In a democratic process unique to the New Zealand Parliament – bills were drawn from a biscuit tin at today’s members’ bill ballot.

The following bills were drawn in today’s members’ bill ballot:
38 - Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges (Modernisation) Amendment Bill, Tim van de Molen
22 - Financial Markets (International Money Transfers) Amendment Bill, Arena Williams
36 - Local Government (Port Companies Accountability) Amendment Bill, Lemauga Lydia Sosene

What are members' bill ballot?

Most bills (proposed laws) considered by the House of Representatives are Government bills. However, MPs who are not Ministers can introduce their own bills, which are called members’ bills. Each member may have only one proposed bill in the ballot in their name at any one time.

The ballot is held to select one or more new member's bills to be introduced when fewer than eight members’ bills are on the Order Paper (the House’s agenda) as available for their first reading. The ballot simply involves drawing numbered tokens from a container, with one token drawn for each available bill to enter on the Order Paper.