The Relationship between the Government and the Op

RP01/02-03TheRelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheOppositionorMinorityPartiesinSelectedPlaces13November2002PreparedbyCHAUPakKwanResearchandLibraryServicesDivisionLegislativeCouncilSecretariat5thFloor,CitibankTower,3GardenRoad,Central,HongKongTelephone:(852)28699593Facsimile:(852)25099268Website:@legco.gov.hkCONTENTSPageExecutiveSummaryPart1-Introduction1Background1ScopeofResearch1Methodology1Part2-TheUnitedKingdom2Background2RecognitionofOppositionParties2LeadershipofOppositionParties3FinancialAssistancetoOppositionParties4ParliamentaryRulesRelatingtoOppositionParties5MembershipinCommitteeSystem5AllocationofTimetoOppositionBusiness7Non-GovernmentBills8VoteofConfidence9ShadowCabinetSystem9FormationandOperation9RelationshipwiththeGovernment10Part3-NewZealand11Background11RecognitionofOppositionParties11LeadershipofOppositionParties12FinancialAssistancetoOppositionParties13ParliamentaryRulesrelatingtoOppositionParties14MembershipinCommitteeSystem14AllocationofTimetoOppositionBusiness14Non-GovernmentBills16VoteofConfidence16ShadowCabinetSystem16FormationandOperation16RelationshipwiththeGovernment17Part4-TheUnitedStates18Background18RecognitionofMinorityParty18LeadershipoftheMinorityParty18FinancialAssistancetoMinorityParty19ParliamentaryRulesRelatingtotheMinorityParty20MembershipinCommitteeSystem20AllocationofTimetoMinorityBusiness20Non-GovernmentBills21SpecificDutiesofMinorityLeaders21VoteofConfidence23ShadowCabinetSystem23Part5-ComparisonofVariousAttributesoftheRelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheOppositionorMinorityPartiesinSelectedPlaces24Part6-Analysis30NatureofOppositionorMinorityParties30RecognitionofOppositionorMinorityParties30ParliamentaryRulesRelatingtoOppositionorMinorityParties30ShadowCabinetSystem31References32--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TheLegislativeCouncilSecretariatwelcomesthere-publication,inpartorinwhole,ofthisresearchreport,andalsoitstranslationinotherlanguages.Materialsmaybereproducedfreelyfornon-commercialpurposes,providedacknowledgementismadetotheResearchandLibraryServicesDivisionoftheLegislativeCouncilSecretariatasthesourceandonecopyofthereproductionissenttotheLegislativeCouncilLibrary.ExecutiveSummary1.InboththeUnitedKingdom(UK)andNewZealand,thelargestpartyintermsofitsmembershipwhichisnotintheGovernmentorincoalitionwithaGovernmentpartyisknownastheOfficialOppositionparty.IntheUnitedStates(US),thesecondlargestpartyintheHouseofRepresentativesortheSenateistheminorityparty.2.IntheUK,NewZealandandtheUS,therecognitionoftheoppositionorminoritypartiesismainlyconferredbyconvention,parliamentaryorcongressionalpracticesandpoliticalculture.Theirrecognitionisnotthroughformallegalrules.Inthethreeplacesstudied,someleadershippostsoftheOfficialOppositionortheminoritypartydrawanofficialsalary.3.InboththeUKandtheUS,therearespecialappropriationsfortheoppositionorminoritypartiestoperformparliamentarywork.InNewZealand,allparliamentarypartiesreceivepublicmoneyforPartyandMembersSupport.4.Inalltheplacesstudied,theLeadersofOppositionorMinorityLeadersareconsultedtoacertainextentwhentheGovernmentorthemajoritypartypreparestheorderofparliamentarybusiness.5.ThereisaShadowCabinetsysteminboththeUKandNewZealand,whilethereisstrictlyspeakingnoShadowCabinetsystemintheUS.TheRelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheOppositionorMinorityPartiesinSelectedPlacesPart1-Introduction1.Background1.1TheLegislativeCouncilPanelonConstitutionalAffairsatitsmeetingon9July2002requestedtheResearchandLibraryServicesDivisiontoconductaresearchontheoperationofShadowCabinetsystemsinoverseasplaces.2.ScopeofResearch2.1Thescopeoftheresearchfocusesontheroleofandprivilegesaccordedtotheoppositionorminoritypartiesinvariouspoliticalsystems.Inparticular,theresearchcovers:!recognitionoftheoppositionorminorityparties;!privilegesinthelegislaturesuchasmembershipinparliamentaryorcongressionalcommitteesandtheallocationoftimetooppositionorminoritybusiness.!formationandoperationoftheShadowCabinetsystems;and!therelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheShadowCabinet.2.2ThisresearchstudiestherelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheoppositionorminoritypartiesintheUnitedKingdom(UK),NewZealand,andtheUnitedStates(US).TheUKischosenbecausetheoppositionhasanofficialroleandstatusinitsparliamentarysystem.NewZealandischosenbecauseofitsexperienceincoalitiongovernmentswiththeintroductionofaproportionalrepresentationelectoralsystemin1996.TheUSischosenbecauseitisatypicalformofpresidentialgovernmentandpoliticalpartiesintheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenatehaveplayedverydifferentroles.3.Methodology3.1InformationforthisreportisobtainedfromtheInternet,governmentreportsandrelevantmaterials.EnquireswerealsosenttotherelevantauthoritiesintheUK,NewZealand,andtheUS.LegislativeCouncilSecretariatTheRelationshipbetweentheGovernmentandtheOppositionorMinorityPartiesinSelectedPlacesResearchandLibraryServicesDivisionpage2Part2-TheUnitedKingdom4.Background4.1TheUnitedKingdo