tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post7609577454552556254..comments2009-03-21T10:33:42.587+13:00Dean Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069298298745322597noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-27854431849351023442009-03-21T10:33:00.000+13:002009-03-21T10:33:00.000+13:00I noticed that on the day the new Government was formed, the Governor-General spoke about some of these issues in a speech: http://www.gg.govt.nz/node/945Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-72922892118838026042008-11-13T08:02:00.000+13:002008-11-13T08:02:00.000+13:00If you see the earlier post on transitions, you'll see the assessment of confidence is necessarily prospective, not contemporaneous, ie based on assessing the outcome of the first confidence vote in the House.Dean Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069298298745322597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-72908088354149247172008-11-13T06:51:00.000+13:002008-11-13T06:51:00.000+13:00Can John Key inform the Governor General he has the support of a majority of the House, if the House has no members?Nigel Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04810873665345046994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-24682198505851222572008-11-11T22:33:00.000+13:002008-11-11T22:33:00.000+13:00Faster than the speed of convention. Hmm... we live in morally hazardous times.Will de Cleenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555957698892853110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-63268981908689484792008-11-11T11:44:00.000+13:002008-11-11T11:44:00.000+13:00Been thinking about this, but I think the statements so far have intimated that the change is to the leader of the Labour Party, not to the formal constitutional role of PM. There's no constitutional requirement I'm aware of that says the PM be the "leader" of the party, but it has been customary.<BR/><BR/>However, if immediate change to leader and PM is intended, then the appointment (albeit temporary) needs to be formally given effect to by the G-G. And that might require consideration of whether such changes fall within the scope of the caretaker principle, that is, can the present PM legitimately advise the G-G that Goff is to be appointed as PM until Key takes over when she does not command confidence? Or can the GG exercise his own reserve power to do so? <BR/><BR/>I'm not sure either way of the propriety of that, and don't know if it has arisen before.Dean Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03069298298745322597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11340801.post-77980771473462261472008-11-11T11:10:00.000+13:002008-11-11T11:10:00.000+13:00And if Goff becomes leader of the Labour party today, does that make him the interim PM?Will de Cleenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555957698892853110noreply@blogger.com