Beyond Westminster? 2020 Edition Hineraumati Series

05/10/2020

Aotearoa’s political and administrative landscape is undergoing a profound transformation that challenges its Westminster foundations.

Multiple forces are driving this evolution: the complex dynamics of a post-colonial state, a hollowed-out public service increasingly reliant on non-state actors for delivery, and political parties struggling to attract high-calibre talent for senior positions.

The strain on our traditional Westminster model manifests in several interconnected ways. First, the transition from first-past-the-post to mixed-member-proportional representation has fundamentally altered the relationship between the Executive and legislature. This shift has complicated how governments form and operate, particularly in keeping the cabinet together, and the cabinet itself has changed as a result.

Second, the evolving roles of associate ministers, parliamentary undersecretaries, and non-government ministers in the cabinet have created novel governance arrangements that the traditional Westminster model never contemplated. The established convention of cabinet solidarity has been further challenged by coalition parties’ right to disagree publicly with cabinet decisions, a significant departure from Westminster principles.

Third, accountability mechanisms are weakening. Poor quality regulatory impact statements and overwhelming yet often impenetrable performance information have diminished Parliament’s ability to scrutinise the Executive effectively. This opacity makes it increasingly challenging to hold ministers individually and collectively accountable.

Perhaps most significantly, the traditional separation between political and administrative spheres has blurred. Public servants increasingly navigate a complex landscape where they must simultaneously serve ministerial directives and the public interest: two masters whose interests are not always the same. This challenge is compounded by the emergence of policy networks that further complicate traditional accountability relationships.

While some of these developments mirror trends across OECD nations and could be viewed as democratically progressive, they are a fundamental departure from our Westminster heritage. Taken together, they suggest we may be moving beyond the Westminster model altogether, rather than stretching it.

As these changes unfold, an annual assessment will help us understand what they mean for democratic governance in Aotearoa, and that is what this series sets out to do.

Nau mai haere mai Hine Raumati. He iti tangata e tupu, he iti toki e iti tonu.