Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)

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File:NZ House of Representatives seating infographic.png
In parliament, the leader of the Opposition sits near the front to the left of the speaker's chair (annotated)

In New Zealand, the leader of the Official Opposition, commonly described as the leader of the Opposition, is the politician who heads the Official Opposition. Conventionally, they are the leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives that is not in Government (nor provides confidence and supply).[1] This is usually the parliamentary leader of the second-largest caucus in the House of Representatives.

When in the debating chamber the leader of the Opposition sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the Opposition and directly opposite the prime minister.[2]

The role of the leader of the Opposition dates to the late 19th century, with the first organised political parties, and the office was formally recognised by law in 1933. Although currently mentioned in a number of statutes, the office is not formally established by any act of Parliament, just like the prime minister's role; it is simply a product of the conventions of the Westminster-style parliamentary system. The leader of the Opposition is paid a special salary by virtue of the office, equivalent to that of a Cabinet minister.[3]

Since 1936, the leader of the Opposition, as well as the prime minister, has invariably come from one of the two major parties, Labour or National. Therefore the leader of the Opposition has historically acquired that role by either losing a general election having previously been prime minister or by acquiring the leadership of the party that is already the Official Opposition. The rules on electing party leadership vary between parties.

Since the outcome of the 2023 general election, the current holder of the office is the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and former prime minister Chris Hipkins.

Role

Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". The term "opposition" has a specific meaning in the parliamentary sense; it is an important component of the Westminster system, with the Official Opposition having the task of directing criticism towards the Government. The leader of the Opposition chairs a Shadow Cabinet, which scrutinises the policies and actions of the Cabinet led by the prime minister, and promotes alternative policies.[4][5] Directed by the leader, the Opposition may move no-confidence motions to test the Government's majority or the confidence of the House.[6] The leader of the Opposition may be asked by the governor-general to form a new government if the incumbent government is unable to continue in office (e.g. upon a successful no-confidence motion).[7]

Apart from parliamentary duties, there are several ways in which the leader of the Opposition participates directly in affairs of state. Often, these relate to national security matters, which are supposed to transcend party politics – the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, for example, is required to brief the leader of the Opposition as well as the prime minister on certain matters of national security.[8]

Salary

The leader of the Opposition receives a higher salary than other members of the Opposition, being paid the same amount as a Cabinet minister.[9] As at 2016Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". the Leader of the Opposition's salary is NZ$288,900.[10][3]Template:Update inline In addition, like all other members of parliament, the leader of the Opposition receives annual allowances for travel and lodging.

History

For much of the country's early history, the role was not a formal one. For most of the 19th century, there was rarely any one person who could be identified as the leader of the Opposition. Prominent members were sometimes informally dubbed as "Leader of the Opposition" – often facetiously by rival politicians.[7] It was only when the Liberal Party was formed that any unified leadership appeared in Parliament, and the role of Opposition leader is generally traced from this point. John Ballance, leader of the Liberals (and later premier) is usually considered the first leader of the Opposition in the modern sense.[7]

When Ballance led the Liberals into government in 1891, they faced no formal opposition in a party sense, though certain MPs were styled leader of the Opposition. Their opponents gradually coalesced around a leader, William Massey, who became leader of the Opposition in 1903, and in 1909 became the first parliamentary leader of the new Reform Party.[11] For the first time, an Opposition party came forward as an alternative government.[11] After this, the leader of the Opposition was typically the parliamentary leader of the largest party in the House of Representatives that had not undertaken to support the government of the day.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

One exception to this was during World War I, when the opposition Liberal Party accepted the governing Reform Party's offer to form a wartime coalition. Prime Minister Massey also extended the offer to the new Labour Party who rejected it. This made Labour the largest party not in government, however their leader Alfred Hindmarsh was not officially recognised as the leader of the Opposition. Joseph Ward, who became deputy prime minister in the wartime cabinet, still retained the title, albeit in name only.[12]

During the 1910s and 1920s, the role of Official Opposition alternated between the Liberal and Reform parties. However, the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s, together with a gradual weakening in support for the Liberals, led to a three-party situation by the mid-1920s, with the Labour and Liberal parties having a similar number of seats. After the 1925 election there was no official leader of the Opposition until Rex Mason of Labour won the seat of Eden in the by-election held on 15 April 1926. Labour superseded the Liberals as the Official Opposition, and their leader Harry Holland became the leader of the Opposition.[13]

The 1928 general election put the United Party (a remnant of the Liberals) in government for the last time. Reform then became the Opposition, however in 1931 Reform entered into coalition with the Liberals, and Labour then became the Official Opposition, despite being the third party. The unity of the coalition, culminating in the formation of the National Party in 1936, created a stable two-party system, with National and Labour alternating between Government and Opposition for much of the remainder of the century.

Modern office

The office was first officially recognised by an Act of Parliament in 1933, when a special allowance was conferred on the holder.[7]

With the introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system, first used in the 1996 general election, the nature of parliamentary opposition has changed. Now, though the leader of the largest non-Government party still becomes the leader of the Opposition, there will usually be several parties who are "in opposition". An example of this arose after the 2002 general election, when the National Party gained only 27 seats – less than half the 58 seats held by opposition parties. This prompted calls from a number of parties, notably New Zealand First and the Greens, for the abolition or reform of the post. It was argued by these parties that the position had become an "anachronism" in the modern multi-party environment, and that the days of a united opposition bloc were gone. However, with the revival of the National Party in the 2005 general election, a more traditional relationship between Government and Opposition has been restored. According to Parliamentary Services, the leader of the Opposition formally represents and speaks for all parties that are outside Government.[14]

List of leaders of the Opposition

A table of leaders is below. Those who also served as prime minister, either before or after being leader of the Opposition, are indicated.

Key
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No. Leader
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
ConstituencyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Portrait Term of office Party Prime Minister
1 John Ballance
(1839–1893)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for WanganuiScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:John Ballance 1880.jpg 2 July 1889 23 January 1891 Liberal Atkinson
1887–91
2 John Bryce
(1833–1913)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for WaikatoScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:JohnBryce.jpg 23 January 1891 31 August 1891 Conservative Ballance
1891–93
3 William Rolleston
(1831–1903)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HalswellScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:William Rolleston (cropped).jpg 31 August 1891 8 November 1893 Conservative
rowspan=2 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Seddon
1893–1906
4 William Russell
(1838–1913)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Hawkes BayScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:William Russell Russell.jpg 26 June 1894 3 July 1901 Conservative
5 William Massey
(1856–1925)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for FranklinScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:William Ferguson Massey 1919.jpg 11 September 1903 February 1909 Conservative height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
Hall-Jones
1906
Ward
1906–12
February 1909 10 July 1912 Reform
Mackenzie
1912
6 Joseph Ward
(1856–1930)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for AwaruaTemplate:EfnScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg 11 September 1913 27 November 1919 Liberal rowspan=2 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Massey
1912–25
7 William MacDonald
(1862–1920)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Bay of PlentyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:William Donald Stuart Macdonald, circa 1910.jpg 21 January 1920 31 August 1920†Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Liberal
8 Thomas Wilford
(1870–1939)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HuttScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Thomas Wilford, 1928.jpg 8 September 1920 13 August 1925 Liberal height=40 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=5 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Bell
1925
height=15 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Coates
1925–28
9 George Forbes
(1869–1947)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HurunuiScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:George William Forbes.jpg 13 August 1925 4 November 1925 Liberal rowspan=4 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
Position vacant
from 1925 general election until after 1926 Eden by-electionScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		4 November 1925 16 June 1926 —
10 Harry Holland
(1868–1933)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for BullerScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Harry Holland (1925).jpg 16 June 1926 18 October 1928 Labour
(6)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Joseph Ward
(1856–1930)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for InvercargillScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg 4 December 1928 10 December 1928 United
11 Gordon Coates
(1878–1943)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for KaiparaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Joseph Gordon Coates, 1931.jpg 10 December 1928 22 September 1931 Reform height=50 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Ward
1928–30
height=50 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Forbes
1930–35
(10)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Harry Holland
(1868–1933)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for BullerScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Harry Holland (1925).jpg 22 September 1931 8 October 1933†Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Labour rowspan=2 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
12 Michael Joseph Savage
(1872–1940)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Auckland WestScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Michael Joseph Savage Portrait (cropped).jpg 12 October 1933 6 December 1935 Labour
(9)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". George Forbes
(1869–1947)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HurunuiScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:George William Forbes.jpg 6 December 1935 14 May 1936 United Savage
1935–40
14 May 1936 2 November 1936 National
height=50 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| 13 Adam Hamilton
(1880–1952)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for WallaceScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Adam Hamilton, 1930s.jpg 2 November 1936 26 November 1940 National
height=50 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Fraser
1940–49
14 Sidney Holland
(1893–1961)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Template:NZ electorate link until 1946Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Fendalton from 1946Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Sidney George Holland (1953) 2.png 26 November 1940 13 December 1949 National
15 Peter Fraser
(1884–1950)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for BrooklynScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Peter Fraser.jpg 13 December 1949 12 December 1950†Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Labour style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Holland
1949–57
16 Walter Nash
(1882–1968)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HuttScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Walter Nash (ca 1940s).jpg 17 January 1951 12 December 1957 Labour height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Holyoake
1957
17 Keith Holyoake
(1904–1983)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for PahiatuaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Keith Holyoake (crop).jpg 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 National Nash
1957–60
(16)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Walter Nash
(1882–1968)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HuttScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Walter Nash (ca 1940s).jpg 12 December 1960 31 March 1963 Labour rowspan=2 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Holyoake
1960–72
18 Arnold Nordmeyer
(1901–1989)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Island BayScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Arnold Nordmeyer (1950).jpg 1 April 1963 16 December 1965 Labour
19 Norman Kirk
(1923–1974)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Template:NZ electorate link until 1969Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Sydenham from 1969Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Norman Kirk, crop.jpg 16 December 1965 8 December 1972 Labour height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Marshall
1972
20 Jack Marshall
(1912–1988)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for KaroriScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Jack Marshall, 1972.jpg 8 December 1972 9 July 1974 National style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Kirk
1972–74
21 Robert Muldoon
(1921–1992)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for TāmakiScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Muldoon 1978.jpg 9 July 1974 12 December 1975 National height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Rowling
1974–75
22 Bill Rowling
(1927–1995)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for TasmanScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Bill Rowling, 1974 (crop).jpg 12 December 1975 3 February 1983 Labour Muldoon
1975–84
23 David Lange
(1942–2005)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for MāngereScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:David Lange (cropped).jpg 3 February 1983 26 July 1984 Labour
(21)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Robert Muldoon
(1921–1992)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for TāmakiScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Muldoon 1978.jpg 26 July 1984 29 November 1984 National rowspan=2 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Lange
1984–89
24 Jim McLay
(born 1945)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for BirkenheadScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Jim McLay (cropped).jpg 29 November 1984 26 March 1986 National
25 Jim Bolger
(1935–2025)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for King CountryScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Bolger, 1992.jpg 26 March 1986 2 November 1990 National height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Palmer
1989–90
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Moore
1990
26 Mike Moore
(1949–2020)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Christchurch NorthScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Mike Moore.jpg 2 November 1990 1 December 1993 Labour style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Bolger
1990–97
27 Helen Clark
(born 1950)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Mount AlbertScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Helen Clark UNDP 2010.jpg 1 December 1993 10 December 1999 Labour height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"|
height=15 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Shipley
1997–99
28 Jenny Shipley
(born 1952)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for RakaiaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Jenny Shipley 2013 (crop).jpg 10 December 1999 8 October 2001 National Clark
1999–2008
29 Bill English
(born 1961)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Clutha-SouthlandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Bill English KNZM (cropped).jpg 8 October 2001 28 October 2003 National
30 Don Brash
(born 1940)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
List MPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Don.Brash.jpg 28 October 2003 27 November 2006 National
31 John Key
(born 1961)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for HelensvilleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:John Key headshot.jpg 27 November 2006 19 November 2008 National
32 Phil Goff
(born 1953)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Mount RoskillScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Phil Goff.jpg 19 November 2008 13 December 2011 Labour Key
2008–16
33 David Shearer
(born 1957)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Mount AlbertScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:David Shearer.jpg 13 December 2011 15 September 2013 Labour
34 David Cunliffe
(born 1963)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for New LynnScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:David Cunliffe, 2008.jpg 15 September 2013 27 September 2014 Labour
— David ParkerTemplate:Efn
(born 1960)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
List MPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Interim Leader of the Labour PartyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:David Parker.jpg 30 September 2014 18 November 2014 Labour
height=50 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| 35 Andrew Little
(born 1965)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
List MPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Andrew Little, 2017.jpg 18 November 2014 1 August 2017 Labour
height=50 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| rowspan=2 height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 gray; background:Template:Party color;"| English
2016–17
36 Jacinda Ardern
(born 1980)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Mount AlbertScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018.jpg 1 August 2017 26 October 2017 Labour
(29) Bill English
(born 1961)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
List MPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Bill English KNZM (cropped).jpg 26 October 2017 27 February 2018 National rowspan=6 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| Ardern
2017–23
37 Simon Bridges
(born 1976)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for TaurangaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Simon-Bridges-Free-Crop.jpg 27 February 2018 22 May 2020 National
38 Todd Muller
(born 1968)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for Bay of PlentyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Todd Muller.jpg 22 May 2020 14 July 2020 National
39 Judith Collins
(born 1959)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for PapakuraScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Judith Collins.png 14 July 2020 25 November 2021 National
— Shane RetiTemplate:Efn
(born 1963)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
List MPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Interim Leader of the National PartyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Shane Reti lays wreath 2021 (cropped).jpg 25 November 2021 30 November 2021 National
height=15 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| 40 Christopher Luxon
(born 1970)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for BotanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:LUXON, Christopher - Botany (cropped).png 30 November 2021 27 November 2023 National
height=15 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| style="background:Template:Party color;"| Hipkins
2023
height=15 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:Template:Party color;"| 41 Chris Hipkins
(born 1978)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
MP for RemutakaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		File:Chris Hipkins NZ Labour (2).jpg 27 November 2023 Incumbent Labour style="background:Template:Party color;"| Luxon
2023–present
Notes

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See also

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References

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  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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