The 50th Parliament will come to an end at 11am on Thursday 14 August 2014.

The House cannot dissolve Parliament itself; only the Governor-General has the power to do so. As with all legal powers of the Governor-General, this power is exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister.

A proclamation dissolving the Parliament will be read out on the steps of Parliament by Phillip O’Shea CNZM, LVO, New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to The Queen, as the authorised representative of the Governor-General, His Excellency Lieutenant-General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Matepārae. The reading will take place in the presence of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mary Harris, the Deputy Clerk of the House, Debra Angus, and the Clerk-Assistant, David Wilson, as official witnesses.

Members of the public are welcome to view the dissolution ceremony in front of the main steps of Parliament House just before 11am on Thursday 14 August. If it is wet, the proclamation will be read in the main foyer of Parliament House.

The effect of the Proclamation will be to bring the 50th Parliament to an end. After the dissolution all business that is before the House and select committees lapses. However, when the 51st Parliament meets the House can decide to reinstate this lapsed business and it can continue its progress through the House.

The dissolution is also the first step towards the holding of the general election on Saturday, 20 September 2014. The next step will be for the Governor-General to issue a writ to the Chief Electoral Officer directing him to conduct a general election of members of the House of Representatives. The writ will specify the latest day for the nomination of candidates, polling day, and the latest day for the return of the writ with the name of elected constituency candidates.

The date of the first meeting of the 51st Parliament will be announced by a further proclamation and this must be called within 6 weeks of the return of the writ (the final election results).