President of the Labour Party | |
---|---|
Term length | No fixed term |
Inaugural holder | James McCombs |
Formation | 7 July 1916 |
Deputy | Carol Beaumont |
Website | Labour Party profile |
The president of the New Zealand Labour Party is the highest-ranked organisational figure within the New Zealand Labour Party. The president heads the party apparatus outside of parliament, serving as the chairperson of the party's council and policy council. Since 2022, the office has been held by Jill Day. [1]
The president is elected by the party delegates at the Labour Party annual conference or, if an early vacancy occurs, a by-election via postal ballot. [2]
While the party leader is responsible for leading the Labour Party's political agenda and representing Labour in parliament, the president is responsible for managing the party's internal affairs and ensuring that the party is organised and compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
The president is the chair of the party's governing body, the New Zealand Council, and presides of its meetings and functions. Additionally the president chairs Labour's policy council and party list moderating committee. The president is paid an honorarium for their services. [2]
The post of president of the Labour Party was officially created upon the party's inception in 1916, the inaugural holder was James McCombs. [3] The longest serving president was James Roberts serving 13 years consecutively from 1937 to 1950. [4] The first Māori holder was Charles Bennett (1973–76). [5]
The following is a complete list of Labour Party presidents: [6]
No. | President | Portrait | Prior/concurrent office | Term of Office | Leader | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | James McCombs | ![]() | MP for Lyttelton | 7 July 1916 | 9 July 1917 | Hindmarsh | ||
2 | Andrew Walker | ![]() | MP for Dunedin North | 9 July 1917 | 11 July 1918 | |||
3 | Tom Paul | ![]() | Member of the Legislative Council | 11 July 1918 | 12 July 1920 | |||
Holland | ||||||||
4 | Peter Fraser | ![]() | MP for Wellington Central | 12 July 1920 | 15 July 1921 | |||
5 | Frederick Cooke | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 15 July 1921 | 7 July 1922 | |||
6 | Tom Brindle | ![]() | Vice-President of the Waterside Workers Union | 7 July 1922 | 7 April 1926 | |||
7 | Bob Semple | ![]() | MP for Wellington East | 7 April 1926 | 12 April 1928 | |||
8 | John Archer | ![]() | Mayor of Christchurch | 12 April 1928 | 3 April 1929 | |||
9 | Jim Thorn | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 3 April 1929 | 8 April 1931 | |||
10 | Rex Mason | ![]() | MP for Auckland Suburbs | 8 April 1931 | 29 March 1932 | |||
11 | Bill Jordan | ![]() | MP for Manukau | 29 March 1932 | 18 April 1933 | |||
12 | Frank Langstone | ![]() | MP for Waimarino | 18 April 1933 | 3 April 1934 | |||
Savage | ||||||||
13 | Tim Armstrong | ![]() | MP for Christchurch East | 3 April 1934 | 24 April 1935 | |||
14 | Walter Nash | ![]() | MP for Hutt | 24 April 1935 | 14 April 1936 | |||
15 | Clyde Carr | ![]() | MP for Timaru | 14 April 1936 | 30 March 1937 | |||
16 | James Roberts | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 30 March 1937 | 9 May 1950 | |||
Fraser | ||||||||
17 | Arnold Nordmeyer | ![]() | MP for Brooklyn | 9 May 1950 | 17 May 1955 | |||
Nash | ||||||||
18 | Mick Moohan | ![]() | MP for Petone | 17 May 1955 | 8 June 1960 | |||
19 | Martyn Finlay | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 8 June 1960 | 12 May 1964 | |||
Nordmeyer | ||||||||
20 | Norman Kirk | ![]() | MP for Lyttelton | 12 May 1964 | 11 May 1966 | |||
Kirk | ||||||||
21 | Norman Douglas | ![]() | MP for Auckland Central | 11 May 1966 | 5 May 1970 | |||
22 | Bill Rowling | ![]() | MP for Buller | 5 May 1970 | 8 May 1973 | |||
23 | Charles Bennett | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 8 May 1973 | 11 May 1976 | |||
Rowling | ||||||||
24 | Arthur Faulkner | ![]() | MP for Roskill | 11 May 1976 | 15 May 1979 | |||
25 | Jim Anderton | ![]() | Auckland Regional Councillor | 15 May 1979 | 8 September 1984 | |||
Lange | ||||||||
26 | Margaret Wilson | ![]() | Vice-chair of the Association of University Teachers | 8 September 1984 | 9 November 1987 | |||
27 | Rex Jones | ![]() | National Secretary of the EPMU | 9 November 1987 | 5 September 1988 | |||
28 | Ruth Dyson | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 5 September 1988 | 18 April 1993 | |||
Palmer | ||||||||
Moore | ||||||||
29 | Maryan Street | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 18 April 1993 | November 1995 | |||
Clark | ||||||||
30 | Michael Hirschfeld | ![]() | CEO of Mico Wakefield | November 1995 | 5 January 1999 | |||
31 | Bob Harvey | ![]() | Mayor of Waitakere | 16 February 1999 | 19 November 2000 | |||
32 | Mike Williams | ![]() | 1999 Election Campaign Manager | 19 November 2000 | 2 March 2009 | |||
Goff | ||||||||
33 | Andrew Little | ![]() | National Secretary of the EPMU | 2 March 2009 | 2 April 2011 | |||
34 | Moira Coatsworth | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 2 April 2011 | 26 November 2014 | |||
Shearer | ||||||||
Cunliffe | ||||||||
Little | ||||||||
35 | Nigel Haworth | ![]() | President of University Staff of New Zealand | 27 February 2015 | 11 September 2019 | |||
Ardern | ||||||||
- | Tracey McLellan Acting | ![]() | Vice-President of the Labour Party | 11 September 2019 | 30 November 2019 | |||
36 | Claire Szabó | ![]() | CEO of Habitat for Humanity | 30 November 2019 | 5 November 2022 | |||
37 | Jill Day | ![]() | Deputy Mayor of Wellington | 5 November 2022 | present | |||
Hipkins |
The New Zealand Labour Party, or simply Labour, is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers describe Labour as social-democratic and pragmatic in practice. The party participates in the international Progressive Alliance. It is one of two major political parties in New Zealand, alongside its traditional rival, the National Party.
Michael Joseph Savage was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940.
Elizabeth Reid McCombs was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party who in 1933 became the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to vote in 1893, though were not allowed to stand for the House of Representatives until the election of 1919. McCombs had previously contested elections in 1928 and 1931.
The Social Democratic Party of New Zealand was an early left-wing political party. It existed only a short time before being amalgamated into the new Labour Party. During its period of existence, the party held two seats in Parliament.
The Independent Political Labour League (IPLL) was a small New Zealand political party. It was the second organised political party to win a seat in the House of Representatives, and was a forerunner of the modern Labour Party.
Women's suffrage in New Zealand was an important political issue in the late nineteenth century. In early colonial New Zealand, as in European societies, women were excluded from any involvement in politics. Public opinion began to change in the latter half of the nineteenth century and after years of effort by women's suffrage campaigners, led by Kate Sheppard, New Zealand became the first nation in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
Daniel Giles Sullivan was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Christchurch.
James (Jimmy) McCombs was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton.
Clyde Leonard Carr was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and was a minister of the Congregational Church.
Catherine Campbell Stewart was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.
John Thomas Paul was a New Zealand compositor, trade unionist, politician, editor, journalist and censor.
The "suicide squad" was the group of New Zealand Legislative Councillors appointed in 1950 by Prime Minister Sidney Holland tasked with voting the New Zealand Legislative Council out of existence. The Legislative Council was a body appointed by the Prime Minister since the colonial days, and by the 1940s it was seen as ineffectual and obsolete. However, its abolition would involve a complex constitutional process, so Holland appointed new councillors with the task to draft the laws that would eventually dissolve the body, hence the nickname. On 1 December 1950, the Legislative Council met for the last time, and by a majority of ten voted itself out of existence; the Council was formally abolished on 1 January 1951.
James Roberts was a New Zealand trade unionist, politician and was president of the Labour Party from 1937 to 1950. He was called 'Big Jim' and 'the uncrowned King of New Zealand' in recognition of the considerable influence he wielded during the period of the First Labour Government over policy creation and implementation.
The Hutt by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Hutt, an urban seat at the bottom of the North Island. The by-election was held on 18 December 1929, and was precipitated by the resignation of sitting United member of parliament Thomas Wilford on who had been appointed the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Joseph Ward. The by-election was contested by Walter Nash of the Labour Party, James Kerr from the United Party and Harold Johnston of the Reform Party. The lead up to the by-election was marred by harsh words between candidates.
The New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1919 was held on 27 August 1919 to choose the next leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Grey MP Harry Holland.
The New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1920 was held on 24 June 1920 to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Buller MP Harry Holland, retaining office.
The 1923 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held in February 1923 to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Buller MP Harry Holland, once again retaining office.
The 1921 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held in September 1921 to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Buller MP Harry Holland, retaining office.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party is the second-most senior politician within the Labour Party in New Zealand. The officeholder deputises for the leader of the Labour Party at party-specific events. Unlike other political party leaders, the Labour Party's leader does not have the power to dismiss or appoint their deputy; both the leader and deputy are elected. In all cases where the leadership is vacant, the deputy leader shall also serve as acting leader until a new leadership election. When the Labour Party forms the Official Opposition the deputy leader typically serves as deputy leader of the Opposition.