Governor-General of New Zealand

For a list of holders of the office, see List of governors-general of New Zealand.

Governor-General of New Zealand
Te Kāwana Tianara o Aotearoa (Māori)
Badge
Flag of the governor-general
A smiling woman wearing a red dress with ribbons and badges
Incumbent
Cindy Kiro
since 21 October 2021
Viceregal
StyleHer Excellency
The Right Honourable
ResidenceGovernment House, Wellington
Government House, Auckland
SeatWellington, New Zealand
AppointerMonarch of New Zealand
on the advice of the prime minister
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
(usually 5 years by constitutional convention)
Constituting instrumentLetters Patent 1983
Formation3 May 1841
First holderWilliam Hobson
as Governor of New Zealand
SalaryNZ$440,000 annually[1]
WebsiteGovernor-General of New Zealand
Politics of New Zealand
Constitution
The Crown
Executive Government
Legislature
54th New Zealand Parliament
Elections
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Local government
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The governor-general of New Zealand[n 1] (Māori: Te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and lives in the United Kingdom,[n 2] he, on the advice of his New Zealand prime minister, appoints a governor-general to carry out his constitutional and ceremonial duties within the Realm of New Zealand.

Governors-general are typically appointed for a five-year term of office, subject to a possible short extension, though they formally serve "at the monarch's pleasure". The incumbent governor-general is Dame Cindy Kiro, since 21 October 2021.[6] Administrative support for the governor-general is provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Constitutional functions include presiding over the Executive Council, appointing ministers and judges, granting royal assent to legislation, and summoning and dissolving parliament. These functions are generally exercised only according to the advice of an elected government. The governor-general also has an important ceremonial role: hosting events at Government House in Wellington, and travelling throughout New Zealand to open conferences, attend services and commemorations, and generally provide encouragement to individuals and groups who are contributing to their communities.

The current office traces its origins to when the administration of New Zealand was placed under the Colony of New South Wales in 1839 and its governor was given jurisdiction over New Zealand. New Zealand would become its own colony the next year with its own governor. The modern title and functions of the "governor-general" came into being in 1917, and the office is currently mandated by Letters Patent issued in 1983, constituting "the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Realm of New Zealand".[7] The governor initially represented the British monarch and the British government. Therefore, many past officeholders were from the United Kingdom, including a succession of minor aristocrats from the 1890s onwards. In a gradual process, especially with the adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947, the governor-general has become the independent, personal representative of the New Zealand monarch. In 1972, Sir Denis Blundell became the first New Zealand resident to be appointed to the office. When travelling abroad, particularly more frequently since the late 20th century, the governor-general is seen as the national representative of New Zealand; for this reason, the governor-general has been described by academics and politicians as the de facto head of state,[8][9][10] though the Constitution Act 1986 explicitly identifies the monarch as New Zealand's head of state.

  1. ^ "Governor-General (Salary) Determination 2023". legislation.govt.nz. Parliamentary Counsel Office. 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Governor-General". New Zealand Government. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. ^ "The Governor General". Government of Canada. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference McLean2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ The Royal Household. "The Queen and the Commonwealth > Queen and New Zealand > The Queen's role in New Zealand". Queen's Printer. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Dame Cindy Kiro to be the next Governor-General, replacing Dame Patsy Reddy". Stuff. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference letterspatent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ McLean 2006, p. 17.
  9. ^ James, Colin (22 August 2006). "The huge challenge ahead of the Maori Queen's successor". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Republic 'inevitable' – Clark". The Evening Post. 4 March 2002.


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