New Zealand's Cookie Tin Lottery: A Unique Path to Lawmaking
New Zealand's Parliament uses a cookie tin lottery to randomly select bills for debate, ensuring all legislators have a chance to propose laws.
Overview
In a quirky tradition, New Zealand's Parliament employs a cookie tin lottery to randomly select bills for debate, allowing all legislators, regardless of popularity, to advance their proposals. This egalitarian system, which began in the 1990s, contrasts with typical political processes and has led to significant laws like marriage equality. Recent winners include Arena Williams, advocating for transparency in international money transfer fees, and Tim van de Molen, who seeks to protect military decorations. The lottery reflects New Zealand's cultural irreverence and democratic values.
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Analysis
- The articles highlight New Zealand's cookie tin lottery as a fun and democratic way to select laws.
- They emphasize the egalitarian nature of the process, allowing all lawmakers to propose legislation.
- The unique approach reflects a cultural significance, showcasing a blend of seriousness and quirkiness in lawmaking.
Articles (3)
Center (2)
"…The lottery has produced some of New Zealand’s most notable modern laws."
ABC News·1M·"…The lottery has produced some of New Zealand’s most notable modern laws."
Associated Press·1M·FAQ
The cookie tin lottery involves placing numbered bingo tokens representing proposed bills into a decorative cookie tin, which is then shaken and drawn randomly to select bills for debate. This is done on days when slots open in Parliament's agenda, and the drawing is presided over by an official not affiliated with any political party. All non-minister lawmakers can enter one bill into the lottery to have a fair chance at having their proposal debated.
The lottery ensures fairness and equal opportunity by allowing all legislators, regardless of political party or popularity, to advance their proposed bills for debate. It replaces the previous chaotic system of queuing for bill submission and has become a symbolic part of New Zealand's democratic tradition.
Bills drawn from the cookie tin are often members' bills that address controversial, niche, or less mainstream issues. Their sponsors usually engage in public campaigns to gather cross-party support, as these bills are not part of the government's official legislative agenda.
Significant laws such as those establishing marriage equality in New Zealand have emerged from bills that were selected through the cookie tin lottery, showcasing the lottery's impact on advancing important social legislation.
The drawings are conducted by individuals not affiliated with any political party, including community members such as school students or visitors celebrating birthdays, adding to the ceremonial and impartial nature of the process.
History
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