A view of the parliament library under renovation. The tour guide noted to me that NZ has a rectangular library and a circular (executive branch) parliament building, while it is the opposite in Canada. One other interesting thing I learned on the tour is that there is a room in the parliament specifically meant for any member of the public to voice their opinions and concerns to the parliament, and that while speaking there, the have the "protection of the Queen" and nothing they say there is admissible in court. The room itself was very cool, as the walls were lined with Maori carvings representing the different iwis (tribes) and deities. I really like the NZ government from my one and a half years there - they consistently rank as the least corrupt and most open government in the world, and they feel very responsive to the people. It really shows in how people speak of the government and police in NZ.