New Zealand Labour Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids New Zealand Labour Party
Leader	Chris Hipkins
Deputy Leader	Carmel Sepuloni
President	Jill Day
General Secretary	Rob Salmond
Founded	7 July 1916; 108 years ago (1916-07-07)
Merger of	Social Democratic Party United Labour Party
Headquarters	Fraser House, 160–162 Willis St, Wellington 6011
Youth wing	Young Labour
LGBT+ wing	Rainbow Labour
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Colours	Red
Slogan	"In It For You"
MPs in the House of Representatives	34 / 123
Politics of New Zealand

The New Zealand Labour Party, often called Labour (or Reipa in Māori), is a major political party in New Zealand. It is known for its centre-left ideas. The party believes in democratic socialism, which means working towards a fairer society where everyone has equal chances. It is one of the two main political parties in New Zealand, with the other being the National Party.

The Labour Party started in 1916 from different groups that supported workers and their rights. It is the oldest political party in New Zealand that is still active today. Since the 1930s, Labour and National have often taken turns leading the New Zealand government. As of 2020, Labour has led the country six times with 11 different prime ministers.

Historically, Labour has been supported by working people, Māori, and Pasifika communities. It has also been strong in cities and in the Māori seats in Parliament. In the 2020 election, Labour won a huge victory, getting the most votes in almost all areas.

Labour first governed New Zealand from 1935 to 1949, led by Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser. During this time, they created New Zealand's welfare state, which helps people with things like healthcare and housing. They also governed from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1972 to 1975. In 1974, Prime Minister Norman Kirk sadly passed away while in office.

Later, from 1984 to 1990, Labour changed many economic rules. They made the economy more open and sold off some state-owned businesses. This caused some members to leave the party. However, Labour also made New Zealand a nuclear-free country during this time.

Labour became the largest party again from 1999 to 2008, with Helen Clark as Prime Minister. Her government created Kiwibank, a state-owned bank, and strongly opposed the Iraq War. After the 2017 election, Labour, led by Jacinda Ardern, formed a government. In the 2020 election, Labour won a huge victory, becoming the first party since 1996 to win enough seats to govern alone. However, in the 2023 election, Labour lost its majority and is now the main opposition party. Since 2023, Chris Hipkins has been the party's leader, and Carmel Sepuloni is the deputy leader.

History of the Labour Party

How Labour Started

The New Zealand Labour Party was officially formed on 7 July 1916 in Wellington. It brought together many earlier groups that believed in socialist ideas. These groups wanted things like fair voting systems and for important industries to be owned by the government.

The town of Blackball on the West Coast is seen as the "spiritual home" of the party. This is because a miners' strike there in 1908 led to the creation of the first national group of trade unions. The Labour Party was created by these unions and other groups, and it is part of the larger movement for workers' rights in New Zealand. The colour red has always been linked with the Labour Party, as it is a traditional colour for socialism and workers' movements.

Forming the Party (1901–1916)

At the start of the 1900s, there were different groups representing workers in New Zealand. Some were more radical, like the Socialist Party (started in 1901). Others were more moderate and supported the Liberal Party. In 1905, a group called the Independent Political Labour League (IPLL) was formed by workers who were not happy with the Liberals. They even won a seat in Parliament in 1908.

It was hard to unite these different groups into one party because they had strong disagreements. In 1910, the IPLL became a new "Labour Party" (not the same as the modern one). Its leaders then tried to bring left-wing groups together. They held a "Unity Conference" in 1912, which led to the creation of the United Labour Party (ULP).

After a big miners' strike in 1912, there was a strong push to unite all parts of the labour movement. Another "Unity Conference" was held in 1913, and this time, the Socialists joined. This led to the Social Democratic Party. Finally, in 1916, all the main groups in the labour movement agreed to unite. This is how the Labour Party we know today was formed.

Early Years (1916–1935)

Soon after it was formed, the Labour Party became involved in a big debate about whether people should be forced to join the army during World War I. The party was strongly against this. Several important members, including Peter Fraser and Michael Joseph Savage, were even jailed for their views. This was a difficult time for the party, but it managed to survive.

In its first big election in 1919, Labour quickly won eight seats in Parliament. This surprised many people. Even though Labour had separated from its most radical members, it still had strong socialist policies at the time. For example, they wanted the government to control all land sales. However, this idea was not popular with voters, so Labour dropped it and other radical policies in the 1920s.

Members of the Labour parliamentary caucus, 1922. Prominent members are Harry Holland (seated, left of centre), Peter Fraser (seated, right of centre) and Michael Joseph Savage (back row, rightmost).

In the 1922 election, Labour more than doubled its seats, winning seventeen. By 1926, Labour became the second-largest party in Parliament, and its leader, Harry Holland, became the official Leader of the Opposition. After the 1928 election, Labour found itself in a powerful position. Neither of the other two main parties could form a government without Labour's support. Labour chose to support the United Party, which was closer to its own ideas. This ended 16 years of government by the Reform Party.

In the early 1930s, the Great Depression caused many economic problems, which made Labour very popular. However, the agreement between Labour and the United Party broke down in 1931. The United Party then formed a government with the Reform Party, making Labour the opposition. Harry Holland died in 1933, and his deputy, Michael Joseph Savage, became the new Labour leader. In the 1935 election, the Labour Party won a huge victory, gaining 53 seats and forming the government.

Many of the early Labour Party leaders were born in Australia, including Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser.

First Labour Government (1935–1949)

Michael Joseph Savage, the first Prime Minister from the Labour Party

Michael Joseph Savage became Prime Minister on 6 December 1935. His government quickly started making big changes. They created a new social welfare system and built state houses for families. Workers also benefited from a new forty-hour work week. Savage was very popular with working people.

The other main parties, the Reform Party and the United Party, merged in 1936 to form the National Party. This new party became Labour's main rival.

Members of the First Labour Government on the steps of the Parliamentary Library in Wellington, 1935

Some people within the Labour Party were not happy with the changes. They felt the party was moving away from its original socialist ideas. One member, John A. Lee, strongly criticised the party's leaders. After a big disagreement, Lee was removed from the party.

Savage died in 1940 and Peter Fraser became the new Prime Minister. Fraser led New Zealand through most of World War II. After the war, problems with shortages and industries made Labour less popular. The National Party gained support, and in the 1949 election, Labour lost power.

Fraser died soon after, and Walter Nash became the new leader. It took some time for Labour to return to power. In the 1957 election, Labour won by a small number of seats and formed the government again.

Second Labour Government (1957–1960)

Walter Nash became Prime Minister in late 1957. His government faced economic challenges. To fix these, the Minister of Finance, Arnold Nordmeyer, introduced a very unpopular "Black Budget" in 1958. This budget raised taxes on things like cigarettes and cars. Many people believe this budget caused Labour to lose the 1960 election, and the National Party returned to power.

Leader Norman Kirk opening Labour's election campaign in 1966

Nash retired in 1963 due to poor health. Nordmeyer took over, but he couldn't improve the party's popularity. In 1965, Norman Kirk became the new leader. Many believed he would bring new energy to the party. Labour lost the next two elections, but in 1972, the party won a large majority and formed the government again.

Third Labour Government (1972–1975)

Norman Kirk was an energetic Prime Minister. He introduced many new policies. In foreign policy, he strongly criticised nuclear-weapon testing and South Africa's apartheid system (a system of racial segregation). However, Kirk had poor health and worked very hard, which made it worse. In 1974, Kirk became ill and passed away. Bill Rowling replaced him, but he was not as popular with voters. In the 1975 election, Labour lost to the National Party, which was then led by Robert Muldoon.

Party logo from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s

Rowling remained Labour's leader for some time. In the 1978 and 1981 elections, Labour actually received more votes than National, but due to the old voting system, they didn't win enough seats to govern. This led to a big discussion about changing New Zealand's voting system. In 1983, David Lange replaced Rowling as leader. Lange was seen as more charismatic. In a special election in 1984, Labour strongly defeated the National Party.

Fourth Labour Government (1984–1990)

The free-market policies of David Lange's government deviated sharply from those of previous Labour governments

When the Fourth Labour Government took power, they found that the country was in a difficult financial situation. The previous government had hidden how much debt New Zealand had. The new Labour government, led by Prime Minister David Lange, decided to make big changes.

The Minister of Finance, Roger Douglas, introduced major economic reforms. These changes, known as "Rogernomics," involved letting the New Zealand dollar float freely, cutting government spending, reducing taxes, and removing many government subsidies. The government also made New Zealand a nuclear-free zone, which meant New Zealand was no longer part of the ANZUS defence alliance. Labour also changed immigration rules to allow more people from Asia to move to New Zealand.

Other important changes during this time included allowing the Waitangi Tribunal to look at historical Māori land claims back to 1840. The government also passed a law in 1986 that made homosexual relationships legal. In its first term (1984–1987), the Labour government was mostly united in these changes.

In 1987, Labour won another election. However, disagreements about economic policy started to appear within the government. Some party members and supporters were unhappy with the changes, feeling they went against Labour's traditional values. A member of Parliament, Jim Anderton, even left to form a new party. Roger Douglas wanted to make even more economic changes, but David Lange disagreed. This led to conflicts, and Lange eventually resigned as Prime Minister in 1989.

Geoffrey Palmer became the new Labour Prime Minister. However, he struggled to fix the problems within the government. In September 1990, Mike Moore replaced him. Despite Moore's efforts, Labour suffered its worst election defeat since 1935, losing many seats. This led to the National Party coming to power. The widespread unhappiness with both governments helped lead to the adoption of a new voting system, mixed-member proportional representation (MMP), in 1993.

Moore was later replaced by Helen Clark in December 1993. Clark led the party in opposition for six years. During this time, Labour moved away from some of the extreme economic changes of the 1980s, but it did not return to its old socialist roots. In the 1996 election, the first under the MMP system, many thought Labour would return to power. However, another party, New Zealand First, formed a government with the National Party instead.

Fifth Labour Government (1999–2008)

Helen Clark, Labour Prime Minister from 1999 to 2008

After the 1999 election, a Labour-led government took power, with Helen Clark becoming New Zealand's second female Prime Minister. This government made several changes but was not as radical as earlier Labour governments. It remained very popular. Clark called an early election in 2002, and Labour won easily.

Policies of the Fifth Labour Government included the KiwiSaver savings scheme, the Working for Families package to help families, and increasing the minimum wage. They also introduced interest-free student loans and changed the secondary-school qualifications system. Labour also supported a law that allowed civil unions for same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

In foreign policy, the government focused on promoting democracy and human rights. In 2003, New Zealand opposed military action in the Iraq War.

In 2004, Labour faced a challenge over the foreshore and seabed controversy. This led to some Māori Labour MPs leaving the party and forming the new Māori Party.

Party logo in 2008

After the 2005 election, Labour formed a government with other smaller parties. However, Labour lost power in the 2008 election when the National Party won by a large margin.

In Opposition (2008–2017)

Then-leader Phil Goff with future leader Jacinda Ardern and Carol Beaumont at a 2010 anti-mining march in Auckland

After losing the 2008 election, Helen Clark stepped down as leader. Phil Goff took over, leading Labour to another election defeat in 2011. He was then replaced by David Shearer, who led the party from 2011 to 2013.

Shearer resigned, and David Cunliffe became leader in 2013. Under new rules, party members and unions had a bigger say in choosing the leader. Cunliffe faced many internal disagreements and falling popularity. In the 2014 election, Labour had its worst result since 1922. Cunliffe then resigned.

Andrew Little became the new leader in 2014. He resigned in 2017 after polls showed the party's support was very low. Many hoped that the rising star, Jacinda Ardern, would take over.

The party members confirmed Jacinda Ardern as the new Labour leader in 2017. After she became leader, Labour's popularity in opinion polls rose dramatically. By late August, their support had jumped from 24% to 43%, even overtaking National for the first time in over ten years.

Sixth Labour Government (2017–2023)

In the 2017 election, Labour won 36.6% of the votes and 46 seats, making it the second-largest party. On 19 October 2017, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters announced that his party would form a government with Labour. This coalition, along with support from the Green Party, brought Labour back into government for the first time since 2008. Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, with Winston Peters as her deputy.

The Labour government promised to end child poverty, make university education free, and reduce immigration. Important policies during their first term (2017–2020) included stopping national standards in schools, creating the KiwiBuild affordable housing programme, and banning semi-automatic firearms. The government also took strong action against the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, including lockdowns and closing borders. These actions made Labour and Prime Minister Ardern very popular in 2020.

In the 2020 election, Labour won a huge victory, getting 50.01% of the votes and 65 seats. This was the first time a party had won enough seats to govern alone since the MMP system started in 1996. Despite this big win, some economists criticised the government for not doing enough about New Zealand's housing affordability crisis.

Key policies during their second term (2020–2023) included the Clean Car rebate programme, making the Māori New Year Matariki a public holiday, and banning conversion therapy. They also replaced district health boards with a national health service and passed smokefree legislation to ban tobacco sales to anyone born after 2008. In foreign policy, the government supported Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and signed free trade agreements with the United Kingdom and European Union.

The government also introduced several co-governance plans with Māori, such as the Three Waters reform programme. After a major COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, the government changed its strategy and gradually eased restrictions. Growing opposition to lockdowns and vaccine rules led to protests, including the 2022 occupation of Parliament's grounds.

On 19 January 2023, Jacinda Ardern announced she would resign as party leader and Prime Minister. Chris Hipkins became the new Labour leader on 22 January. Hipkins' government focused on "cost of living issues" and changed or cancelled several policies. His government also responded to two natural disasters: the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.

In the 2023 general election, held on 14 October 2023, the Labour government lost its majority to the National Party. Labour's share of the vote dropped to 26.91%, and they won 34 seats.

In Opposition, 2023–Present

In early November 2023, Chris Hipkins was re-elected as leader of the Labour Party, and Carmel Sepuloni was elected as deputy leader. In early 2024, three long-serving Labour MPs resigned from Parliament. In February 2024, Labour changed its mind about New Zealand joining the non-nuclear part of the AUKUS security pact, describing it as an "offensive warfighting alliance against China." In April 2024, Labour called for New Zealand to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Labour's Ideas

The New Zealand Labour Party's original goals in 1916 included "socialising" (meaning government ownership) of major parts of the economy and increasing workers' rights. While some members liked these socialist ideas, opponents used them to say Labour was an extreme party. After World War II, Labour focused more on national unity. After their defeat in 1949, many party members felt the socialist goal was old-fashioned and stopped them from winning elections, so it was removed in 1951. The party then became a more moderate social-democratic party, focusing on making changes within the democratic system while keeping strong ties with trade unions.

By the late 1980s, the Labour Party had changed a lot. Its policies often disagreed with the goals of the unions. The Labour Government of the 1980s moved away from social-democratic ideas. In a series of economic changes, they removed many rules and subsidies, sold off government-owned businesses, and introduced business-like practices to government services.

Today, the party's rules still mention democratic socialism as its founding idea. However, people often describe Labour's policies as social-democratic and practical. Since the 1990s, Labour has aimed to use the government's power to create a "fairer and more equal society." This is based on a mixed economy where both the government and private businesses play a part. The party has also been described as supporting some social-liberal policies, which focus on individual freedoms and rights.

Labour's Main Principles

According to its current rules, the Labour Party believes in democratic socialist principles, including:

• Managing New Zealand's natural resources for the good of everyone, including future generations.
• Ensuring everyone has equal access to social, economic, cultural, political, and legal opportunities, no matter how rich or poor they are.
• Using cooperation as the main way to manage the economy, to make sure wealth is shared fairly.
• Everyone has the right to dignity, self-respect, and the chance to work.
• People have the right to wealth and property, but people are always more important than property. The government must ensure wealth is shared fairly.
• Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi as the document that founded New Zealand.
• Promoting peace and social justice around the world through international cooperation.
• Equal human rights for everyone, no matter their race, gender, relationship status, gender identity, age, religion, political beliefs, or disability.

Who Supports Labour?

Historically, Labour was supported by city workers, especially manual labourers and trade union members. Since the 1930s, Labour has tried to appeal to a wider range of people by dealing with different social and economic problems and adapting to a changing population. From the 1980s, the party started focusing less on class issues and more on individual freedoms, especially for groups like women and Māori. Today, Labour's main supporters are young people, city workers, government employees, and minority groups, especially Māori and Pasifika communities.

How Labour is Organised

Party Structure

Local Branches

People who join the Labour Party belong to local branches in their area (called a parliamentary electorate). Each general branch needs at least 10 members aged 15 or older. Members can also form special branches if they have a common interest, such as university students, young people, women, Māori, Pasifika, or the LGBT community. Some important branches include Princes Street Labour (an Auckland university branch known for producing many Labour politicians) and Vic Labour (the Victoria University of Wellington branch).

As this graph (compiled from multiple sources spanning 1917 to 2002) shows, the party's membership has fluctuated greatly, broadly in line with the terms of office of Labour governments

The number of party members is not often made public. Full membership reached its highest point of 55,000 in 1976. During the 1980s and 1990s, membership dropped a lot. This might have been because some members were unhappy with the economic policies of the Fourth Labour Government. Membership numbers started to increase again under Helen Clark's leadership, reaching 14,000 members in 2002.

Conferences and Councils

Representatives from all local branches and affiliated unions form the Labour Electorate Committee (LEC). The LEC is in charge of party organisation in each area. The party is divided into six regions, and each year they hold a Regional Conference. Ideas and policies are discussed here and then sent to the Annual Conference.

The Annual Conference (called Congress in election years) is the Labour Party's highest decision-making body when it is meeting. All parts of the party can send representatives to the Annual Conference.

The New Zealand Council is the Labour Party's main governing group. It makes sure the party is run effectively according to its rules. The Council includes the president, two senior vice presidents (one must be Māori), three other vice presidents (representing women, unions, and Pacific Islanders), seven regional representatives, and other members.

The Policy Council is responsible for creating the party's policies and election promises. It is chosen for a three-year term after each election. There are also special councils for groups like women, Māori, Pacific Islanders, and youth.

Labour MPs and Leaders

Leader Chris Hipkins (in 2022)

The elected members of Parliament who represent the Labour Party meet as the Parliamentary Labour Party, also known as the Caucus. The current parliamentary leader is Chris Hipkins (since 22 January 2023). A new leadership election happens if the leader's position becomes empty or if members vote that they no longer have confidence in the leader. Candidates for leader are nominated from within the Caucus. Under Labour Party rules, party members get 40% of the votes, MPs get another 40%, and affiliated unions get 20%. Some people have criticised the influence of unions in these leadership elections.

Unions Working with Labour

In the early 1900s, many factories grew in New Zealand's cities, and more people joined unions. The Labour Party was formed during this time as the political side of the workers' movement and was funded by trade unions. Since then, unions have kept strong connections with the party. In 2023, there were 11 unions connected to Labour. These unions pay a fee to the party based on how many members they have. Members of these unions are usually also members of the Labour Party. Unions also get a percentage of the votes in party leadership elections.

The president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions also speaks at the Labour Party's Annual Conference.

Young Labour

Young Labour is the party's youth wing. It helps organise young party members (and young members of unions) who are under 30. It encourages more young New Zealanders to get involved in centre-left politics. Young Labour is a very active part of the Labour Party and plays an important role in creating policies and helping with election campaigns. It is sometimes called the "conscience of the party."

Labour in Local Government

Labour Party members, including current and former Members of Parliament, have run for various positions in local government elections across New Zealand. Some have run as Labour Party candidates, while others have run as independent politicians.

Auckland

In Auckland, Labour has worked with City Vision, a left-leaning group that includes local Labour and Green Party members. After the 2022 Auckland local elections, the Auckland Council had four councillors from Labour and one from City Vision. Many Labour candidates were also elected to local community boards.

Former Labour MP and cabinet minister Phil Goff was the mayor of Auckland for two terms, from 2016 to 2022.

Christchurch

In Christchurch, former Labour MP and cabinet minister Lianne Dalziel was the mayor for three terms, from 2013 to 2022. She ran as an independent.

Within the Christchurch City Council, Labour works with a group called The People's Choice. In the 2019 Christchurch local elections, People's Choice candidates won many community board and council seats.

Dunedin

In 2016, David Benson-Pope, a Dunedin city councillor and former Labour MP, announced he would run in the local elections under the "Local Labour" ticket. While he was still a Labour Party member, he had run as an independent in 2013. In the 2019 local elections, Steve Walker and Marian Hobbs were elected to the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council on Labour Party tickets. In the 2022 Dunedin local elections, Steve Walker was re-elected.

Other Cities

• In New Plymouth, former MP Harry Duynhoven was mayor from 2010 to 2013.
• In Palmerston North, the Labour Party started running candidates in local elections in 2016. Lorna Johnson was elected to the Palmerston North City Council on the Labour Party ticket in 2016 and re-elected in 2022.
• In Rotorua, former Labour MP Steve Chadwick was elected as mayor of Rotorua in 2013. She served for three terms as an independent.
• In the Wellington Region, four Labour Party councillors were elected to the Wellington City Council in 2022. Paul Eagle, a Labour MP, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Wellington. Campbell Barry has been the mayor of Lower Hutt since 2019 and was re-elected on the Labour ticket in 2022.
• In Whanganui, Labour member Hamish McDouall served two terms as mayor until 2022. He ran as an independent.

Electoral Results

Parliamentary Elections

Election	Party votes	Total %	Seats won	Status
1919	131,402	24.2%	8 / 80	Opposition
1922	150,448	23.70%	17 / 80
1925	184,650	27.20%	12 / 80
1928	198,092	26.19%	19 / 80	Junior in coalition with United
1931	244,881	34.27%	24 / 80	Opposition
1935	434,368	46.17%	53 / 80	Government
Two main parties era
1938	528,290	55.82%	53 / 80	Government
1943	522,189	47.6%	45 / 80
1946	536,994	51.28%	42 / 80
1949	506,073	47.16%	34 / 80	Opposition
1951	473,146	45.8%	30 / 80
1954	481,631	44.1%	35 / 80
1957	531,740	48.3%	41 / 80	Government
1960	420,084	43.4%	34 / 80	Opposition
1963	383,205	43.7%	35 / 80
1966	382,756	41.4%	35 / 80
1969	464,346	44.2%	39 / 84
1972	677,669	48.37%	55 / 87	Government
1975	634,453	39.56%	32 / 87	Opposition
1978	691,076	40.41%	40 / 92
1981	702,630	39.01%	43 / 91
1984	829,154	42.98%	56 / 95	Government
1987	878,448	47.96%	57 / 97
1990	640,915	35.14%	29 / 97	Opposition
1993	666,759	34.68%	45 / 99
Mixed-member proportional representation era
1996	584,159	28.19%	37 / 120	Opposition
1999	800,199	38.74%	49 / 120	Government (coalition)
2002	838,219	41.26%	52 / 120
2005	935,319	41.10%	50 / 121
2008	796,880	33.99%	43 / 122	Opposition
2011	614,936	27.48%	34 / 121
2014	604,534	25.13%	32 / 121
2017	956,184	36.89%	46 / 120	Government (coalition)
2020	1,443,546	50.01%	65 / 120	Government
2023	767,236	26.91%	34 / 123	Opposition

Māori Electorates

Election	Seats	Change
1919	0 / 4	new
1922	0 / 4	0
1925	0 / 4	0
1928	0 / 4	0
1931	0 / 4	0
1935	0 / 4	0
1938	3 / 4	3
1943	4 / 4	1
1946	4 / 4	0
1949	4 / 4	0
1951	4 / 4	0
1954	4 / 4	0
1957	4 / 4	0
1960	4 / 4	0
1963	4 / 4	0
1966	4 / 4	0
1969	4 / 4	0
1972	4 / 4	0
1975	4 / 4	0
1978	4 / 4	0
1981	4 / 4	0
1984	4 / 4	0
1987	4 / 4	0
1990	4 / 4	0
1993	3 / 4	1
1996	0 / 5	3
1999	6 / 6	6
2002	7 / 7	1
2005	3 / 7	4
2008	2 / 7	1
2011	3 / 7	1
2014	6 / 7	3
2017	7 / 7	1
2020	6 / 7	1
2023	1 / 7	5

Labour Party Leaders

The Labour Party has had 17 leaders. 11 of these leaders have also served as Prime Minister. Helen Clark was the longest-serving leader of the Labour Party.

List of Leaders

Here is a full list of Labour Party leaders in Parliament: Key:
      Labour       Reform       United       National
PM: Prime Minister
LO: Leader of the Opposition
†: Died in office

No.		Leader	Portrait	Term Began	Term Ended	Position	Prime Minister
	1	Alfred Hindmarsh		7 July 1916	13 November 1918†	—		Massey
	2	Harry Holland		27 August 1919	8 October 1933†	—
								Bell
						LO 1926–1928		Coates
						Junior coalition partner 1928–1931		Ward
						LO 1931–1933		Forbes
	3	Michael Joseph Savage		12 October 1933	27 March 1940†	LO 1933–1935
						PM 1935–1940		Savage
	4	Peter Fraser		1 April 1940	12 December 1950†	PM 1940–1949		Fraser
						LO 1949–1950		Holland
	5	Walter Nash		17 January 1951	31 March 1963	LO 1951–1957
								Holyoake
						PM 1957–1960		Nash
						LO 1960–1963		Holyoake
	6	Arnold Nordmeyer		1 April 1963	16 December 1965	LO 1963–1965
	7	Norman Kirk		16 December 1965	31 August 1974†	LO 1965–1972
								Marshall
						PM 1972–1974		Kirk
	8	Bill Rowling		6 September 1974	3 February 1983	PM 1974–1975		Rowling
						LO 1975–1983		Muldoon
	9	David Lange		3 February 1983	8 August 1989	LO 1983–1984
						PM 1984–1989		Lange
	10	Geoffrey Palmer		8 August 1989	4 September 1990	PM 1989–1990		Palmer
	11	Mike Moore		4 September 1990	1 December 1993	PM 1990		Moore
						LO 1990–1993		Bolger
	12	Helen Clark		1 December 1993	11 November 2008	LO 1993–1999
								Shipley
						PM 1999–2008		Clark
	13	Phil Goff		11 November 2008	13 December 2011	LO 2008–2011		Key
	14	David Shearer		13 December 2011	15 September 2013	LO 2011–2013
	15	David Cunliffe		15 September 2013	30 September 2014	LO 2013–2014
	16	Andrew Little		18 November 2014	1 August 2017	LO 2014–2017
								English
	17	Jacinda Ardern		1 August 2017	22 January 2023	LO 2017
						PM 2017–2023		Ardern
	18	Chris Hipkins		22 January 2023	Incumbent	PM 2023		Hipkins
						LO 2023–present		Luxon

List of Deputy Leaders

Here is a complete list of Labour Party deputy leaders:

List of Presidents

Here is a complete list of Labour Party presidents:

Images for kids

• 

  The official logo of the New Zealand Labour Party.

See Also

• City Vision, a political group in Auckland with Labour and Green Party members.
• List of Labour parties
• List of New Zealand Labour Party MPs
• Politics of New Zealand
• Rainbow Labour