Story: Nation and government

Page 11. External links and sources

More links and websites

  • Beehive.govt.nz: the official website of the New Zealand Government

    This official site provides information about current government ministers, their portfolios and major government initiatives. It links to the official website of the prime minister of New Zealand.

  • Department of Internal Affairs

    The Department of Internal Affairs administers various government responsibilities, including the processing of documents of national identity, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, and applications for New Zealand citizenship. The Citizenship/Raraunga section gives detailed information on requirements for New Zealand citizenship.

  • Elections New Zealand

    This is the website of the three New Zealand electoral agencies: the Electoral Enrolment Centre, the Chief Electoral Office and the Electoral Commission. It includes information on the voting system, with lists of registered political parties, publications and links to other sites.

  • The Governor-General/Te Kāwana Tianara o Aotearoa

    This official site contains information on the role of the governor-general and Government House, biographies, media releases, speeches and the official programme.

  • Government Agencies

    This site, managed and maintained by the State Services Commission (a government department), gives a comprehensive directory of government agencies and services.

  • Guide to Parliament and government

    Produced by DecisionMaker Publications in consultation with politicians and government officials, this site provides a guide to government, covering the constitution, the activities of Parliament, government decision-making and government agencies, and the justice system.

  • LGOL: Local Government Online Ltd: internet portal to New Zealand local government

    This website is a joint initiative of the Society of Local Government Managers and the Association of Local Government Information Management. The site contains political regional maps, resources and documents on local government, and links to the websites of other bodies providing services within the local government sector.

  • Local Government Commission for New Zealand

    This website of the Local Government Commission, which makes decisions on the structure of local government, gives details of its activities and proposals.

  • Local Government New Zealand/Te Pūtahi Matakokiri

    This site provides details on membership of Local Government New Zealand, the national organisation of New Zealand’s 86 local authorities, and information on how local government works together with resources and links.

  • Ministry of Justice/Te Tāhū o te Ture

    The Ministry of Justice provides policy advice and services to government to maintain an effective justice system. This site outlines the work of the ministry and gives an overview of the New Zealand court system, with sections on various courts and tribunals.

  • Ministry for Culture and Heritage

    The Ministry for Culture and Heritage provides advice and services to government on culture and heritage matters. Among its various activities it has responsibility for symbols of national identity such as the New Zealand flag and the national anthems. This site contains detailed information on the flag and anthems, with histories and protocols.

  • New Zealand Parliament

    This site contains official information on parliamentary and executive government agencies, including ministerial agencies, and has biographies of ministers, media releases and political party information.

  • newzealand.com: the official site for New Zealand travel & business

    This site, which promotes New Zealand as an international tourism destination, has brief information about New Zealand people, history, culture, society and environment; together with key facts about the country.

  • NZHistory.net.nz/Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho o Aotearoa

    NZHistory.net.nz is produced by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and provides information and exhibitions on New Zealand history. The site contains an extensive gallery of historical exhibitions which include topics to do with the Treaty of Waitangi, citizenship, the government and the electoral system. There is a major exhibition on Parliament and its history.

  • Parliamentary Counsel Office/Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata

    The Parliamentary Counsel Office drafts most of New Zealand’s laws. This site outlines New Zealand’s legislative system, gives access to bills and statutes, and provides links to related sites.

  • The Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi

    This education site contains copies of the text of the Treaty of Waitangi text, a timeline, a history of the treaty and links.

  • Waitangi Tribunal

    The Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975 to make recommendations to government on claims by Māori relating to breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown. This site gives information on the work of the tribunal, details of claims and copies of reports, and an online newsletter.

How to cite this page

John Wilson, Nation and government, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/story/18250/sources (accessed 17 February 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 22 September 2012, updated 1 September 2016.