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Tinkering with the constitution

For the third time since the new millennium, New Zealand is undertaking a significant investigation into its constitutional arrangements. The latest development was the release in December 2013 of the final report of the Constitutional Advisory Panel established by the New Zealand government to consider constitutional issues. Among the report’s recommendations is the invitation for all of us to ‘continue the conversation about our constitutional arrangements’. This article seeks to contribute to that conversation by drawing a link between our beliefs about the authority of government — its right to rule — and the shape and manner in which our government is constituted. It is contended that this provides some much-needed context, revealing why the conversation is important and offering an opportunity to set some direction for continued dialogue in terms of exploring our beliefs about governmental authority and how those beliefs are or should be embodied in constitutional detail.