Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives

The speaker's most visible role is that of presiding over the House of Representatives when it is in session.[1] The speaker presides from the elevated 'Speaker's Chair' behind the Table in the debating chamber.[2] This involves overseeing the order in which business is conducted, and determining who should speak at what time. The speaker is also responsible for granting or declining requests for certain events, such as a snap debate on a particular issue.[3]

An important part of the speaker's role is enforcing discipline in the House.[1] The speaker defers to 'Standing Orders', which are the written rules of conduct governing the business of the House. Included in these rules are certain powers available to the speaker to ensure reasonable behaviour by MPs, including the ability to order disruptive MPs to leave the debating chamber.[4] If an MP feels one of these rules has been breached by another member, he or she can interrupt a debate by using a procedure known as a 'point of order'.[4] The speaker must then determine whether the complaint is just. Earlier Speaker's rulings on similar points of order are referred to in considering the point raised. The clerk of the House, who sits directly in front of the speaker, assists the speaker in making such rulings.[4]

By convention, speakers have traditionally been addressed inside the debating chamber as "Mr Speaker" or "Madam Speaker".[5]

The speaker is also responsible for directing and overseeing the administration and security of the buildings and grounds of Parliament (including the Beehive, Parliament House, Bowen House and the Parliamentary Library building), and the general provision of services to members.[6] In doing so, the speaker consults and receives advice from the Parliamentary Service Commission, which comprises MPs from across the House.[7]

As the most senior office of Parliament, the speaker has other statutory responsibilities, for example under the Electoral Act 1993.[8] In this role a portion of the Parliament Buildings are given over to the speaker. Known as the Speaker's Apartments these include his personal office, sitting rooms for visiting dignitaries and a small residential flat which the speaker may or may not use as living quarters.

The speaker chairs three select committees:

• the Standing Orders Committee
• the Business Committee
• the Officers of Parliament Committee.[6]

The Business Committee chaired by the speaker controls the organisation of the business of the House. Also on the committee, established after the first MMP election in 1996, is the leader of the House, the Opposition shadow leader and the whips of each party.

The speaker is expected to conduct the functions of the office in a neutral manner, even though the speaker is generally a member of the governing party.[1] Only three people have held the office despite not being from the governing party. In 1923, Charles Statham (an independent, but formerly a member of the Reform Party) was backed by Reform so as not to endanger the party's slim majority, and later retained his position under the United Party. In 1993, Peter Tapsell (a member of the Labour Party) was backed by the National Party for the same reason. Bill Barnard, who had been elected Speaker in 1936, resigned from the Labour Party in 1940 but retained his position.

Historically, a speaker lost the right to cast a vote, except when both sides were equally balanced. The speaker's lack of a vote created problems for a governing party – when the party's majority was small, the loss of the speaker's vote could be problematic. Since the shift to MMP in 1996, however, the speaker has been counted for the purposes of casting party votes, to reflect the proportionality of the party's vote in the general election. The practice has also been for the speaker to participate in personal votes, usually by proxy.[9] In the event of a tied vote the motion in question lapses.

Originally, speakers wore a gown and formal wig in the chamber. This practice has fallen into disuse since the 1990s.[15] Speakers now generally wear what they feel appropriate, usually an academic gown of their highest held degree or a Māori cloak.[16]