Leader of the New Zealand National Party

Most-senior elected politician in the party

Leader of the National Party

Incumbent
Christopher Luxon

since 30 November 2021

Member of| New Zealand House of Representatives
Term length| No fixed term
Inaugural holder| Adam Hamilton
Formation| 2 November 1936
Deputy| Nicola Willis

The leader of the National Party is the most-senior elected politician within the New Zealand National Party. Under the constitution of the party, they are required to be a member of the House of Representatives.

The National Party has found itself either in government (alone or with the support of other parties) or in opposition to Labour-led governments. Consequently, the leader of the National Party usually assumes the role of either the prime minister or leader of the Opposition.

The current leader of the National Party since 30 November 2021 is Christopher Luxon.

## Selection

[edit]

Following a general election, or when a vacancy arises, the Parliamentary Section of the National Party (also called the Caucus) elects a leader of the Parliamentary Section (that is, the parliamentary leader). After receiving approval by the Board of Directors (the governing body of the party), the leader of the Parliamentary Section becomes the leader of the party.[1]

## Role

[edit]

The leader organises the business of the party in Parliament and represents the party to the general public. Within the party organisation, they must ensure political consensus; the constitution of the National Party states that the leader has "the right to attend any Party meeting or committee meeting and shall be an ex officio member of the Board".[1]

The leader becomes the National Party's candidate for prime minister in the run-up to an election,[2] and they invariably take office as prime minister when the National Party forms a government. In 1949, party leader Sidney Holland became the first prime minister from the National Party.[3]

## List of leaders

[edit]

Of the fifteen people to officially hold the leadership, nine have served as prime minister.

Key:
National Labour
PM: Prime Minister
LO: Leader of the Opposition

No.  | Leader  | Portrait  | Electorate  | Term start  | Term end  | Time in office  | Position  | Prime Minister

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | Adam Hamilton
(1880–1952) |  | Wallace | 2 November 1936  | 26 November 1940  | 4 years, 24 days  | LO 1936–1940 |  | Savage
1935–40
| Fraser
1940–49
| 2  | Sidney Holland
(1893–1961) |  | Fendalton | 26 November 1940  | 20 September 1957  | 16 years, 298 days  | LO 1940–1949
PM 1949–1957 |  | himself
| 3  | Keith Holyoake
(1904–1983) |  | Pahiatua | 20 September 1957  | 7 February 1972  | 14 years, 140 days  | PM 1957 |  | himself
LO 1957–1960 |  | Nash
PM 1960–1972 |  | himself
| 4  | Jack Marshall
(1912–1988) |  | Karori | 7 February 1972  | 4 July 1974  | 2 years, 147 days  | PM 1972 |  | himself
LO 1972–1974 |  | Kirk
1972–74
| 5  | Robert Muldoon
(1921–1992) |  | Tamaki | 4 July 1974  | 29 November 1984  | 10 years, 148 days  | LO 1974–1975 |
|  | Rowling
1974–75
PM 1975–1984 |  | himself
LO 1984 |  | Lange
1984–89
| 6  | Jim McLay
(born 1945) |  | Birkenhead | 29 November 1984  | 26 March 1986  | 1 year, 117 days  | LO 1984–1986
| 7  | Jim Bolger
(born 1935) |  | King Country
(1972–96)
Taranaki-King Country
(1996–98)  | 26 March 1986  | 8 December 1997  | 11 years, 257 days  | LO 1986–1990 |
| Palmer
1989–90
| Moore
1990
PM 1990–1997 |  | himself
| 8  | Jenny Shipley
(born 1952) |  | Rakaia | 8 December 1997  | 8 October 2001  | 3 years, 304 days  | PM 1997–1999 |  | herself
LO 1999–2001 |  | Clark
| 9  | Bill English
(born 1961) |  | Clutha-Southland | 8 October 2001  | 28 October 2003  | 2 years, 20 days  | LO 2001–2003
| 10  | Don Brash
(born 1940) |  | List MP | 28 October 2003  | 27 November 2006  | 3 years, 30 days  | LO 2003–2006
| 11  | John Key
(born 1961) |  | Helensville | 27 November 2006  | 12 December 2016  | 10 years, 15 days  | LO 2006–2008
PM 2008–2016 |  | himself
| (9)  | Bill English
(born 1961) |  | List MP | 12 December 2016  | 27 February 2018  | 1 year, 77 days  | PM 2016–2017 |  | himself
LO 2017–2018 |  | Ardern
2017–23
| 12  | Simon Bridges
(born 1976) |  | Tauranga | 27 February 2018  | 22 May 2020  | 2 years, 85 days  | LO 2018–2020
| 13  | Todd Muller
(born 1968) |  | Bay of Plenty | 22 May 2020  | 14 July 2020  | 53 days  | LO 2020
| —  | Nikki Kaye[note 1]
(1980–2024) |  | Auckland Central | 14 July 2020  | <1 day  | Acting LO[4] 2020
| 14  | Judith Collins
(born 1959) |  | Papakura | 14 July 2020  | 25 November 2021  | 1 year, 134 days  | LO 2020–2021
| —  | Shane Reti[note 1]
(born 1963) |  | List MP | 25 November 2021  | 30 November 2021  | 5 days  | Acting LO[5] 2021
| 15  | Christopher Luxon
(born 1970) |  | Botany | 30 December 2021  | Incumbent | 3 years, 250 days  | LO 2021–2023 |
| Hipkins
2023
PM 2023–present |  | himself

## See also

[edit]

* Deputy leader of the New Zealand National Party
* Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party
* List of political parties in New Zealand

## Footnotes

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Constitution and Rules of the New Zealand National Party" (PDF) (26th ed.). New Zealand National Party. 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020 - via New Zealand Electoral Commission.
2. ^ Sheppard, Nicholas (22 January 2023). "Will Christopher Luxon be New Zealand's prime minister?". The Spectator. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
3. ^ "Sidney Holland". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
4. ^ "Nikki Kaye to serve as acting leader of National as MPs rush to Wellington following Muller bombshell". 1 News. TVNZ. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
5. ^ "Watch: Dr Shane Reti speaks as National's new interim leader". Radio NZ. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.

* v
* t
* e

New Zealand National Party

Party leaders
Names in bold served as Prime Minister|

* Adam Hamilton (1936–1940)
* Sidney Holland (1940–1957)
* Keith Holyoake (1957–1972)
* Jack Marshall (1972–1974)
* Robert Muldoon (1974–1984)
* Jim McLay (1984–1986)
* Jim Bolger (1986–1997)
* Jenny Shipley (1997–2001)
* Bill English (2001–2003)
* Don Brash (2003–2006)
* John Key (2006–2016)
* Bill English (2016–2018)
* Simon Bridges (2018–2020)
* Todd Muller (2020)
* Judith Collins (2020–2021)
* Christopher Luxon (2021–present)

Party presidents|

* Sir George Wilson
* Claude Weston
* Alex Gordon
* Sir Wilfrid Sim
* Sir Alex McKenzie
* Jack Meadowcroft
* Ned Holt
* Sir George Chapman
* Sue Wood
* Neville Young
* John Collinge
* Lindsay Tisch
* Geoff Thompson
* John Slater
* Michelle Boag
* Judy Kirk
* Peter Goodfellow
* Sylvia Wood

Current members of parliament
Names without electorates are list MPs|

Leader
Christopher Luxon (Botany)
Deputy leader
Nicola Willis

* Miles Anderson (Waitaki)
* Carl Bates (Whanganui)
* Andrew Bayly (Port Waikato)
* Dan Bidois (Northcote)
* Chris Bishop (Hutt South)
* Cameron Brewer (Upper Harbour)
* Simeon Brown (Pakuranga)
* Gerry Brownlee
* Mike Butterick (Wairarapa)
* Hamish Campbell (Ilam)
* Carlos Cheung (Mount Roskill)
* Judith Collins (Papakura)
* Tim Costley (Ōtaki)
* Matt Doocey (Waimakariri)
* Greg Fleming (Maungakiekie)
* Paulo Garcia (New Lynn)
* Paul Goldsmith
* Nicola Grigg (Selwyn)
* Ryan Hamilton (Hamilton East)
* Dana Kirkpatrick (East Coast)
* Barbara Kuriger (Taranaki-King Country)
* Melissa Lee
* Nancy Lu
* Grant McCallum (Northland)
* Todd McClay (Rotorua)
* David MacLeod (New Plymouth)
* James Meager (Rangitata)
* Mark Mitchell (Whangaparāoa)
* Joseph Mooney (Southland)
* Rima Nakhle (Takanini)
* Katie Nimon (Napier)
* Chris Penk (Kaipara ki Mahurangi)
* Tama Potaka (Hamilton West)
* Maureen Pugh (West Coast-Tasman)
* Suze Redmayne (Rangitīkei)
* Shane Reti (Whangārei)
* Tom Rutherford (Bay of Plenty)
* Penny Simmonds (Invercargill)
* Scott Simpson (Coromandel)
* Stuart Smith (Kaikōura)
* Erica Stanford (East Coast Bays)
* Sam Uffindell (Tauranga)
* Louise Upston (Taupō)
* Tim van de Molen (Waikato)
* Simon Watts (North Shore)
* Catherine Wedd (Tukituki)
* Vanessa Weenink (Banks Peninsula)

National governments|

* First (1949–57)
* Second (1960–72)
* Third (1975–84)
* Fourth (1990–99)
* Fifth (2008–17)
* Sixth (2023–present)

Shadow cabinets|

* Holyoake
* Marshall
* Muldoon I
* Muldoon II
* McLay
* Bolger
* Shipley
* English I
* Brash
* Key
* English II
* Bridges
* Muller
* Collins
* Luxon

Leadership elections|

* 1936
* 1940
* 1957
* 1972
* 1974
* 1984
* 1986
* 1997
* 2001
* 2003
* 2006
* 2016
* 2018
* May 2020
* July 2020
* 2021

Related articles|

* Reform Party
* United Party
* Liberal Party
* Teal Deal
* United–Reform Coalition
* Young Nats (youth wing)

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