Global InformationList of prime ministers of New Zealand information
The prime minister of New Zealand is the country's head of government and the leader of the Cabinet, whose powers and responsibilities are defined by convention.[1] Officially, the prime minister is appointed by the governor-general, but by convention, the prime minister must have the confidence of the House of Representatives.[2] The prime minister is always a member of parliament.[1]
Originally, prime ministers headed loose coalitions of independents, which were often unstable; since the advent of political parties, the prime minister is usually the leader of the largest party represented in the house.[1] Since 1935, every prime minister has been a member of either the National party or the Labour party, reflecting their domination of New Zealand politics.[3] After the introduction of mixed-member proportional voting in 1996, prime ministers have usually needed to negotiate agreements with smaller parties to maintain a majority in Parliament.[1]
The title of the office was originally "colonial secretary", which was formally changed to "premier" in 1869.[4] That title remained in use almost exclusively for more than 30 years, until Richard Seddon changed it to "prime minister" during his tenure in the office; he used the title officially at the 1902 Colonial Conference.[4]
Some historians regard James FitzGerald as New Zealand's first prime minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor (Thomas Forsaith) should properly be given that title, as New Zealand did not yet have responsible government when they served.[1][5] Most commonly, Henry Sewell, who served during 1856, is regarded as New Zealand's first premier.[6] Beginning with Sewell, 41 individuals have so far held the premiership,[7][8] not including acting prime ministers. Nine prime ministers have held the position for more than one period in office. Richard Seddon, prime minister for thirteen years between 1893 and 1906, held the office for the longest term.[9] The youngest prime minister was Edward Stafford, who assumed office at age 37, and the oldest was Walter Nash, who left office at age 78.[10] Three prime ministers have been women, a count equalled by Iceland, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom, and only surpassed by Finland and Switzerland.[11]
The current prime minister is Christopher Luxon, who assumed office on 27 November 2023.[12]
- ^ a b c d e McLean, Gavin (1 December 2016). "Premiers and prime ministers – The role of prime minister". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ "Prime Minister". Cabinet Manual. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ Papillon, Martin; Turgeon, Luc; Wallner, Jennifer; White, Stephen (2014). Comparing Canada: Methods and Perspectives on Canadian Politics. UBC Press. p. 126. ISBN 9780774827867. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
...in New Zealand politics, by the centre-left Labour Party and the centre-right National Party
- ^ a b McLintock, Alexander Hare (1966). "Prime Minister: The Title 'Premier'". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 August 2022. [Source erroneously refers to the Imperial Conference of 1903]
- ^ McIntyre, W. David. "FitzGerald, James Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ McIntyre, W. David. "Sewell, Henry". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "Premiers and Prime Ministers – Biographies". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Prime Ministers of New Zealand since 1856". New Zealand Parliament. 25 January 2023 [originally published 17 December 2018]. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "'King Dick' Seddon becomes premier". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "Premiers and Prime Ministers – Prime ministerial trivia". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ Vogelstein, Rachel B.; Bro, Alexandra (29 March 2021). "Women's Power Index". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Christopher Luxon sworn in as New Zealand's new prime minister". 1 News. 27 November 2023.