List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by time in office
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This is a list of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by time in office. The basis of the list is the difference between dates; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater. The first day of a Prime Minister's term is counted in the total, but the last day is not. Prime ministers do not have a fixed term of office; instead, they may stay in office as long as their government is supported by parliament under a system of responsible government.
Historically, elections have been held every three years, however twenty of thirty-nine prime ministers have served fewer than three years. Richard Seddon had the longest tenure of any Prime Minister, serving over 13 years, while Henry Sewell, the shortest serving Prime Minister, spent 13 days in office.
Ranked list
The following list is ranked by their total term in office (multiple terms are added together to give the total term in office).
Colour key (for political parties) |
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Rank | Name | Party | Term(s) | |
1 | Richard Seddon † | Liberal | 13 years, 44 days | |
2 | William Massey † | Reform | 12 years, 304 days | |
3 | Keith Holyoake | National | 11 years, 140 days[1] | |
4 | Peter Fraser | Labour | 9 years, 261 days | |
5 | Helen Clark | Labour | 8 years, 350 days | |
6 | Edward Stafford | None | 8 years, 326 days[2] | |
7 | Robert Muldoon | National | 8 years, 227 days | |
8 | John Key | National | 8 years, 23 days | |
9 | Sidney Holland | National | 7 years, 281 days | |
10 | Joseph Ward | Liberal | 7 years, 38 days[3] | |
United | ||||
11 | Jim Bolger | National | 7 years, 36 days | |
12 | George Forbes | United | 5 years, 192 days | |
13 | Harry Atkinson | None | 5 years, 116 days[4] | |
14 | David Lange | Labour | 5 years, 13 days | |
15 | William Fox | None | 4 years, 148 days[5] | |
16 | Michael Joseph Savage † | Labour | 4 years, 112 days | |
17 | Gordon Coates | Reform | 3 years, 194 days | |
18 | Robert Stout | None | 3 years, 47 days[6] | |
19 | Walter Nash | Labour | 3 years, 0 days | |
20 | Julius Vogel | None | 2 years, 288 days[7] | |
21 | John Hall | None | 2 years, 195 days | |
22 | Frederick Whitaker | None | 2 years, 182 days[8] | |
23 | John Ballance † | Liberal | 2 years, 93 days | |
24 | Jenny Shipley | National | 1 year, 362 days | |
25 | George Grey | None | 1 year, 360 days | |
26 | Norman Kirk † | Labour | 1 year, 266 days | |
27 | Bill Rowling | Labour | 1 year, 97 days | |
28 | Alfred Domett | None | 1 year, 85 days | |
29 | Geoffrey Palmer | Labour | 1 year, 27 days | |
30 | Jacinda Ardern (incumbent) | Labour | 351 days | |
31 | Frederick Weld | None | 326 days | |
32 | Bill English | National | 318 days | |
33 | Jack Marshall | National | 305 days | |
34 | Daniel Pollen | None | 224 days | |
35 | George Waterhouse | None | 143 days | |
36 | Thomas Mackenzie | Liberal | 104 days | |
37 | Mike Moore | Labour | 59 days | |
38 | William Hall-Jones | Liberal | 57 days | |
39 | Francis Bell | Reform | 16 days | |
40 | Henry Sewell | None | 13 days | |
† - Died in office.
Note: Some lists consider Hugh Watt as a New Zealand Prime Minister. Watt served as acting Prime Minister for seven days from 31 August to 6 September 1972 following the death of Norman Kirk. He is not normally counted in the official numbering of New Zealand Prime Ministers.
Graphical
See also
Notes
- ↑ Served 2 terms - 20 September 1957 – 12 December 1957: 83 days and 12 December 1960 – 7 February 1972: 11 years, 57 days
- ↑ Served 3 terms: 2 June 1856 – 12 July 1861 (5 years, 40 days), 16 October 1865 – 28 June 1869 (3 years, 255 days), 10 September 1872 – 11 October 1872 (31 days)
- ↑ Served 2 terms: 6 August 1906 – 28 March 1912 (5 years, 235 days) and 10 December 1928 – 28 May 1930 (1 year, 169 days); Ward holds the record for the longest time between two premierships at 16 years, 257 days
- ↑ Served 4 terms: 1 September 1876 – 13 October 1877 (1 year, 42 days), 25 September 1883 – 16 August 1884 (326 days), 28 August 1884 – 3 September 1884 (6 days), 8 October 1887 – 24 January 1891 (3 years, 108 days)
- ↑ Served 4 terms: 20 May 1856 – 2 June 1856 (Thirteen days), 12 July 1861 – 6 August 1862 (1 year, 25 days), 28 June 1869 – 10 September 1872 (3 years, 74 days), and 3 March 1873 – 8 April 1873 (36 days)
- ↑ Served 2 terms: 16 August 1884 – 28 August 1884 (12 days) and 3 September 1884 – 8 October 1887 (3 years, 1 month, 5 days)
- ↑ Served 2 terms: 8 April 1873 – 6 July 1875 (2 years, 89 days), 15 February 1876 – 1 September 1876 (199 days)
- ↑ Served 2 terms: 30 October 1863 – 24 November 1864 (1 year, 25 days), 21 April 1882 – 25 September 1883 (1 year, 157 days)
External links
- Prime ministerial trivia - Ministry for Culture and Heritage