Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)

Leader of the Opposition of New Zealand
	Coat of Arms
	Incumbent; Judith Collins; since 14 July 2020
	Official Opposition of New Zealand
Reports to	Parliament
Term length	While leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holder	John Ballance
Formation	2 July 1889
Salary	$288,900 (As at 2016)[1]
	^ a. As the first parliamentary leader of an Opposition party.; ^ b. The date Ballance was officially named Leader of the Opposition.

In New Zealand, the leader of the Opposition (or Opposition leader) is a senior politician who commands the support of the Official Opposition. The leader of the Opposition by convention heads the largest party not supporting the government: usually this is the parliamentary leader of the second-largest caucus in the House of Representatives.[2] When in the debating chamber the Opposition leader sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the Opposition and opposite the prime minister.[3]

The role of the leader of the Opposition dates to the late 19th century, with the first political parties, and the office was formally recognised by statute in 1933. Although currently mentioned in a number of statutes, the office is not established by any Act (nor is that of the prime minister); 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.

Typically the leader of the Opposition is elected by his or her party according to its rules. A new leader may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns, or is challenged for the leadership. Judith Collins of the National Party has served as leader since 14 July 2020,[4] following the resignation of Todd Muller.[5]

Role

The term "opposition" has a specific meaning in the parliamentary sense; it is an important component of the Westminster system, with the Official Opposition directing criticism at the Government. The leader of the Opposition leads a Shadow Cabinet, which scrutinises the policies and actions of the Cabinet led by the prime minister, as well as offer alternative policies.[6] The Opposition leader may be viewed as a prime minister in waiting.[7][8] He or she is expected to be ready to form a new government if the incumbent government is unable to continue in office.

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.[9]

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.[10] As at 2016 the Leader of the Opposition's salary is NZ$288,900.[11][1] 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 Opposition leader in 1903, and in 1909 became the first parliamentary leader of the new Reform Party.[12] For the first time, an Opposition party came forward as an alternative government.[12] After this, the leader of the Opposition would always be the parliamentary leader of the largest party in the House of Representatives that had not undertaken to support the government of the day.

One notable 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.[13]

During the 1910s and 1920s, the role of 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 Opposition leader.[14]

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.[15]

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

Liberal Conservative Reform Labour United National

No.		Leader (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office		Party
	1	John Ballance (1839–1893) MP for Wanganui	2 July 1889	23 January 1891	Liberal	Atkinson 1887–91
	2	John Bryce (1833–1913) MP for Waikato	23 January 1891	31 August 1891	Conservative	Ballance 1891–93
	3	William Rolleston (1831–1903) MP for Halswell	31 August 1891	8 November 1893	Conservative	Ballance 1891–93
	3	William Rolleston (1831–1903) MP for Halswell	31 August 1891	8 November 1893	Conservative	Seddon 1893–1906
	4	William Russell (1838–1913) MP for Hawkes Bay	26 June 1894	3 July 1901	Conservative
	5	William Massey (1856–1925) MP for Franklin	11 September 1903	February 1909	Conservative
						Hall-Jones 1906
						Ward 1906–12
			February 1909	10 July 1912	Reform	Ward 1906–12
			February 1909	10 July 1912	Reform	Mackenzie 1912
	6	Joseph Ward (1856–1930) MP for Awarua^[1]	11 September 1913	27 November 1919	Liberal	Massey 1912–25
	7	William MacDonald (1862–1920) MP for Bay of Plenty	21 January 1920	31 August 1920†	Liberal
	8	Thomas Wilford (1870–1939) MP for Hutt	8 September 1920	13 August 1925	Liberal
						Bell 1925
						Coates 1925–28
	9	George Forbes (1869–1947) MP for Hurunui	13 August 1925	4 November 1925	Liberal
Position vacant from 1925 general election until after 1926 Eden by-election			4 November 1925	16 June 1926	—
	10	Harry Holland (1868–1933) MP for Buller	16 June 1926	18 October 1928	Labour
	(6)	Joseph Ward (1856–1930) MP for Invercargill	4 December 1928	10 December 1928	United
	11	Gordon Coates (1878–1943) MP for Kaipara	10 December 1928	22 September 1931	Reform	Ward 1928–30
	11	Gordon Coates (1878–1943) MP for Kaipara	10 December 1928	22 September 1931	Reform	Forbes 1930–35
	(10)	Harry Holland (1868–1933) MP for Buller	22 September 1931	8 October 1933†	Labour
	12	Michael Joseph Savage (1872–1940) MP for Auckland West	12 October 1933	6 December 1935	Labour
	(9)	George Forbes (1869–1947) MP for Hurunui	6 December 1935	May 1936	United	Savage 1935–40
	(9)	George Forbes (1869–1947) MP for Hurunui	May 1936	2 November 1936	National
	13	Adam Hamilton (1880–1952) MP for Wallace	2 November 1936	26 November 1940	National
	14	Sidney Holland (1893–1961) MP for Christchurch North until 1946 MP for Fendalton from 1946	26 November 1940	13 December 1949	National	Fraser 1940–49
	15	Peter Fraser (1884–1950) MP for Brooklyn	13 December 1949	12 December 1950†	Labour	Holland 1949–57
	16	Walter Nash (1882–1968) MP for Hutt	17 January 1951	12 December 1957	Labour	Holland 1949–57
	16	Walter Nash (1882–1968) MP for Hutt	17 January 1951	12 December 1957	Labour	Holyoake 1957
	17	Keith Holyoake (1904–1983) MP for Pahiatua	12 December 1957	12 December 1960	National	Nash 1957–60
	(16)	Walter Nash (1882–1968) MP for Hutt	12 December 1960	31 March 1963	Labour	Holyoake 1960–72
	18	Arnold Nordmeyer (1901–1989) MP for Island Bay	1 April 1963	16 December 1965	Labour
	19	Norman Kirk (1923–1974) MP for Lyttelton until 1969 MP for Sydenham from 1969	16 December 1965	8 December 1972	Labour
	19		16 December 1965	8 December 1972	Labour	Marshall 1972
	20	Jack Marshall (1912–1988) MP for Karori	8 December 1972	9 July 1974	National	Kirk 1972–74
	21	Robert Muldoon (1921–1992) MP for Tāmaki	9 July 1974	12 December 1975	National	Kirk 1972–74
	21	Robert Muldoon (1921–1992) MP for Tāmaki	9 July 1974	12 December 1975	National	Rowling 1974–75
	22	Bill Rowling (1927–1995) MP for Tasman	12 December 1975	3 February 1983	Labour	Muldoon 1975–84
	23	David Lange (1942–2005) MP for Māngere	3 February 1983	26 July 1984	Labour	Muldoon 1975–84
	(21)	Robert Muldoon (1921–1992) MP for Tāmaki	26 July 1984	29 November 1984	National	Lange 1984–89
	24	Jim McLay (born 1945) MP for Birkenhead	29 November 1984	26 March 1986	National
	25	Jim Bolger (born 1935) MP for King Country	26 March 1986	2 November 1990	National
						Palmer 1989–90
						Moore 1990
	26	Mike Moore (1949–2020) MP for Christchurch North	2 November 1990	1 December 1993	Labour	Bolger 1990–97
	27	Helen Clark (born 1950) MP for Mount Albert	1 December 1993	10 December 1999	Labour	Bolger 1990–97
	27	Helen Clark (born 1950) MP for Mount Albert	1 December 1993	10 December 1999	Labour	Shipley 1997–99
	28	Jenny Shipley (born 1952) MP for Rakaia	10 December 1999	8 October 2001	National	Clark 1999–2008
	29	Bill English (born 1961) MP for Clutha-Southland	8 October 2001	28 October 2003	National
	30	Don Brash (born 1940) List MP	28 October 2003	27 November 2006	National
	31	John Key (born 1961) MP for Helensville	27 November 2006	19 November 2008	National
	32	Phil Goff (born 1953) MP for Mount Roskill	19 November 2008	13 December 2011	Labour	Key 2008–16
	33	David Shearer (born 1957) MP for Mount Albert	13 December 2011	15 September 2013	Labour
	34	David Cunliffe (born 1963) MP for New Lynn	15 September 2013	27 September 2014	Labour
	35	Andrew Little (born 1965) List MP	18 November 2014	1 August 2017	Labour
	35	Andrew Little (born 1965) List MP	18 November 2014	1 August 2017	Labour	English 2016–17
	36	Jacinda Ardern (born 1980) MP for Mount Albert	1 August 2017	26 October 2017	Labour	English 2016–17
	(29)	Bill English (born 1961) List MP	26 October 2017	27 February 2018	National	Ardern 2017–present
	37	Simon Bridges (born 1976) MP for Tauranga	27 February 2018	22 May 2020	National
	38	Todd Muller (born 1968) MP for Bay of Plenty	22 May 2020	14 July 2020	National
	39	Judith Collins (born 1959) MP for Papakura	14 July 2020	Incumbent	National

¹ From 4 August 1915 to 21 August 1919, the Reform Party and the Liberal Party formed a joint wartime coalition. Joseph Ward of the Liberals officially remained "Leader of the Opposition", even though he was actually part of the government.

References

"MPs given 2.5 percent pay rise". Radio NZ. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
"Glossary". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
"People in Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
Sadler, Rachel (14 July 2020). "Judith Collins announced as new National Party leader". Newshub. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
"Todd Muller resigns as National Party leader". RNZ. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
"The Relationship between the Government and the Opposition or Minority Parties in Selected Places" (PDF). 13 November 2002. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
"Chapter 8 Parties and Government". www.parliament.nz. New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
"The Leader of the Opposition" (PDF). Retrieved 28 May 2018.
"Overview". NZSIS. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
"Bill English admits pay rise 'a bit embarrassing'". New Zealand Herald. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
"Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
Gardner, William James (1966). McLintock, Alexander Hare (ed.). "MASSEY, William Ferguson". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
Ward, Joseph George
O'Farrell, Patrick. "Holland, Henry Edmund - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
"Who's who in Parliament?". Retrieved 9 February 2018.

External links

People of Parliament – New Zealand Parliament

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[radionz-1] "MPs given 2.5 percent pay rise". Radio NZ. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.

[glossary-2] "Glossary". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[NZ_Parliament_People-3] "People in Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 21 January 2009.

[Collins-4] Sadler, Rachel (14 July 2020). "Judith Collins announced as new National Party leader". Newshub. Retrieved 14 July 2020.

[5] "Todd Muller resigns as National Party leader". RNZ. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.

[6] "The Relationship between the Government and the Opposition or Minority Parties in Selected Places" (PDF). 13 November 2002. Retrieved 28 May 2018.

[parliament-7] "Chapter 8 Parties and Government". www.parliament.nz. New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 18 April 2020.

[8] "The Leader of the Opposition" (PDF). Retrieved 28 May 2018.

[9] "Overview". NZSIS. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.

[10] "Bill English admits pay rise 'a bit embarrassing'". New Zealand Herald. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2009.

[11] "Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2018.

[Massey-12] Gardner, William James (1966). McLintock, Alexander Hare (ed.). "MASSEY, William Ferguson". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 April 2020.

[DNZB_Ward-13] Ward, Joseph George

[DNZB_Holland-14] O'Farrell, Patrick. "Holland, Henry Edmund - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2 February 2016.

[15] "Who's who in Parliament?". Retrieved 9 February 2018.

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