Votes

Parliament must vote on a bill at least three times before it becomes law.

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New votes are currently not being added to WhereTheyStand because the underlying data source has changed. Work is underway to fix this.

A bill must have three "readings" in the House of Representatives before enactment. These are called the first reading, second reading, and third reading. Each reading is voted on and succeeds if more members of Parliament vote in favour than against.

There are four types of vote:

  • Voice votes are the simplest type of vote. Members of Parliament shout "aye" or "no" and the Speaker makes an assessment based on how loud each side is. Any member can then call for a more formal vote.
  • Party votes are the most common type of recorded vote. Each party has a number of seats in the House and casts that number of votes (minus any absences) according to its party policy.
  • Personal votes are also called conscience votes. Each member of Parliament decides how to vote on the bill, independent of any party policy.
  • Split party votes are similar to a party vote, except one or more parties may treat the vote as a personal vote while other parties may treat it as a party vote. If a party splits its party vote across more than one position (yes, no or abstain) it must give notice of which members' votes are being allocated to each position.

Other votes may take place during the Committee of the Whole House stage. These votes are on individual amendments to a bill. WhereTheyStand does not currently record these votes.

If a bill passes all three readings it is given Royal Assent by the Governor-General. It then becomes law, although most bills specify in more detail when its provisions come into effect.

Find a vote

If you're looking for a specific bill, check the bills page.

Case-insensitive match on the bill title.

Show votes from this date range.

Vote type
Bill type

The result of the vote to search for.

All votes

894 results.

Corrections (School Notification of Sex Offenders) Amendment Bill

24 March 2021 · 1st reading · Party vote
43Aye
77No
0Abstain
0Absent

Companies (Limited Partnerships Identical Names Prohibition) Amendment Bill

24 March 2021 · 1st reading · Party vote
55Aye
65No
0Abstain
0Absent

Taxation (Annual Rates for 2020-21, Feasibility Expenditure, and Remedial Matters) Bill

23 March 2021 · 3rd reading · Party vote
75Aye
45No
0Abstain
0Absent

Appropriation (2019/20 Confirmation and Validation) Bill

18 March 2021 · 2nd reading · Party vote
75Aye
44No
0Abstain
1Absent

Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Amendment Bill

17 March 2021 · 1st reading · Party vote
110Aye
10No
0Abstain
0Absent

Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Amendment Bill

17 March 2021 · 3rd reading · Party vote
110Aye
10No
0Abstain
0Absent

Appropriation (2019/20 Confirmation and Validation) Bill

16 March 2021 · 1st reading · Party vote
77Aye
43No
0Abstain
0Absent

Local Government (Rating of Whenua Māori) Amendment Bill

16 March 2021 · 2nd reading · Party vote
77Aye
43No
0Abstain
0Absent

Taxation (Annual Rates for 2020-21, Feasibility Expenditure, and Remedial Matters) Bill

11 March 2021 · 2nd reading · Party vote
75Aye
45No
0Abstain
0Absent

Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill

10 March 2021 · 1st reading · Personal vote
100Aye
15No
2Abstain
3Absent
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