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Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand facts for kids

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Deputy Prime Minister of
New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand.svg
Coat of arms of New Zealand.svg
Winston Peters, 2019.jpg
Incumbent
Winston Peters

since 27 November 2023
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Style
Member of
  • Cabinet of New Zealand
  • Executive Council
Reports to Prime Minister of New Zealand
Appointer Governor-General of New Zealand
Term length No fixed term
Formation 13 December 1949; 74 years ago (1949-12-13)
First holder Keith Holyoake
Salary NZ$334,734 annually

The deputy prime minister of New Zealand (Māori: Te pirimia tuarua o Aotearoa) is the second-most senior member of the Cabinet of New Zealand. The officeholder usually deputises for the prime minister at official functions. The current deputy prime minister is Winston Peters, who has held the position twice before, and will serve until 31 May 2025 due an arrangement under the current coalition government in which he would then be succeeded in the position by ACT leader David Seymour.

The role existed on an informal basis for as long as the office of prime minister/premier has existed, but the office of "deputy prime minister" was formally established as a ministerial portfolio in 1949. This means that Keith Holyoake is considered the first deputy prime minister. It was formally designated as a full cabinet level position in 1954.

Appointment and duties

The post of deputy prime minister was formally established in 1949. Eighteen individuals have held the position (two of them doing so twice) and of those people: Holyoake, Marshall, Watt, Muldoon, Palmer, Clark and English have eventually served as prime minister. The deputy prime minister has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio.

The deputy prime minister "...can, if necessary" exercise the statutory and constitutional functions and powers of the prime ministership if the prime minister is unavailable or unable. They can also do the same as acting prime minister, in consultation with the prime minister if it is appropriate and practicable. The deputy prime minister can also temporarily act as interim prime minister until the leadership of the government is determined in some cases, like the death of the prime minister.

The position is most commonly held by the deputy leader of the largest party, but since the adoption of the MMP electoral system in 1996 and the greater frequency of coalition governments in New Zealand, the role may instead go to the leader of a junior government party. This occurred has occurred three times with Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, and once Jim Anderton, leader of the Alliance. The Sixth National Government, formed in 2023, intends to share the role of deputy prime minister between its two coalition partners for half the term each. Twice, the Labour Party has appointed a senior minister who was not the deputy party leader as the deputy prime minister (Grant Robertson and Carmel Sepuloni).

Little scholarly attention has focused on deputy prime ministers in New Zealand or elsewhere. In 2009, an article by Steven Barnes appeared in Political Science where nine 'qualities' of deputy prime ministership were identified: temperament; relationships with their Cabinet and caucus; relationships with their party; popularity with the public; media skills; achievements as deputy prime minister; relationship with the prime minister; leadership ambition; and method of succession. Barnes conducted a survey of journalists, academics, and former members of parliament to rank New Zealand deputy prime ministers up to that time since 1960. Across the nine deputy prime minister 'qualities', Don McKinnon achieved the number one ranking, followed by Brian Talboys, Michael Cullen, and Jack Marshall. In a second 'overall' ranking, Cullen was ranked number one, followed by Talboys, McKinnon, and Marshall. Winston Peters, Jim Anderton, and Bob Tizard were ranked lowest in both sections of the survey.

List of deputy prime ministers of New Zealand

Key

  Alliance   Labour   National   NZ First

No. Name Portrait Term of office Concurrent portfolio(s) Prime Minister
1 Keith Holyoake (crop).jpg Keith Holyoake
MP for Pahiatua
(1904–1983)
13 December 1949 20 September 1957
  • Minister of Agriculture
Holland
2 Jack Marshall, 1957.jpg Jack Marshall
MP for Karori
(1912–1988)
20 September 1957 12 December 1957 Holyoake
3 Jerry Skinner.jpg Jerry Skinner
MP for Buller
(1900–1962)
12 December 1957 12 December 1960
  • Minister of Agriculture
  • Minister of Lands
Nash
(2) Jack Marshall, 1972.jpg Jack Marshall
MP for Karori
(1912–1988)
12 December 1960 9 February 1972
  • Minister of Overseas Trade
  • Minister of Customs (until 1962)
  • Minister of Industries and Commerce (until 1969)
  • Attorney-General (1969–1971)
  • Minister of Immigration (from 1969)
  • Minister of Labour (from 1969)
Holyoake
4 Muldoon 1978.jpg Robert Muldoon
MP for Tamaki
(1921–1992)
9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall
5 Hugh Watt, 1951 (1).jpg Hugh Watt
MP for Onehunga
(1912–1980)
8 December 1972 1 September 1974
  • Minister of Labour
  • Minister of Works (until 1974)
Kirk
6 Bob Tizard, 1968.jpg Bob Tizard
MP for Otahuhu
(1924–2016)
10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling
7 Brian Talboys, 1980.jpg Brian Talboys
MP for Wallace
(1921–2012)
12 December 1975 4 March 1981
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister of Overseas Trade
Muldoon
8 Duncan MacIntyre Greg Tate (crop).jpg Duncan MacIntyre
MP for East Cape
(1915–2001)
4 March 1981 15 March 1984
  • Minister of Agriculture
9 Jim McLay (cropped).jpg Jim McLay
MP for Birkenhead
(born 1945)
15 March 1984 26 July 1984
10 Geoffrey Palmer.jpg Geoffrey Palmer
MP for Christchurch Central
(born 1942)
26 July 1984 8 August 1989
  • Attorney-General
  • Minister of Justice
  • Leader of the House (until 1987)
  • Minister for the Environment (from 1987)
Lange
11 Helen Clark UNDP 2010.jpg Helen Clark
MP for Mount Albert
(born 1950)
8 August 1989 2 November 1990 Palmer
Moore
12 Don McKinnon 2012.jpg Don McKinnon
MP for Albany
(born 1939)
2 November 1990 16 December 1996
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister of Overseas Trade
  • Leader of the House (from 1993)
Bolger
13 Winston Peters, 2011.jpg Winston Peters
MP for Tauranga
(born 1945)
16 December 1996 14 August 1998
  • Treasurer
Shipley
14 Wyatt Creech, 1998.jpg Wyatt Creech
MP for Wairarapa
(born 1946)
14 August 1998 10 December 1999
  • Leader of the House (until 1998)
  • Minister of Education (until 1999)
  • Minister of Health (from 1999)
15 Jim Anderton, 2010 (cropped).jpg Jim Anderton
MP for Wigram
(1938–2018)
10 December 1999 15 August 2002
  • Minister of Economic Development
  • Minister of Consumer Affairs (from 2001)
  • Minister of Customs (from 2001)
Clark
16 Michael Cullen, 2008.jpg Michael Cullen
List MP
(1945–2021)
15 August 2002 19 November 2008
17 Bill English July 2017.jpg Bill English
MP for Clutha-Southland (until 2014)
List MP (from 2014)

(born 1961)
19 November 2008 12 December 2016 Key
18 Paula Bennett in 2018.png Paula Bennett
MP for Upper Harbour
(born 1969)
12 December 2016 26 October 2017
  • Minister of State Services
  • Minister of Tourism
  • Minister for Climate Change Issues
  • Minister of Local Government (until 2016)
  • Minister of Police (from 2016)
  • Minister for Women (from 2016)
English
(13) Winston Peters, 2018.jpg Winston Peters
List MP
(born 1945)
26 October 2017 6 November 2020
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister for Racing
  • Minister for State Owned Enterprises
  • Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control (from 2018)
Ardern
19 Hon Grant Robertson (cropped).jpg Grant Robertson
MP for Wellington Central (until 2023)
List MP (from 2023)

(born 1971)
6 November 2020 25 January 2023
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister of Finance
  • Minister for Infrastructure
  • Minister for Sport and Recreation
  • Minister for Racing (until 2022)
20 Hon Carmel Sepuloni.jpg Carmel Sepuloni
MP for Kelston
(born 1977)
25 January 2023 27 November 2023
  • Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
  • Minister for Social Development and Employment
  • Minister for ACC (until 2023)
Hipkins
(13) Winston Peters, 2019.jpg Winston Peters
List MP
(born 1945)
27 November 2023 Incumbent
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister for Racing
Luxon
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