Parliament is making it easier for people from anywhere in the country to get involved with select committees and have their say.

Enlarge image Source: Office of the Clerk

Many select committee meetings at Parliament are open to the public, and now you can watch some select committee meetings live on Facebook, from anywhere in the country.

You can also make an oral submission to some select committees by video-conference, from wherever you are in New Zealand.

Deputy Clerk Rafael Gonzalez-Montero says making select committee meetings more accessible is an exciting development.

“Select committees focus on issues that affect all New Zealanders, like health and justice, so we want to make it easier for more people to watch select committee meetings.

“We also want to make it easier for people to talk to select committees, to let them know how the issues they are considering will affect them. Now it’s going to be much simpler for people who live outside of Wellington, and people with physical challenges, to have their say at Parliament.”

The new initiative will be available is select committee rooms one and two in Bowen House.

Select committees are small groups of MPs from different parties who work together to look at different issues in detail. Committees meet regularly and often call for submissions, to help them make informed decisions.

Select committees will live-stream meetings on the select committee Facebook pages.

Submitting gives people a chance to have their say and helps MPs understand how a law change could affect New Zealanders. Select committees are interested in opinions and ideas from anyone.

When you make a submission electronically on the NZ Parliament website, you will asked if you want to talk to the committee in person. when you If you do, you live outside of Wellington, you will be contacted to ask if you want to make a submission by video-conference.

People making a submission by video-conference will need to be able to connect to a video conference via PC, tablet, Android or Apple devices.

Parliament has 12 subject select committees covering economic development, science and innovation, education and workforce, environment, finance and expenditure, foreign affairs, defence and trade, governance and administration, health, justice, Māori affairs, primary production, social services and community and transport and infrastructure.