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Role & Functions | |
The Governor-General’s Three Functions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Governor-General has three overlapping roles – the constitutional, the ceremonial and the community.Constitutional:The purpose of the constitutional role is to maintain the legitimacy and continuity of government (for example, by receiving the writ that dissolves Parliament before a general election is held; by formally requesting the leader of the political party which gains the support of a majority in Parliament to form a government; and by assenting to the enactment of legislation). Legitimacy is the foundation of civil peace and the order that is maintained by the rule of law. The Governor-General also has what are known as the reserve powers. Ceremonial:The Governor-General takes part in public ceremonies as the individual who represents the state. This role includes such duties as the opening of new sessions of Parliament, holding honours investitures, welcoming visiting Heads of State, receiving the credentials of foreign diplomats and attending Waitangi Day commemorations. The Governor-General’s participation in state ceremonies is guided by tradition and protocol (protocol is simply public etiquette; an agreed and expected way of doing things). Community:
The Governor-General provides non-partisan leadership in the community. New Zealand Governors-General are always the patrons of many charitable, service, sporting and cultural organisations. The Governor-General is patron to many organisations. The sponsorship or patronage of the Governor-General signals that an organisation is worthy of wide support. Many of the Governor-General’s community functions also have a ceremonial dimension, such as attendance at the official openings of buildings, addresses to open conferences, or launching special events and appeals. The Governor-General’s community role is by far the busiest: during
most years, there will be 400 to 500 functions to attend, from Northland
to Stewart Island, from Fiordland to the Chatham Islands. During his regular
visits around the country, the Governor-General meets thousands of New Zealanders
where they live and work, and talks and listens to citizens in all walks
of life.
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