I have always assumed that our current form of government is called Liberal Democracy but do not recall being educated about what that really means.
For most of human our species existence people lived in small groups of hunters and gatherers that governed themselves. We don’t have any documentation about how they did this and it doesn’t matter because we do not live like that anymore.
Ten thousand or so years ago, members of the small tribes learned to domesticate animals, grow crops and stay in one place.
Agriculture resulted in more people living together and needing some form of governance to establish and maintain civil order. Some individuals and their friends gained authority and power over the rest and wanted to retain it and pass it on to their descendants.
They also organized armies to invade other neighboring communities and govern their members as well.
Government of the people became by rulers that justified their authority as inherited from their ancestors or granted by supreme “beings” called Gods.
The rulers used the wealth created by the labour of the common people to employ government officials and soldiers to manage things, protect them from threats to their authority and power and enlarge their kingdoms or empires.
Societies became clearly divided into the minority that RULED and the majority that OBEYED.
In some societies, like Greece, more people were allowed to participate and gain influence in a form of government called DEMOCRACY or government by the people or rather some more of the people because most were still not allowed to participate.
Democracy is government of, by and for “the people” but not all of the people.
More recently, in the 17th and 18th centuries some scholars and philosophers began wondering why God intended that a minority of people should have so much authority and power over the rest and decided that this ANCESTRAL PRIVILEGE and DIVINE RIGHT story was a con.
They proposed that God (in his infinite wisdom) created and intended all people to have the same equal rights, privileges and opportunities protected by what they called NATURAL LAW, that was superior to human laws.
According to Natural Law, all individuals were entitled to the same equal NATURAL RIGHTS to Life, Freedom, personal property and ownership of their own bodies and people that limited or impaired the LIBERTY of others were guilty of violating God’s Laws.
The members of the ruling class didn’t like this ENLIGHTENMENT of their subjects very much and tried to retain their supreme authority and power but the “common people” united, rebelled and fought bravely to Liberate themselves and gain acceptance of their Natural Rights.
The “Liberal” party of Liberal Democracy refers to the form of government being based on respect for and protection of every citizen’s Natural Rights do think, say, own and do whatever they like as long as they are not physically harming another person or their property. It also entitled ALL adult citizens to participate equally in the governing themselves.
Liberal Democracy was a brilliant idea but, of course, it never happenned because the majority of the people never accepted the responsibilities to manage their own lives, participate in the political system and prevent the people in their governments from imposing legislation that limited and violated their liberty and Natural Rights.
Being allowed to vote every 3 or 4 years does not mean that our form of government is Liberal Democracy be cause the politicians that get elected were chosen, supported and promoted by a small minority of the people to represent themselves.
We do have democracy (government of, by and for the people) but only some of the people that are actively involved and influential in the main political parties.
This limited form of democracy is not Liberal because the equal natural Rights of all citizens are frequently and increasingly ignored, denied and violated by “government” laws, regulations and other “mandates”.
Our current form of government is better defined as OLIGARCHY because it is of all the people by (and often for) a minority of the people that are politically active and influential.
This Oligarchy is becoming more authoritarian and autocratic and is becoming more and more like that of the past before the Age of Enlightenment.
No Minister 
“Liberal”?
Even before the communist scum tainted the word it could not be attached to New Zealand’s democracy.
Parliamentary or Representative, yes although, in fact New Zealand, boasting King Charles the first of New Zealand, is probably best described as a combination including Constitutional Monarchy.
Liberal Democracy? That is rule through consent of ALL the people which is certainly not what you describe at all.
Have a look at the lists of “generous donors” to the 3 political parties that have the current Power.
Rich white guys that live in Auckland and Queenstown.
Remember that there is a Golden Rule. The people with the gold get to make the rules.
The people with the gold are called Oligarchs. Their rules serve their ambitions at the expense of the common folk.
QED. Our current form of government is Oligarchy.
What am I missing?