Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party

Highest ranked politician within the party

Leader of the Labour Party

Incumbent
Chris Hipkins

since 22 January 2023

Term length| No fixed term1
Inaugural holder| Alfred Hindmarsh
Formation| 7 July 1916
Deputy| Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party
Website| Labour Party profile
1\. The leader must be endorsed by the party caucus following a general election, usually every three years, but this does not automatically trigger a new leadership election.

The leader of the Labour Party is the highest-ranked political position within the New Zealand Labour Party, who serves as the parliamentary leader and leading spokesperson of the party. The current leader is Chris Hipkins, after Jacinda Ardern resigned.

## History

[edit]

The post of leader of the Labour Party was officially created upon the party's inception in 1916, though the title "leader" was often substituted and/or complemented with the title "chairman".[1] At the 1935 election, Michael Joseph Savage led the Labour Party to victory, becoming the first Labour prime minister. In 1963, Arnold Nordmeyer became the first New Zealand-born leader of the party; three previous leaders had been born in Australia and one each in England and Scotland. The most electorally successful Labour leader to date is Helen Clark, who won three elections, in 1999, 2002 and 2005. Clark is also the party's longest-serving leader, having served for 14 years, 346 days between 1993 and 2008.[2] Peter Fraser is the longest-serving Labour prime minister, serving 9 years, 261 days between 1940 and 1949.

## Selection

[edit]

A leadership candidate must be a member of parliament (MP). A new leader is elected whenever a vacancy arises, whether due to resignation, incapacitation, or following a motion of no confidence by the parliamentary caucus.[3]

The current election rules were adopted in 2021, replacing earlier rules adopted in 2012.[4] Candidates need 10% of the caucus to nominate. The caucus votes via exhaustive ballot (absent MPs can vote by proxy), and a candidate requires the support of two-thirds of the caucus to be elected. If no one can get two-thirds the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.[5] If there are two candidates left and neither got two-thirds, there may be multiple rounds of voting to identify a consensus candidate. If one cannot be found then the leadership is determined by an electoral college comprising the caucus (40% of the total vote), party members (40%) and affiliated trade unions (20%).[4]

No later than three months following a general election, there must be a caucus vote to endorse the leader. If they fail to receive endorsement then the position of party leader is vacated and an election is triggered.[3]

## Role

[edit]

When the Labour Party forms the Parliamentary Opposition, as is the case now, the party leader commonly takes on the position of the leader of the Opposition and chairs a Shadow Cabinet. Likewise, when the party is in Government, the leader typically becomes the prime minister.[6]

Unique to Labour, the party's caucus possesses the right to elect MPs to Cabinet, rather than the leader choosing them. The practice began following the 1940 leadership election.[7] Michael Joseph Savage was the only leader to solely appoint his own cabinet following the election victories in 1935 and 1938.

## List of leaders

[edit]

The following is a complete list of Labour Party leaders (including acting leaders):

Key:
Labour Reform United National
PM: Prime Minister
LO: Leader of the Opposition
†: Died in office

No.  | Leader
(Birth–Death)  | Portrait  | Electorate  | Term Began  | Term Ended  | Time in Office  | Position  | Prime Minister

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | Alfred Hindmarsh
(1860–1918) |  | Wellington South | 7 July 1916  | 13 November 1918†  | 2 years, 129 days  | —  |  | Massey
1912–25
| 2  | Harry Holland
(1868–1933) |  | Grey (1918–19)
Buller (1919–33)  | 27 August 1919  | 8 October 1933†  | 14 years, 42 days  | —
| Bell
1925
LO 1926–1928 |  | Coates
Junior coalition partner
1928–1931 |  | Ward
LO 1931–1933 |  | Forbes
| 3  | Michael Joseph Savage
(1872–1940) |  | Auckland West | 12 October 1933  | 27 March 1940†  | 6 years, 167 days  | LO 1933–1935
PM 1935–1940 |  | himself
| 4  | Peter Fraser
(1884–1950) |  | Wellington Central (1918–46)
Brooklyn (1946–50)  | 1 April 1940  | 12 December 1950†  | 10 years, 255 days  | PM 1940–1949 |  | himself
LO 1949–1950 |  | Holland
1949–57
| 5  | Walter Nash
(1882–1968) |  | Hutt | 17 January 1951  | 31 March 1963  | 12 years, 73 days  | LO 1951–1957 |
| Holyoake
1957
PM 1957–1960 |  | himself
LO 1960–1963 |  | Holyoake
1960–72
| 6  | Arnold Nordmeyer
(1901–1989) |  | Island Bay | 1 April 1963  | 16 December 1965  | 2 years, 259 days  | LO 1963–1965
| 7  | Norman Kirk
(1923–1974) |  | Lyttelton (1957–69)
Sydenham (1969–74)  | 16 December 1965  | 31 August 1974†  | 8 years, 258 days  | LO 1965–1972 |
| Marshall
1972
PM 1972–1974 |  | himself
| –  | Hugh Watt[note 1]
(1912–1980) |  | Onehunga | 31 August 1974  | 6 September 1974  | 7 days  | PM 1974 |  | himself
| 8  | Bill Rowling
(1927–1995) |  | Tasman | 6 September 1974  | 3 February 1983  | 8 years, 150 days  | PM 1974–1975 |  | himself
LO 1975–1983 |  | Muldoon
| 9  | David Lange
(1942–2005) |  | Mangere | 3 February 1983  | 8 August 1989  | 6 years, 186 days  | LO 1983–1984
PM 1984–1989 |  | himself
| 10  | Geoffrey Palmer
(born 1942) |  | Christchurch Central | 8 August 1989  | 4 September 1990  | 1 year, 27 days  | PM 1989–1990 |  | himself
| 11  | Mike Moore
(1949–2020) |  | Christchurch North | 4 September 1990  | 1 December 1993  | 3 years, 88 days  | PM 1990 |  | himself
LO 1990–1993 |  | Bolger
1990–97
| 12  | Helen Clark
(born 1950) |  | Mount Albert | 1 December 1993  | 11 November 2008  | 14 years, 346 days  | LO 1993–1999 |
| Shipley
1997–99
PM 1999–2008 |  | herself
| 13  | Phil Goff
(born 1953) |  | Mount Roskill | 11 November 2008  | 13 December 2011  | 3 years, 32 days  | LO 2008–2011 |  | Key
2008–16
| 14  | David Shearer
(born 1957) |  | Mount Albert | 13 December 2011  | 15 September 2013  | 1 year, 276 days  | LO 2011–2013
| 15  | David Cunliffe
(born 1963) |  | New Lynn | 15 September 2013  | 30 September 2014  | 1 year, 15 days  | LO 2013–2014
| –  | David Parker[note 1]
(born 1960) |  | List MP | 30 September 2014  | 18 November 2014  | 49 days  | LO 2014
| 16  | Andrew Little
(born 1965) |  | List MP | 18 November 2014  | 1 August 2017  | 2 years, 256 days  | LO 2014–2017
|  | English
2016–17
| 17  | Jacinda Ardern
(born 1980) |  | Mount Albert | 1 August 2017  | 22 January 2023  | 5 years, 174 days  | LO 2017
PM 2017–2023 |  | herself
| 18  | Chris Hipkins
(born 1978) |  | Remutaka | 22 January 2023  | Incumbent | 1 year, 358 days  | PM 2023 |  | himself
LO 2023–present |  | Luxon
2023–present

1. ^ a b Deputy leader who assumed the role of party leader temporarily because of the death or resignation of the incumbent, serving until the election of a new leader.

### Timeline

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## See also

[edit]

* Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party
* Leader of the New Zealand National Party
* Category:New Zealand Labour Party leadership elections

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Paul, John Thomas (1946). Humanism in Politics; New Zealand Labour Party Retrospect. The University of Michigan. pp. 64–65. Retrieved 22 November 2020.64-65&rft.pub=The+University+of+Michigan&rft.date=1946&rft.aulast=Paul&rft.aufirst=John+Thomas&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=NA8kAAAAMAAJ&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Leader+of+the+New+Zealand+Labour+Party" class="Z3988">
2. ^ Audrey Young (12 February 2008). "Clark beats record of longest-serving Labour leader – probably". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
3. ^ a b "Constitution and Rules" (PDF). New Zealand Labour Party. 2019. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 19 January 2020 - via New Zealand Electoral Commission.63-64&rft.pub=New+Zealand+Labour+Party&rft.date=2019&rft_id=https://elections.nz/assets/Party-rules/labour-party-rules-and-constitution.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Leader+of+the+New+Zealand+Labour+Party" class="Z3988">
4. ^ a b Malpass, Luke (6 November 2021). "Labour Party changes rules to elect leader, hands first call back to caucus". Stuff. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
5. ^ "How the Labour Party vote will work – and why we might know the next PM by Saturday". RNZ. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
6. ^ Trimble, Linda (18 January 2018). Ms. Prime Minister: Gender, Media, and Leadership. University of Toronto Press. p. 17\. ISBN 978-1-4426-6297-1. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
7. ^ Beaglehole, Tim. "Fraser, Peter". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 December 2011.

* v
* t
* e

New Zealand Labour Party

Leadership

| Leaders
Names in bold served
as prime minister|

* Alfred Hindmarsh (1916–18)
* Harry Holland (1919–33)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1933–40)
* Peter Fraser (1940–50)
* Walter Nash (1950–63)
* Arnold Nordmeyer (1963–65)
* Norman Kirk (1965–74)
* Bill Rowling (1974–83)
* David Lange (1983–89)
* Geoffrey Palmer (1989–90)
* Mike Moore (1990–93)
* Helen Clark (1993–2008)
* Phil Goff (2008–11)
* David Shearer (2011–13)
* David Cunliffe (2013–14)
* Andrew Little (2014–17)
* Jacinda Ardern (2017–23)
* Chris Hipkins (2023–present)

* * *

|

Deputy leaders|

* James McCombs (1919–23)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1923–33)
* Peter Fraser (1933–40)
* Walter Nash (1940–51)
* Jerry Skinner (1951–62)
* Fred Hackett (1962–63)
* Hugh Watt (1963–74)
* Bob Tizard (1974–79)
* David Lange (1979–83)
* Geoffrey Palmer (1983–89)
* Helen Clark (1989–93)
* David Caygill (1993–96)
* Michael Cullen (1996–2008)
* Annette King (2008–11)
* Grant Robertson (2011–13)
* David Parker (2013–14)
* Annette King (2014–17)
* Jacinda Ardern (2017)
* Kelvin Davis (2017–23)
* Carmel Sepuloni (2023–present)

* * *

Leadership elections|

* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1933
* 1940
* 1951
* 1954
* 1963
* 1965
* 1974
* 1980
* 1983
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1993
* 1996
* 2008
* 2011
* 2013
* 2014
* 2017
* 2023

Internal offices

| Party presidents|

* James McCombs (1916–17)
* Andrew Walker (1917–18)
* Tom Paul (1918–20)
* Peter Fraser (1920–21)
* Frederick Cooke (1921–22)
* Tom Brindle (1922–26)
* Bob Semple (1926–28)
* John Archer (1928–29)
* Jim Thorn (1929–31)
* Rex Mason (1931–32)
* Bill Jordan (1932–33)
* Frank Langstone (1933–34)
* Tim Armstrong (1934–35)
* Walter Nash (1935–36)
* Clyde Carr (1936–37)
* James Roberts (1937–50)
* Arnold Nordmeyer (1950–55)
* Mick Moohan (1955–60)
* Martyn Finlay (1960–64)
* Norman Kirk (1964–66)
* Norman Douglas (1966–70)
* Bill Rowling (1970–73)
* Charles Bennett (1973–76)
* Arthur Faulkner (1976–79)
* Jim Anderton (1979–84)
* Margaret Wilson (1984–87)
* Rex Jones (1987–88)
* Ruth Dyson (1988–93)
* Maryan Street (1993–95)
* Michael Hirschfeld (1995–99)
* Bob Harvey (1999–2000)
* Mike Williams (2000–09)
* Andrew Little (2009–11)
* Moira Coatsworth (2011–15)
* Nigel Haworth (2015–19)
* Claire Szabó (2019–22)
* Jill Day (2022–present)

* * *

|

General secretaries|

* John Glover (1916–19)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1919–20)
* Moses Ayrton (1920–22)
* Walter Nash (1922–32)
* Jim Thorn (1932–36)
* David Wilson (1936–40)
* Mick Moohan (1940–48)
* Allan McDonald (1948–71)
* John Wybrow (1971–85)
* Tony Timms (1985–95)
* Rob Allen (1995–2000)
* Mike Smith (2001–08)
* Chris Flatt (2008–12)
* Tim Barnett (2012–16)
* Andrew Kirton (2016–18)
* Andre Anderson (2018–20)
* Rob Salmond (2020–present)

* * *

Senior Whips|

* Andrew Walker (1916–19)
* James McCombs (1919–22)
* Dan Sullivan (1922–35)
* Bill Jordan (1935–36)
* Robert McKeen (1937–39)
* James O'Brien (1939–42)
* Arthur Shapton Richards (1942–47)
* Robert Macfarlane (1947–51)
* Phil Connolly (1951–52)
* Joe Cotterill (1952–58)
* Henry May (1958–72)
* Ron Barclay (1972–76)
* Roger Drayton (1976–78)
* Russell Marshall (1978–80)
* Jonathan Hunt (1980–84)
* Michael Cullen (1984–87)
* Margaret Austin (1987–90)
* Trevor Mallard (1990)
* Jonathan Hunt (1990–96)
* Mark Burton (1996–99)
* Rick Barker (1999–2002)
* David Benson-Pope (2002–04)
* Jill Pettis (2004–05)
* Tim Barnett (2005–08)
* Darren Hughes (2008–11)
* Rick Barker (2011)
* Chris Hipkins (2011–13)
* Sue Moroney (2013–14)
* Chris Hipkins (2014–16)
* Kris Faafoi (2016–17)
* Ruth Dyson (2017–19)
* Michael Wood (2019–20)
* Kieran McAnulty (2020–22)
* Duncan Webb (2022–23)
* Tangi Utikere (2023–present)

Organisation

| Current members
of parliament
Names without
electorates are list MPs
(List of former MPs)|

* Leader: Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
* Deputy Leader: Carmel Sepuloni (Kelston)

* Ginny Andersen
* Camilla Belich
* Glen Bennett
* Rachel Boyack (Nelson)
* Rachel Brooking (Dunedin)
* Reuben Davidson (Christchurch East)
* Barbara Edmonds (Mana)
* Shanan Halbert
* Peeni Henare
* Willie Jackson
* Ingrid Leary (Taieri)
* Jo Luxton
* Kieran McAnulty
* Tracey McLellan
* Damien O'Connor
* Greg O'Connor (Ōhāriu)
* David Parker
* Willow-Jean Prime
* Priyanca Radhakrishnan
* Adrian Rurawhe
* Deborah Russell
* Jenny Salesa (Panmure-Ōtāhuhu)
* Lemauga Lydia Sosene (Māngere)
* Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (Ikaroa-Rāwhiti)
* Jan Tinetti
* Phil Twyford (Te Atatū)
* Tangi Utikere (Palmerston North)
* Ayesha Verrall
* Duncan Webb (Christchurch Central)
* Helen White (Mount Albert)
* Arena Williams (Manurewa)
* Megan Woods (Wigram)

* * *

|

Related organisations|

* City Vision
* The People's Choice
* Princes Street Labour
* Rainbow Labour
* Rātana
* VicLabour
* Young Labour

History

| History and related topics|

* Liberal–Labour
* Labour Unity Conferences
* Lee affair
* Black Budget
* Mason Affair
* It's Time
* Citizens for Rowling
* Moyle Affair
* Fish and Chip Brigade
* Rogernomics
* Māori loan affair
* Backbone club
* Closing the Gaps
* Helengrad
* Corngate
* Foreshore and seabed controversy
* KiwiSaver

* * *

|

Labour governments|

* First (1935–49)
* Second (1957–60)
* Third (1972–75)
* Fourth (1984–90)
* Fifth (1999–2008)
* Sixth (2017–23)

* * *

Shadow cabinets|

* Kirk
* Rowling
* Lange
* Moore
* Clark
* Goff
* Shearer
* Cunliffe
* Little
* Ardern
* Hipkins

* * *

Predecessor parties|

* New Zealand Liberal Party
* New Zealand Socialist Party
* Independent Political Labour League
* New Zealand Labour Party (1910)
* United Labour Party
* Social Democratic Party

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