Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power.

Generally, the position is held by the deputy leader of the ruling party, but now that the MMP electoral system makes coalitions more likely, the role may increasingly go to the leader of a junior party. This occured with Winston Peters, leader of the New Zealand First Party, and Jim Anderton, leader of the Alliance.

The post of Deputy Prime Minister was established in 1949. Since then, sixteen people have held the position (one of them doing so twice). Of those people, only Holyoake, Marshall, Muldoon, Palmer, and Clark have eventually served as Prime Minister.

Name	PM Served	Took Office	Left Office	Party
Keith Holyoake	Sidney Holland	13 December 1949	20 September 1957	National
Jack Marshall	Keith Holyoake	20 September 1957	12 December 1957	National
Clarence Skinner	Walter Nash	12 December 1957	12 December 1960	Labour
Jack Marshall, 2nd time	Keith Holyoake	12 December 1960	9 February 1972	National
Robert Muldoon	Jack Marshall	9 February 1972	8 December 1972	National
Hugh Watt	Norman Kirk, Bill Rowling	8 December 1972	10 September 1974	Labour
Bob Tizard	Bill Rowling	10 September 1974	12 December 1975	Labour
Brian Talboys	Robert Muldoon	12 December 1975	4 March 1981	National
Duncan MacIntyre	Robert Muldoon	4 March 1981	15 March 1984	National
Jim McLay	Robert Muldoon	15 March 1984	26 July 1984	National
Geoffrey Palmer	David Lange	26 July 1984	8 August 1989	Labour
Helen Clark	Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore	8 August 1989	2 November 1990	Labour
Don McKinnon	Jim Bolger	2 November 1990	16 December 1996	National
Winston Peters	Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley	16 December 1996	14 August 1998	New Zealand First
Wyatt Creech	Jenny Shipley	14 August 1998	5 December 1999	National
Jim Anderton	Helen Clark	5 December 1999	15 August 2002	Alliance
Michael Cullen	Helen Clark	15 August 2002	(present)	Labour