Wikipedia

Minister of Defence (New Zealand)

The minister of defence is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence.

Minister of Defence
Coat of arms of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand
Incumbent
Judith Collins
since 27 November 2023
Ministry of Defence
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports toPrime Minister of New Zealand
AppointerGovernor-General of New Zealand
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Formation22 July 1862
First holderReader Wood
Salary$288,900[1]
Websitewww.beehive.govt.nz

The present minister is Judith Collins, a member of the National Party.[2]

History edit

Initially, military affairs in New Zealand were controlled by the British-appointed governor, without input from the New Zealand Parliament, which was only established in 1853. There was no minister of defence as such, as the governor retained control over all armed forces in the colony.[3] However, senior military officers did serve as members of the Executive Council. Three such appointments were made: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wynyard, Major General Thomas Simson Pratt, and Lieutenant General Duncan Alexander Cameron.

In 1863, under the premiership of Alfred Domett, a minister for colonial defence was appointed. Reader Wood, a former militia officer, became the first minister. This post continued to exist with only brief interruption until Edward Stafford's short-lived premiership of 1872, in which no defence minister was appointed. As a consequence of the New Zealand Wars, the defence portfolio was considered closely linked to the post of Minister of Native Affairs — on occasion, the latter post was formally titled "Minister of Native Affairs and Defence". It was not until the premiership of Robert Stout in 1884 that a separate minister of defence was formally appointed, and not until 1887 that the post was given to someone who was not simultaneously minister of native affairs. Until 1896 the responsibility for the New Zealand Police rested with the minister of defence before being allocated to the minister of justice instead.[4]

During World War II, the post was supplemented by several others — a minister of national service (conscription), a minister of supply and munitions, a minister in charge of war expenditure, and a minister of armed forces and war co-ordination. All were part of the special War Cabinet, but only the first was a member of the regular domestic Cabinet.

List of defence ministers edit

Key

  Independent   Liberal   Reform   United   Labour   National   NZ First

No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister
1 Reader Wood   22 July 1862 30 October 1863 Domett
2 Harry Atkinson   24 November 1864 16 October 1865 Weld
3 Theodore Haultain   31 October 1865 28 June 1869 Stafford
4 Donald McLean   28 June 1869 10 September 1872 Fox
1872–1884: No separate appointments, although John Bryce twice held office as
"Minister of Native Affairs and Defence"; broken by William Rolleston from 4 February to 19 October 1881
5 John Ballance   16 July 1884 8 October 1887 Stout
6 Thomas Fergus   8 October 1884 17 October 1889 Atkinson
7 William Russell   17 October 1889 24 January 1891
8 Richard Seddon   24 January 1891 22 June 1896 Ballance
Seddon
9 Thomas Thompson   22 June 1896 23 January 1900
(8) Richard Seddon   23 January 1900 10 June 1906
10 Albert Pitt   21 June 1906 18 November 1906 Hall-Jones
Ward
11 Joseph Ward   23 November 1906 28 March 1912
12 Arthur Myers   28 March 1912 10 July 1912 Mackenzie
13 James Allen   10 July 1912 28 April 1920 Massey
14 Heaton Rhodes   21 July 1920 18 January 1926
Bell
Coates
15 Frank Rolleston   18 January 1926 26 November 1928
16 William Downie Stewart Jr   28 November 1928 10 December 1928
17 Thomas Wilford   10 December 1928 10 December 1929 Ward
18 John Cobbe   10 December 1929 6 December 1935
Forbes
19 Fred Jones   6 December 1935 13 December 1949 Savage
Fraser
20 Tom Macdonald   13 December 1949 26 September 1957 Holland
21 Dean Eyre   26 September 1957 12 December 1957 Holyoake
22 Phil Connolly   12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash
(21) Dean Eyre   12 December 1960 12 December 1966 Holyoake
23 David Thomson   12 December 1966 9 February 1972
24 Allan McCready   9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall
25 Arthur Faulkner   8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk
26 Bill Fraser   10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling
(24) Allan McCready   12 December 1975 13 December 1978 Muldoon
27 Frank Gill   13 December 1978 21 August 1980
(23) David Thomson   28 August 1980 26 July 1984
28 Frank O'Flynn   26 July 1984 24 July 1987 Lange
29 Bob Tizard   24 July 1987 9 February 1990
Palmer
30 Peter Tapsell   9 February 1990 2 November 1990
Moore
31 Warren Cooper   2 November 1990 1 March 1996 Bolger
32 Paul East   1 March 1996 5 December 1997
33 Max Bradford   5 December 1997 10 December 1999 Shipley
34 Mark Burton   10 December 1999 12 October 2005 Clark
35 Phil Goff   12 October 2005 19 November 2008
36 Wayne Mapp   19 November 2008 14 December 2011 Key
37 Jonathan Coleman   14 December 2011 6 October 2014
38 Gerry Brownlee   6 October 2014 2 May 2017
English
39 Mark Mitchell   2 May 2017 26 October 2017
40 Ron Mark   26 October 2017 6 November 2020 Ardern
41 Peeni Henare   6 November 2020 1 February 2023
Hipkins
42 Andrew Little   1 February 2023 27 November 2023
43 Judith Collins   27 November 2023 Incumbent Luxon

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ https://www.parliament.nz/media/3151/parliamentary-salaries-and-allowances-determination-2016.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. ^ McLean, Gavin (2006). The Governors: New Zealand's Governors and Governors-General. Dunedin: Otago University Press. p. 63. ISBN 1-877372-25-0.
  4. ^ "The Cabinet". The Star. No. 5498. 25 February 1896. p. 3.

External links edit

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