Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party

Leader of the Labour 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.

Last updated December 13, 2023

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

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

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

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.

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.^[6] Michael Joseph Savage was the only leader to solely appoint his own cabinet following the election victories in 1935 and 1938.

List of leaders

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

	Leader (Birth–Death)	Electorate	Term Began	Term Ended	Time in Office	Position
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
						LO1926–1928	Coates
						Junior coalition partner 1928–1931	Ward
						LO1931–1933	Forbes
3	Michael Joseph Savage (1872–1940)	Auckland West	12 October 1933	27 March 1940†	6 years, 167 days	LO1933–1935	Forbes
3	Michael Joseph Savage (1872–1940)	Auckland West	12 October 1933	27 March 1940†	6 years, 167 days	PM1935–1940	himself
4	Peter Fraser (1884–1950)	Wellington Central (1918–46) Brooklyn (1946–50)	1 April 1940	12 December 1950†	10 years, 255 days	PM1940–1949	himself
4	Peter Fraser (1884–1950)	Wellington Central (1918–46) Brooklyn (1946–50)	1 April 1940	12 December 1950†	10 years, 255 days	LO1949–1950	Holland 1949–57
5	Walter Nash (1882–1968)	Hutt	17 January 1951	31 March 1963	12 years, 73 days	LO1951–1957	Holland 1949–57
						LO1951–1957	Holyoake 1957
						PM1957–1960	himself
						LO1960–1963	Holyoake 1960–72
6	Arnold Nordmeyer (1901–1989)	Island Bay	1 April 1963	16 December 1965	2 years, 259 days	LO1963–1965
7	Norman Kirk (1923–1974)	Lyttelton (1957–69) Sydenham (1969–74)	16 December 1965	31 August 1974†	8 years, 258 days	LO1965–1972
						LO1965–1972	Marshall 1972
						PM1972–1974	himself
–	Hugh Watt ^{[note 1]} (1912–1980)	Onehunga	31 August 1974	6 September 1974	7 days	PM1974	himself
8	Bill Rowling (1927–1995)	Tasman	6 September 1974	3 February 1983	8 years, 150 days	PM1974–1975	himself
8	Bill Rowling (1927–1995)	Tasman	6 September 1974	3 February 1983	8 years, 150 days	LO1975–1983	Muldoon
9	David Lange (1942–2005)	Mangere	3 February 1983	8 August 1989	6 years, 186 days	LO1983–1984	Muldoon
9	David Lange (1942–2005)	Mangere	3 February 1983	8 August 1989	6 years, 186 days	PM1984–1989	himself
10	Geoffrey Palmer (born 1942)	Christchurch Central	8 August 1989	4 September 1990	1 year, 27 days	PM1989–1990	himself
11	Mike Moore (1949–2020)	Christchurch North	4 September 1990	1 December 1993	3 years, 88 days	PM1990	himself
11	Mike Moore (1949–2020)	Christchurch North	4 September 1990	1 December 1993	3 years, 88 days	LO1990–1993	Bolger 1990–97
12	Helen Clark (born 1950)	Mount Albert	1 December 1993	11 November 2008	14 years, 346 days	LO1993–1999	Bolger 1990–97
						LO1993–1999	Shipley 1997–99
						PM1999–2008	herself
13	Phil Goff (born 1953)	Mount Roskill	11 November 2008	13 December 2011	3 years, 32 days	LO2008–2011	Key 2008–16
14	David Shearer (born 1957)	Mount Albert	13 December 2011	15 September 2013	1 year, 276 days	LO2011–2013
15	David Cunliffe (born 1963)	New Lynn	15 September 2013	30 September 2014	1 year, 15 days	LO2013–2014
–	David Parker ^{[note 1]} (born 1960)	List MP	30 September 2014	18 November 2014	49 days	LO2014
16	Andrew Little (born 1965)	List MP	18 November 2014	1 August 2017	2 years, 256 days	LO2014–2017
16	Andrew Little (born 1965)	List MP	18 November 2014	1 August 2017	2 years, 256 days	LO2014–2017	English 2016–17
17	Jacinda Ardern (born 1980)	Mount Albert	1 August 2017	22 January 2023	5 years, 174 days	LO2017	English 2016–17
17	Jacinda Ardern (born 1980)	Mount Albert	1 August 2017	22 January 2023	5 years, 174 days	PM2017–2023	herself
18	Chris Hipkins (born 1978)	Remutaka	22 January 2023	present	325 days	PM 2023 LO 2023-Present	himself Luxon 2023-present

1 2 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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References

↑ Paul, John Thomas (1946). Humanism in Politics; New Zealand Labour Party Retrospect. The University of Michigan. pp. 64–65. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
↑ Audrey Young (12 February 2008). "Clark beats record of longest-serving Labour leader – probably". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 12 February 2008.
1 2 "Constitution and Rules" (PDF). New Zealand Labour Party. 2019. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 19 January 2020– via New Zealand Electoral Commission.
1 2 Malpass, Luke (6 November 2021). "Labour Party changes rules to elect leader, hands first call back to caucus". Stuff. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
↑ "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.
↑ Beaglehole, Tim. "Fraser, Peter". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 11 December 2011.

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[acting-7] 1 2 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.

[1] Paul, John Thomas (1946). Humanism in Politics; New Zealand Labour Party Retrospect. The University of Michigan. pp. 64–65. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

[nzh_labour_leader-2] Audrey Young (12 February 2008). "Clark beats record of longest-serving Labour leader – probably". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 12 February 2008.

[constitution_leader-3] 1 2 "Constitution and Rules" (PDF). New Zealand Labour Party. 2019. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 19 January 2020– via New Zealand Electoral Commission.

[Malpass2021-4] 1 2 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.

[DNZB_Fraser-6] Beaglehole, Tim. "Fraser, Peter". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 11 December 2011.

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