Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power.Generally, the position is held by the deputy leader of the ruling party, but now that the MMP electoral system makes coalitions more likely, the role may increasingly go to the leader of a junior party. This occured with Winston Peters, leader of the New Zealand First Party, and Jim Anderton, leader of the Alliance.
The post of Deputy Prime Minister was established in 1949. Since then, sixteen people have held the position (one of them doing so twice). Of those people, only Holyoake, Marshall, Muldoon, Palmer, and Clark have eventually served as Prime Minister.
| Name | PM Served | Took Office | Left Office | Party
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keith Holyoake | Sidney Holland | 13 December 1949 | 20 September 1957 | National
|
| 2 | Jack Marshall | Keith Holyoake | 20 September 1957 | 12 December 1957 | National
|
| 3 | Clarence Skinner | Walter Nash | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Labour
|
| Jack Marshall, 2nd time | Keith Holyoake | 12 December 1960 | 9 February 1972 | National
| |
| 4 | Robert Muldoon | Jack Marshall | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | National
|
| 5 | Hugh Watt | Norman Kirk, Bill Rowling | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | Labour
|
| 6 | Bob Tizard | Bill Rowling | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | Labour
|
| 7 | Brian Talboys | Robert Muldoon | 12 December 1975 | 4 March 1981 | National
|
| 8 | Duncan MacIntyre | Robert Muldoon | 4 March 1981 | 15 March 1984 | National
|
| 9 | Jim McLay | Robert Muldoon | 15 March 1984 | 26 July 1984 | National
|
| 10 | Geoffrey Palmer | David Lange | 26 July 1984 | 8 August 1989 | Labour
|
| 11 | Helen Clark | Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Labour
|
| 12 | Don McKinnon | Jim Bolger | 2 November 1990 | 16 December 1996 | National
|
| 13 | Winston Peters | Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley | 16 December 1996 | 14 August 1998 | New Zealand First
|
| 14 | Wyatt Creech | Jenny Shipley | 14 August 1998 | 5 December 1999 | National
|
| 15 | Jim Anderton | Helen Clark | 5 December 1999 | 15 August 2002 | Alliance
|
| 16 | Michael Cullen | Helen Clark | 15 August 2002 | (present) | Labour
|
