Bayly: Why your voice matters

• By MP for Port Waikato Andrew Bayly

Each parliamentary term, the Parliamentary Service and the Office of the Clerk (the two organisations that support the running of the New Zealand Parliament) commission research into New Zealanders’ perceptions of their Parliament.

This research asks people how much they know about the role of Parliament and whether or not they have ever participated in parliamentary processes – for example, by signing or creating a petition, or making a submission to a select committee. It also builds a picture of whether New Zealanders trust Parliament and feel it represents them well.

The 2025 research shows that while many New Zealanders feel it is important to understand what is going on in the running of the country, over half of respondents didn’t know the difference between Parliament and Government. It also showed that people generally feel like Parliament doesn’t listen to them or discuss issues they care about, and worryingly, trust in Parliament is low.

You can engage more with Parliament beyond what you might see or hear in the news – this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are masses of collaborative hard work going on to ensure good outcomes for all New Zealanders.

I mentioned in last month’s column that I am currently the Chair of the Justice Select Committee. Select committees play a vital role in the Parliamentary process. Each committee comprises a cross-party group of MPs whose job it is to scrutinise proposed legislation and conduct inquiries into issues affecting New Zealanders.

Some of the things the Justice Select Committee has been working on recently include considering updates to the Electoral Act 1993 to modernise electoral law and administration ahead of the 2026 General Election, a bill to deter antisocial driving behaviour that negatively affects road and community safety in New Zealand, two petitions from members of the public, and hearing a briefing from the UN on the prevention of torture.

Our democracy works best when a diverse range of voices are heard and represented.

There are many ways to have your say, and your local MP is a great place to start.

For electorate issues, contact me at andrew@baylymp.co.nz