 2012. The Parliament is a descendent of the British and Australian parliaments from which many of the traditions, procedures and conventions are still used.
The power and functions of the parliament are regulated by Article IV of the Constitution of New England. The parliament consists of two houses of elected and appointed representatives who are charged with the governance of the kingdom through passing laws and regulating government expenditure through the national budget. Most members of the parliament belong to political parties, who represent the different policy opinions of the people. There also exist a small number of MP's who sit as independents. Membership of the parliament is moderated by regular elections, usually held every four years.
Chambers
The parliament is offically a bicameral body, although in practice it is unicarmel, with the Witan only convening on certain occasions.
The House of Assembly is the sole legislative chamber in the Parliament of New England. The House has the sole authority to debate and enact legislation. The House is presided over by the Speaker. The First Minister and Leader of the Opposition are also members of the House. Elections are held every four years. Parliament is elected using the Mixed Member Preferential Proportional Representation system. The Government is formed after an election by the party or coalition which can command a majority of the votes in the House of Assembly.
The Witan is the occasional body of Parliament charged with the election of the Monarch and the modification of the constitution. Outside these functions, the Witan has no additional power, and it cannot debate or amend legislation. At present, there are 236 members in the Witan, and it consists of all members of the House of Assembly, Aldermen of the Counties and other public figures. The body has only met three times since it was established in 2018. The directly elected positions were established in 2037.
History
Parliament was created by the Constitution of New England, and was first opened by the King on 1 October, 2012. The new Parliament met at the Newling Campus of the New England National University and passed the Parliamentry Lands Act, which resumed the campus for the use of the parliament.
The Parliament sits in the heritage listed Armidale Teachers College buildings, which were built in 1929. After independence, the buildings were considered the natural home of the nations parliament, and a large scale renovation and reconstruction process was commenced in 2015. When completed three years later, the building was opened by the King as, 'The place where the people of this nation shall gather to make New England better for us all'
The building underwent a massive refurbishment and extension, which another four large buildings added to the site, and the original building having additions made to it. The largest addition for the construction of the National Bell Tower and the Great Hall, where the State Opening of Parliament occurs every year.
| Parliament of New England |
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| House of Assembly: Members · Leader of the Opposition · Leader of the Third Party Witan: 2012 · 2018 · 2036 · 2037 · 2045 Legislative Gazette |
