Senior Whip of the Labour Party

Last updated

Senior Whip of the Labour Party
Profile--glenbennett-2-390-UNC.jpg
Incumbent
Glen Bennett
since 11 March 2025
Reports to Leader of the Labour Party
Precursor Tangi Utikere
Inaugural holder Andrew Walker
Formation7 July 1916
Deputy Tracey McLellan

The New Zealand Labour Party's Senior Whip administers the "whipping in" system that tries to ensure that party MPs attend and vote according to the party leadership's wishes. [1] The position is elected by the Labour caucus members. The senior whip also acts as an intermediary between the backbenchers and the party leadership. Whenever Labour is in government the senior whip serves as the chief government whip and when out of government serves as chief opposition whip; thus the position is also referred to as "Chief Whip".

Contents

All Labour whips have been members of the House of Representatives, with none coming from the Legislative Council before its abolition in 1950.

The current senior whip is Tangi Utikere. [2]

List

The following is a list of all senior whips of the Labour Party: [3]

No.NamePortraitElectorateTerm of office
1 Andrew Walker Andrew Walker, 1919.jpg Dunedin North 7 July 191628 August 1919
2 James McCombs James McCombs c. 1928.jpg Lyttelton 28 August 191910 March 1921
3 Dan Sullivan Daniel Giles Sullivan (1941).jpg Avon 10 March 19215 December 1935
4 Bill Jordan William Joseph Jordan.jpg Manukau 5 December 193511 June 1936
5 Robert McKeen Robert McKeen, 1930s.jpg Wellington South 11 June 193611 May 1939
6 James O'Brien Jim O'Brien.jpg Westland 11 May 19392 December 1942
7 Arthur Shapton Richards Arthur Shapton Richards 1935.png Mount Albert 2 December 19425 August 1947†
8 Robert McFarlane Robert Macfarlane (crop).jpg Christchurch Central 19 September 194727 June 1951
9 Phil Connolly Phil Connolly.jpg Dunedin Central 27 June 195110 July 1952
10 Joe Cotterill Joe Cotterill.jpg Wanganui 10 July 19529 January 1958
11 Henry May Henry May.jpg Onslow 9 January 195829 November 1972
12 Ron Barclay Ron Barclay.jpg New Plymouth 29 November 197229 January 1976
13 Roger Drayton Roger Drayton (crop).png St Albans 29 January 19765 May 1978
14 Russell Marshall Russell Marshall.jpg Wanganui 5 May 197813 February 1980
15 Jonathan Hunt Jonathan Hunt.jpg New Lynn 13 February 198019 July 1984
16 Michael Cullen Michael Cullen, 2008.jpg St Kilda 19 July 198418 August 1987
17 Margaret Austin Margaret Austin 2012.jpg Yaldhurst 18 August 19878 February 1990
18 Trevor Mallard Trevor Mallard 2 (cropped).jpg Hamilton West 8 February 199031 October 1990
(15) Jonathan Hunt Jonathan Hunt.jpg New Lynn 31 October 199019 December 1996
19 Mark Burton Mark Burton.jpg Taupo 19 December 199610 December 1999
20 Rick Barker Rick Barker.jpg Tukituki 10 December 199915 August 2002
21 David Benson-Pope David Benson-Pope.jpg Dunedin South 15 August 200226 February 2004
22 Jill Pettis Jill Pettis.jpg Wanganui 26 February 20041 November 2005
23 Tim Barnett Tim Barnett.jpg Christchurch Central 1 November 20058 November 2008
24 Darren Hughes Darren Hughes.jpg List MP 8 November 200825 March 2011
Steve Chadwick (acting) Steve Chadwick.jpg List MP 25 March 20115 April 2011
(20) Rick Barker Rick Barker.jpg List MP 5 April 201113 December 2011
25 Chris Hipkins Chris Hipkins 2 crop.jpg Rimutaka 13 December 201117 September 2013
26 Sue Moroney Sue Moroney.jpg List MP 17 September 201323 September 2014
(25) Chris Hipkins Chris Hipkins 2.jpg Rimutaka 23 September 201415 December 2016
27 Kris Faafoi Kris Faafoi 2.jpg Mana 15 December 201631 October 2017
28 Ruth Dyson Ruth Dyson, 2011.jpg Port Hills 31 October 201727 June 2019
29 Michael Wood Michael Wood (New Zealand Politician).jpg Mount Roskill 27 June 20192 November 2020
30 Kieran McAnulty Kieran McAnulty.jpg Wairarapa 2 November 202014 June 2022
31 Duncan Webb Dr Duncan Webb.jpg Christchurch Central 14 June 202231 January 2023
32 Tangi Utikere Tangi Utikere.jpg Palmerston North 31 January 202311 March 2025
33 Glen Bennett Glen Bennett (cropped).jpg List MP 11 March 2025present

See also

Notes

  1. Wilson 1985, p. 278.
  2. "Tangi Utikere". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. Wilson 1985, pp. 279–80.

References