New Zealand · Recorded appointments

New Zealand
government history.

Explore the 19 recorded post-election governments from 1969 to 2023: prime ministers, governing parties, external support and ministerial appointment dates.

Prime ministers and parliamentary terms NZ economic indicators

These are historical appointment snapshots. They do not describe today's membership or imply that a government lasted unchanged for the whole parliamentary term. Records before 1969 and the full history of later changes remain incomplete.

Governments formed after general elections

Post-election appointments, 1969–2023
Election	Prime Minister	Governing parties	External support	Ministers appointed	Government record
2023	Christopher Luxon	National / ACT / NZ First	None recorded	27 November 2023	2023 · Majority coalition
2020	Jacinda Ardern	Labour	Green (Cooperation agreement)	6 November 2020	2020 · Single-party majority
2017	Jacinda Ardern	Labour / NZ First	Green (Confidence & supply)	26 October 2017	2017 · Minority coalition
2014	John Key	National	ACT (Confidence & supply); United Future (Confidence & supply); Te Pāti Māori (Confidence & supply)	8 October 2014	2014 · Single-party minority
2011	John Key	National	ACT (Confidence & supply); United Future (Confidence & supply); Te Pāti Māori (Confidence & supply)	14 December 2011	2011 · Single-party minority
2008	John Key	National	ACT (Confidence & supply); United Future (Confidence & supply); Te Pāti Māori (Confidence & supply)	19 November 2008	2008 · Single-party minority
2005	Helen Clark	Labour / Progressive	NZ First (Confidence & supply); United Future (Confidence & supply); Green (Cooperation agreement)	19 October 2005	2005 · Minority coalition
2002	Helen Clark	Labour / Progressive	United Future (Confidence & supply)	15 August 2002	2002 · Minority coalition
1999	Helen Clark	Labour / Alliance	Green (Confidence & supply)	10 December 1999	1999 · Minority coalition
1996	James Bolger	National / NZ First	None recorded	16 December 1996	1996 · Majority coalition
1993	James Bolger	National	None recorded	29 November 1993	1993 · Single-party majority
1990	James Bolger	National	None recorded	2 November 1990	1990 · Single-party majority
1987	David Lange	Labour	None recorded	24 August 1987	1987 · Single-party majority
1984	David Lange	Labour	None recorded	26 July 1984	1984 · Single-party majority
1981	Robert Muldoon	National	None recorded	11 December 1981	1981 · Single-party majority
1978	Robert Muldoon	National	None recorded	13 December 1978	1978 · Single-party majority
1975	Robert Muldoon	National	None recorded	12 December 1975	1975 · Single-party majority
1972	Norman Kirk	Labour	None recorded	8 December 1972	1972 · Single-party majority
1969	Keith Holyoake	National	None recorded	22 December 1969	1969 · Single-party majority

Government formation and election results

An election result records votes and seats. A government appointment identifies the ministry appointed afterwards. Voted uses reviewed appointment records and their sources, rather than inferring a government from the largest party.

Governing parties and external support parties are listed separately. Confidence-and-supply and cooperation arrangements do not automatically make a support party part of the governing coalition. Open a government record to see the evidence and the recorded interval between election day and ministerial appointment.

Recorded changes and Parliament openings

This collection includes 31 records. It is not a complete timeline of every by-election, MP change or government arrangement.

24 November 2023 · Coalition formation announced
25 January 2023 · Chris Hipkins takes office as Prime Minister
25 November 2020 · Commission opening of the 53rd Parliament
7 November 2017 · Commission opening of the 52nd Parliament
12 December 2016 · Bill English takes office as Prime Minister
20 October 2014 · Commission opening of the 51st Parliament
20 December 2011 · Commission opening of the 50th Parliament
8 December 2008 · Commission opening of the 49th Parliament
7 November 2005 · Commission opening of the 48th Parliament
26 August 2002 · Commission opening of the 47th Parliament
20 December 1999 · Commission opening of the 46th Parliament
8 December 1997 · Jennifer Shipley takes office as Prime Minister
12 December 1996 · Commission opening of the 45th Parliament
6 March 1996 · National / United minority government recorded
28 February 1996 · National / United arrangement recorded
28 August 1995 · National minority government recorded
9 May 1995 · National / Right of Centre minority government recorded
11 September 1994 · National / Right of Centre arrangement recorded
21 December 1993 · Commission opening of the 44th Parliament
28 November 1990 · Commission opening of the 43rd Parliament
4 September 1990 · Michael Moore takes office as Prime Minister
8 August 1989 · Geoffrey Palmer takes office as Prime Minister
16 September 1987 · Commission opening of the 42nd Parliament
15 August 1984 · Commission opening of the 41st Parliament
6 April 1982 · Commission opening of the 40th Parliament
16 May 1979 · Commission opening of the 39th Parliament
22 June 1976 · Commission opening of the 38th Parliament
6 September 1974 · Wallace Rowling takes office as Prime Minister
14 February 1973 · Commission opening of the 37th Parliament
7 February 1972 · John Marshall takes office as Prime Minister
12 March 1970 · Commission opening of the 36th Parliament

Coverage and known gaps · Original source register · How records are checked