Proposed Reestablishment
Unicameralists in New Zealand, like former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, argued that the country is a small and relatively homogeneous unitary state, and hence does not need the same arrangements as federal countries like Australia or Canada, although many smaller countries have retained bicameral systems. In addition, other political reforms in New Zealand such as the strengthening of the Select Committee system and the introduction of proportional representation are seen to provide adequate checks and balances.
Support for bicameralism is not completely absent, however, and there have been occasional proposals for a new upper house or Senate. A constitutional reform committee chaired by Ronald Algie proposed an appointed Senate in 1952, while in 1990, the government of Jim Bolger proposed an elected Senate, an idea advanced partly as an alternative to New Zealand's electoral reform process.
Read more about this topic: New Zealand Legislative Council
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