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Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002

Declaration of state of emergency - Declaration of state of national emergency

67: Parliament must meet if state of national emergency declared

You could also call this:

"Parliament must meet within 7 days if a national emergency is declared"

Illustration for Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002

If a state of national emergency is declared, you need to know what happens to Parliament. When this happens, and Parliament is not meeting, a special meeting must be arranged within 7 days. This is so Parliament can discuss what to do about the emergency.

If Parliament has been closed for a while, or has been dissolved, a meeting must still be arranged within 7 days of the emergency being declared. However, if an election is about to happen, the meeting might be arranged after the election. You can find more information about elections in the Electoral Act 1993.

If the House of Representatives is on a break, it must meet again within 7 days of the emergency being declared. The Speaker of the House of Representatives will decide when this meeting happens and will let everyone know. You can find out when the meeting will happen by looking at the notice in the Gazette.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM150777.

Topics:
Government and voting > Emergency managementGovernment and voting > Elections
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66: Minister may declare state of national emergency, or

"Minister can declare a national emergency if a big disaster happens in New Zealand"

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68: Declaration of state of local emergency, or

"Declaring a local emergency: taking control to keep people safe in a specific area"

Part 4Declaration of state of emergency
Declaration of state of national emergency

67Parliament must meet if state of national emergency declared

  1. Subsection (3) applies if—

  2. a declaration of a state of national emergency is made; and
    1. Parliament—
      1. has been prorogued until a date more than 7 days after the date on which the declaration is made or the date on which Parliament is next to meet has not been determined; or
        1. has been dissolved or has expired and no Proclamation has been made summoning Parliament to meet on a day not later than 7 days after the date on which the declaration is made.

        2. Subsection (4) applies if—

        3. a declaration of a state of national emergency is made; and
          1. the House of Representatives is adjourned until a date more than 7 days after the date on which the declaration is made.

            1. If this subsection applies,—

            2. a Proclamation must be made appointing a day for Parliament to meet, being—
              1. a day not later than 7 days after the date of the making of the declaration of a state of national emergency; or
                1. if the declaration is made after the date on which Parliament has been dissolved or has expired and before the latest day appointed under the Electoral Act 1993 for the return of the writ for the election of members of Parliament, a day not later than 7 days after the latest day appointed for the return of the writ; and
                2. Parliament must meet and sit on the day appointed.

                  1. If this subsection applies,—

                  2. the Speaker of the House of Representatives must, as soon as practicable, by notice in the Gazette, appoint a day and time for the House of Representatives to meet, being a day not later than 7 days after the date of the making of the declaration; and
                    1. the House of Representatives must meet and sit at the time and on the day specified in the notice.

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