THE RUNDOWN NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018

FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST

CONTENTS
EDITION 1 COLLABORATORS: 1 | WELCOMES
JULIA GUNN, CULLUM PENI WESCHE, LADA VOLKOVA, AZARIA 2 | PRESS INTRO, PARTY RUNDOWN
HOWELL, NIVA CHITTOCK, JOSH MEIKLE, ANTOINE ELLIS, FREYA 3 | ETHICS IN THE PRESS
FARRAR, MEME CONTRIBUTORS, TALLULAH FARRAR (EDITOR & 4 | INSTAGRAM LEAKS & SNAPCHAT STREAKS
IMAGES)
5 | GREEN & NAT FAUX NEGOTIATIONS
6 | NZ’S UPPER HOUSE- BREAKDOWN
7 | HOROSCOPES
WELCOME FROM OUR...

COORDINATOR
JULIA GUNN
Welcome to New Zealand Model Parliament or what I like to call the best new
national UN Youth event in 2018 (this is the part where you ignore that
Model Parliament is the only new national UN Youth event in 2018)

I’m super excited to be holding this conference at the University of Canterbury

and I’m sure the construction happening on campus right now will be symbolic
of this new event being constructed right before our eyes.

During the conference feel free to come up and introduce yourself to me!
Whether you want to discuss Model Parliament or show me a good meme -
I don’t mind!

HEAD OF WELFARE
CULLUM PENI WESCHE
Kia ora mai tatou, nau mai haere mai ki te huihui! I'm Cullum, and I'll be your
Head of Welfare at this sizeable soiree. UN Youth conferences are known to
get pretty full on, so the welfare team is here to tautoko and support you over
the event- so buckle up and take note of these tips to keep you #Fresh:

Hydrate: Keep that water bottle topped up and consume plenty of H20 over
the weekend, you'll find you're able to focus more and keep those headaches
away.

Take breaks: All are welcome to come see Welfare if you need to chill out
during the conference. Committee sessions can get pretty intense, so if
you need to take 15 minutes come hang out with us.

Eat: It can be pretty easy to skip a meal but we highly recommend you don't.

Beware of exhaustion: Whether you have the intense desire to furiously research materials for the next day...
or are up watching videos... you should aim to get a decent night's sleep. If you do come to conference feeling
fatigued and a bit drained of energy, come see welfare and we'll sort you out with a place to siesta.

Again, if you have any concerns or worries, or even just want to chill out for a while, come and see us at the
Welfare Desk! Our numbers are on the back of your lanyards should you need to text or call - and remember
that we are on-call 24/7, so contact us even after conference hours.

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 NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST

WATCH OUT FOR THE PRESS!

AN INTRODUCTION OF OUR PRESS DELEGATES
We write articles, organise interviews and know ALL of the gossip.
Come talk to us! We don’t bite; we write.

Kia ora! My name is Hi! I’m Lada and I’m Hey hey, I’m Niva and
Azaria and I’m a year one of the press a Press Delegate for
12 student at delegates for this Radio New Zealand
Cashmere High conference. I have (RNZ). Cashmere High
School. When come down from is where I’m currently
I’m not looking like a Auckland where I study in Year 13 and love
budget Chloe at ACG Parnell College, calling Otautahi home.
Swarbrick, I’ll be (please don’t bully me My favourite pastimes
giving you the details for being a Jaffa). include sourcing as
in articles hot off However, I was born much of my UN Youth
the press. Keep an in Russia and trust me, outfits as possible
eye out for my I have access to the from thrift shops and
articles in The supreme hackers of getting juicy quotes
Rundown, and don’t the nation. Be careful out of you all. As a
be afraid to spill the with those emails! :-) press delegate, I am a
tea at our press bloodhound when it
conference - I’m comes to sniffing out
always on the lookout a good story!
for breaking news.

THE RUNDOWN ON OUR PARTIES IN GOVERNMENT

Political parties are crucial to a democratic
system, especially the one here in New
Zealand’s Government. What parties say
and do, should ultimately reflect their core
values. So what are those values and how
do we know they’re upholding them?
Here’s a little guide so you can spot those
Act supports minimal state
swimming against the tide: National uphold the values of
a limited government, personal involvement and less ‘red tape.’
responsibility and competitive They’re in favour of free trade,
enterprise. They want individual secure property investment rights
freedom and opportunities to and privatisation. They also support
equal citizenship for everyone. less taxation.

The Green Party values NZ First are deeply nationalistic

ecological wisdom and social
responsibility in relation to
the environment. In addition,
they encourage diversity,
represent minority or
marginalised groups and are
pro-welfare in reducing
disparities.
Labour advocate for socially
democratic principles, such as
education, healthcare and
politics. They also believe in
more taxation, in a top down
format (the rich give more).
and are in favour of less
government and electoral
reform. They appeal to
populist sentiments (by the
people, for the people).

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 NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST

ETHICS IN THE PRESS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

LADA VALKOVA, NZ HERALD
The purpose of journalism is to organise, process and distribute accurate news to people this
information matters to.

Collectively, us journalists serve the public; our primary job is to provide people with information they
need to be free and self-governing. Therefore, one big challenge the press faces is in differentiating
between reliable information and ‘fake tips’ with the intention to slander.

As journalists, we understand the position of influence that we hold within politics, and thus it is our
responsibility to ensure that we provide the public with the utmost reliable information. At any moment
during this three-day conference you may submit any contribution of information to the press to this
email: therundownpaper@gmail.com

We do not have the authority to suppress or withhold relevant information, and equally have the
discretion to deem ‘tips’ irrelevant and unprofessional.

Speaking of our email, we have already received some...interesting leaks. You can read about the details
of these in our article “Instagram leaks and Snapchat Streaks”.

We are aware that there are only three companies reporting on this large-scale event. As much as we
strive for high-quality, accurate reports; a degree of leniency would be appreciated as the journalism
industry in New Zealand is extremely under-funded. In an attempt to create a diverse and equally
represented environment, the press conference tomorrow will featuring a live feed of questions on the
projectors.

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INSTAGRAM LEAKS AND SNAPCHAT STREAKS:
WHAT ARE THE PARTIES PLANNING AT NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT?
After only a few hours, drama is already brewing in
the caucus rooms of New Zealand Model
Parliament.
Rumours have made it to the press that the
National Party are attempting to change leader due
to allegations of the National Party leader being
‘corrupt’ and spending too much taxpayer money.
It is alleged that the new leader will be more left-
leaning to appeal to Labour and Green Party voters.
An Instagram account (which has now been shut
down) by the name of @mnzpnationalpartyleaker
has posted statements about the new leadership
on their story, with controversial views on
National’s spending. After the speaker told MPs
they were unable to change the amount of
government spending, the account posted that it
would be upsetting to the leader, since they would
be unable to “spend large on his crown limos.”
The media have been told by an anonymous source
that members of National are seeking to overthrow
their leader. We spoke to the National MP based in
Invercargill to find out more. According to the MP,
the National Party caucus are losing faith in their
leader. “People don’t have faith in their own leader,”
according to the member.
The press have received an email from a source
who wished to remain anonymous telling us that
at the next National caucus meeting, there would
be an attempted leadership coup. The source is
from a National party insider and reveals few
details. The press do not know who is vying to
replace the leader thus far.
NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST
There are rumours that National leader Julia Welsh
has heard about the planned coup, according to
whistleblower Ben O’Connell. According to
O’Connell, the National Party seem confident that
they will keep their current leader, undermining
coup attempts. “National now looks confident and
united moving into future debates.”
Will the National Party keep their leader the same,
or are they doing this in an attempt to cover up
their party not being united? We’ll find out more
after the next National Party caucus meeting.
On the other side of the house, Labour have
supported a new bill to the house to amend the
Immigration, Refugee and Tourism act. Labour MP
Ryan Maass said in a speech to the house that this
bill will help solve the ‘housing crisis.’ He credited
rising house prices across the country to a lack of
people choosing the trades as an option, and said
that skilled refugees could be a solution to this
problem. “New Zealand is going through a major
crisis since trade positions are becoming less
desirable. We need to hire refugees to fill these
roles,” according to the Labour MP.
The bill was supported with 119 votes in favour, to
one vote from ACT against in the first reading. The
press are aware that MPs are considering the bill in
select committees, and proposed changes to the
bill will be revealed tomorrow.
AZARIA HOWELL, STUFF
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 NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
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GREEN PARTY AND NATIONAL FAUX

NEGOTIATIONS
The Green Party seem to be becoming restless with their position in the coalition government, despite
not even being in a coalition. An anonymous tip off, supposedly from the ‘Current Green Party
Co-Leader’ mentioned that the Greens are feeling “betrayed by the current coalition government.”

This tip appears to be fake as the Green Party are in confidence and supply with Labour and New
Zealand First. This means that they are not expected to vote the same way as these parties, however,
much of their views line up, so this happens more often than not. They are not in a coalition.

New Zealand First are in coalition with Labour and are expected to be reprimanded if they do not
vote the same way as Labour.

The note also stated that “The Green Party is looking into options for coalition negotiations with
National backbench MPs.” When the Green Co-Leaders were approached on the subject of these
negotiations, the replied with: “These are backbench National MPs. They are not significant or
important in the makeup of the government. You should talk to NZ First about the problems they are
making for the coalition.”

The statement cannot currently be confirmed or denied. The words ‘negotiation’ and ‘coalition’ were
also misspelled, either showing the lack of spell checkers for the Green Party, or more likely, that this
is a forged note. Both of these theories remain hypothetical.

Labour and NZ First spokespersons were not available for comment on the topic. The National Party
Leader, while not aware of the note prior to her engagement with the press, said “I’m just really looking
for things that will improve the party and NZ as a whole, so I guess we’ll wait and see if my backbench
MPs have anything of value to add or they’re just...y’know.”

Time will only tell what is truly happening, however in the first reading of the bill, both the Green Party
and National came out with some strong lines on the immigration and tourism industry policies which
are outlined in the Bill.

NIVA CHITTOCK, RADIO NEW ZEALAND

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 NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST

NZ’S UPPER HOUSE- A BREAKDOWN

Independent political correspondent Josh Meikle writes on the history of New
Zealand Legislative Council, New Zealand’s first and only Upper House.

New Zealand parliament has not always had the form we know today. As a
nation we have been historically indecisive about everything from its location
to its form. Some of the factors controlling this can be linked back to core
documents like the Treaty of Waitangi, but also we have seen partisan politics
drive these changes. A core example of this is the abolition of New Zealand’s
only ever Upper House.

Between 1853 to 1951 New Zealand’s parliament had a second chamber known
as the Legislative Council. Unlike the House of Representatives, which is elected,
the members of the Legislative Council were appointed. This appointment was
initially managed by the Governor General but in practice this became the prerogative of the Government leading
to the practice of stacking. This would look like the current Government selecting individuals to sit on the Council
that supported them and their policies. Often this meant a new Government would be constrained by council
members appointed by an old Government.

The idea behind the Legislative Council was to introduce some level of legislative oversight, but in practice this
largely failed. Whenever they tried to take a more active role in the creation of legislature they would find
themselves clashing with the House of Representatives, leading to the Council backing down and during most of its
existence doing little more than revise House legislature.

The pinnacle of this conflict between the Council and the House was in 1891 when the Council refused to cooperate
with the liberal Government's policies. The Government in power attempted to stack the Council with individuals
more in favour of their policies, but initially the Governor General refused these appointments. The luck of the
Government changed when the British superiors of the Governor General ruled in favour of the Government and
allowed the appointments. This undermined any future independent power of the Council.

It became increasingly clear that the Legislative Council were largely redundant. A bill was introduced in 1947 by the
then National Party leader to abolish the Council but it was not until National won the 1949 election that they
accomplished this change. After the election, the National Government appointed 29 new members to the Council,
informally named the ‘suicide squad’ as they had all agreed to support the Legislative Council Abolition Bill. On the
1 December 1950 the Legislative Council sat for the last time before marching out of Parliament together arms
linked singing the National Anthem. The act came into force on 1 January 1951, and the Council was no more.

While New Zealand no longer has an upper house many countries still do to greater or lesser effect. The English
House of Lords, for instance, can be largely regarded as having little effect on legislation nowadays, while the
Australian Senate can potentially be identified as part of the reason that no Australian Prime Minister has been able
to serve a full term since 2007. It can be asked whether there could be benefits in the implementation of an upper
house in modern New Zealand to represent particular groups or values of our society, or whether the concept of an
upper house in New Zealand is something that we rightfully closed the door on in 1951.

JOSH MEIKLE

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 NZ MODEL PARLIAMENT 2018
FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST

STANDING ORDERS: HOT TIP OF THE DAY

171 Mace placed under Table

When the Speaker has left the

Chair, the Mace is placed
under the Table.

THANK YOU NZ
PARLIAMENT FACEBOOK
FOR THE LOVE !

HOROSCOPES
ARIES
TAURUS GEMINI CANCER

A fog of drama has settled Interesting energy will be

upon your life today.
Probably because you’ve
been leaking far too much
about your party.
LEO
Stay hydrated. Be clear with your surrounding you all day
You’ll need it. communication. Or don’t, and it started with the iced
anonymous tips also cake for morning tea.
work.
VIRGO
SCORPIO
LIBRA

When you’re making a Mapping out the course of Your daily routine is A blast from the past is
tough decision, the your day is going to be a going to be disrupted - just coming at you in the form
standing orders will mission, just like the UC like a talkative MP being of today’s cake being found
on the sole of your shoe
become your best friend. map you were emailed. cut off last night.
next week.

CAPRICORN PISCES
SAGITTARIUS AQUARIUS

Some people in your You don’t have to be a Money issues are swirling Power is all around you.
party may not be that poet, songwriter or novelist today. Watch out not Take note and get ready
revved up. Starting a meme with your words, you just to be sucked into the to prove your worth in
is a good way to fix this. have to send them to billion dollar fiscal hole. debate.
therundown@gmail.com.
NIVA CHITTOCK