New edition of McGee's monumental Parliamentary Practice

MEDIA RELEASE FOR BROADCAST 23 MAY 2107

New edition of McGee's monumental Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand to be unveiled at Beehive

The standard reference work to the functioning of the House of Representatives, now in its fourth revised edition, will be unveiled at a special event at Parliament tonight (Tuesday 23 May).

Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, David McGee’s monumental guide to how New Zealand’s Parliament works, was last revised 12 years ago.

This new edition published by Oratia Books brings the work up to date, thanks to extensive revision by a team led by former Clerk of the House of Representatives Mary Harris and current Clerk, David Wilson, “I’m delighted to oversee the publication of this new edition, which reflects the knowledge and hard work of a large number of people,” commented Wilson.

“Capturing changes in how Parliament works is vital because it helps the different people who interact with Parliament, allows us to provide the best advice possible, and points the way to how the institution will innovate and evolve in the future.”

In particular, the new edition reflects changes brought by the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014, changes in committee conduct, and the use of extended sittings.

Weighing in at 1.4 kg, the 896-page book features attractive design and enhanced indexing and references — and for the first time comes with a digital counterpart. The ebook version facilitates quick browsing and searching, and offers the ability to incorporate amendments at more regular intervals.

Author David McGee was Clerk of the House of Representatives from 1985 to 2007. Mary Harris occupied that position from 2007 to 2015, and David Wilson is the current Clerk of the House of Representatives.

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