Prime Minister of New Zealand


The prime minister of New Zealand is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, leader of the New Zealand National Party, took office on 27 November 2023.
The prime minister ranks as the most senior government minister. They are responsible for chairing meetings of Cabinet; allocating posts to ministers within the government; acting as the spokesperson for the government; and providing advice to the sovereign or the sovereign's representative, the governor-general. They also have ministerial responsibility for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is based in the Beehive in Wellington.
The office exists by a long-established convention, which originated in New Zealand's former colonial power, the then United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The convention stipulates that when the office becomes vacant, the governor-general must select as prime minister the person most likely to command the support, or confidence, of the House of Representatives. This individual is typically the parliamentary leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in that house. The prime minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their actions to the governor-general, to the House of Representatives, to their political party, and ultimately to the national electorate.
Originally the head of government was titled "colonial secretary" or "first minister". This was changed in 1869 to "premier". That title remained in use for more than 30 years, until Richard Seddon changed it to "prime minister" in 1900 during his tenure in the office. Following the declaration of New Zealand as a Dominion in 1907, the term prime minister was adopted. In Māori, the term pirimia is derived from English premier and means prime minister or premier. New Zealand prime ministers are styled as "The Right Honourable", a privilege they retain for life.
Forty-two people have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Henry Sewell taking office on 7 May 1856 as premier. The longest-serving prime minister was Richard Seddon, who served over 13 years, and the shortest-serving was Sewell, who served two weeks.

Appointment and tenure

The governor-general appoints a prime minister, like other ministerial positions, on behalf of the monarch. By the conventions of responsible government, the governor-general will call to form a government the individual most likely to receive the support, or confidence, of a majority of the elected members of parliament. In making this appointment, convention requires the governor-general to act on the outcome of the electoral process and subsequent discussions between political parties by which the person who will lead the government as prime minister is identified. In practice, the position typically falls to an MP who is the parliamentary leader of the largest political party among those forming the government. The prime minister may lead a coalition government and/or a minority government dependent on support from smaller parties during confidence and supply votes.
File:Rt Hon Christopher Luxon gives his oath.jpg|thumb|left|Christopher Luxon reads the oath of allegiance, 27 November 2023
Once appointed and sworn in by the governor-general, the prime minister remains in the post until dismissal, resignation, or death in office. They, like all ministers, hold office "during the pleasure of the Governor-General", so theoretically, the governor-general can dismiss a prime minister at any time; however, convention heavily circumscribes the power to do so. The governor-general retains reserve powers to dismiss a prime minister in certain circumstances, such as those pertaining to a no-confidence motion against the government in the House of Representatives.
Where a prime minister, and by extension, the government, can no longer command the confidence of the house, either by losing a confidence vote or as the result of an election, convention dictates that they should tender their resignation to the governor-general. Under the Constitution Act 1986, general elections are required every three years, setting the maximum period a prime minister can serve without their mandate being renewed.

Responsibilities and powers

The office of prime minister is not defined by codified laws but by unwritten customs known as constitutional conventions which developed in Britain and which New Zealand replicated. These conventions depend for the most part on the underlying principle that the prime minister and fellow ministers must not lose the confidence of the democratically elected component of parliament, the House of Representatives. The prime minister is the leader of the Cabinet and takes a coordinating role.
The Cabinet Manual provides an outline of the prime minister's powers and responsibilities.

Principal adviser to the sovereign

By constitutional convention, the prime minister holds formal power to advise the sovereign. This means that as long as the prime minister has the confidence of parliament, they alone may advise the monarch on:
As head of government, the prime minister alone has the right to advise the governor-general to:
  • appoint, dismiss, or accept the resignation of ministers
  • dissolve parliament and issue a writ for an election to be held. The governor-general may reject the advice to dissolve parliament if the prime minister has recently lost a vote of confidence, but none has done so.

    Head of government

Convention regards the prime minister as "first among equals". A prime minister does hold the most senior post in government, but must also adhere to any decisions taken by Cabinet, as per the convention of collective ministerial responsibility. The actual ability of a prime minister to give direct orders is largely limited; most of the position's power comes about through other means, such as:
  • the ability to set the Cabinet agenda, thereby controlling items for discussion
  • The ability to appoint and dismiss ministers, and to allocate portfolios
  • the influence a prime minister is likely/assumed to have as leader of the dominant political party, which may afford more direct control over subordinates than is attached to the prime ministerial role
  • The power gained simply from being central to most significant decision-making, and from being able to comment on and criticise any decisions taken by other ministers
Since the 1996 implementation of the MMP electoral system, the role of the prime minister in negotiating and maintaining relationships with support parties has increased, placing some constraints on prime ministerial abilities.

Other roles and functions

Prime ministers also take on additional portfolios. Historically, 19th-century premiers looked after the colonial-secretary and finance portfolios. As New Zealand developed, the role of minister of finance became too big; Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon came under criticism for taking on the finance portfolio during his time in office, as it resulted in a large concentration of power in the hands of one individual.
Before 1987 it was common for prime ministers to take the role of minister of foreign affairs, so they could represent New Zealand on the international stage. More recent prime ministers have taken portfolios relevant to their interests, or to promote specific areas they saw as important. For example, David Lange took the education portfolio in his second term; Helen Clark took the role of minister for arts, culture and heritage; John Key served as minister of tourism; and Jacinda Ardern became minister for child-poverty reduction.
Although no longer likely to be the minister of foreign affairs, the prime minister remains responsible for welcoming foreign heads of government, visiting leaders overseas, and attending Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.
Conventionally, the prime minister is the responsible minister for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which has the task of supporting the policy agenda of Cabinet through policy advice and the coordination of the implementation of key government programmes.
Before 2014, the prime minister was also responsible for the New Zealand Security and Intelligence Service and for the Government Communications Security Bureau. In 2014, Prime Minister John Key gave himself the new portfolio of National Security and Intelligence and delegated responsibility for SIS and GCSB to other ministers. He also expanded the role of DPMC in security and intelligence. This model has been followed by subsequent prime ministers.

Privileges of office

Salary and perquisites

Under the Remuneration Authority Act 1977, and the Members of Parliament Act 2013, a prime minister's salary is determined annually by the Remuneration Authority, an independent body established by parliament to set salaries for members of parliament and other government officials. MPs' salaries were temporarily reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand., the prime minister's salary is set at NZ$498,300. In addition, like all other ministers and MPs, the prime minister receives annual allowances for travel and lodging, as do the prime minister's spouse and children.
The incumbent prime minister's official residence is Premier House, Tinakori Road, Wellington. There the prime minister hosts receptions and events for New Zealand and overseas guests. Unlike the residences of certain other heads of government, Premier House does not serve as the government headquarters; the location of the prime minister's office is the Beehive, in the parliament precinct a short distance away. The prime minister's governmental work is supported by the non-partisan Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The separate Private Office of the Prime Minister provides advice and support on political party matters.
The style of "The Right Honourable" is always granted to the prime minister upon taking office. Former prime ministers retain this style for the remainder of their lives. The written form of address for the head of government should use their full parliamentary title as applicable: The Right Honourable , , Prime Minister of New Zealand. It is also traditional for the monarch to bestow a knighthood or damehood on prime ministers after they leave office, and two prime ministers were knighted while still in office.