It may seem like the Government holds all the cards when it comes to the direction New Zealand’s legislation will take.
But opposition members and those on the backbenches can have an impact, although they need a little bit of luck to do so.
Alternate Wednesdays in the House are members' days which is when bills by MPs who are not ministers are debated.
To get a bill into the House an MP has to rely on a rabbits foot, four leaf clover or any other lucky talisman they might have to get the bill drawn from a ballot.
This week five members bills were debated and you can hear highlights from those debates below.
Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
