Governor-General of New Zealand

The governor-general of New Zealand (Māori: Te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. Because the King lives in the United Kingdom and is also the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms, he appoints a governor-general to handle his duties in New Zealand, based on the advice of the New Zealand prime minister.

The governor-general carries out many important jobs. These include formal duties like appointing ministers and judges, giving royal assent to laws, and working with parliament. The governor-general also has ceremonial roles, such as hosting events at Government House in Wellington and traveling around New Zealand to support community activities.

The office of governor-general began in 1839 when New Zealand was under the control of the Colony of New South Wales. It became its own colony the next year. The modern role of governor-general started in 1917 and is guided by Letters Patent issued in 1983. Over time, especially after 1947, the governor-general has become the personal representative of the New Zealand monarch, rather than just representing the British government. The current governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro, has served since 21 October 2021.

Appointment

The monarch of New Zealand chooses the governor-general based on the recommendation of the prime minister of New Zealand. This choice becomes official with a document called the "Terms of Appointment," sealed with the Seal of New Zealand.

Since 1930, it has been the custom for the New Zealand government to suggest who should be governor-general. This became regular in 1967 when the first New Zealand-born person was appointed. Today, the prime minister signs the Terms of Appointment to show responsibility for the suggestion.

Sometimes, the prime minister decides alone, without asking all government members. Since 1980, a group helps the prime minister make a short list of possible candidates. Usually, the leader of the opposition party is also asked for their opinion, though this hasn’t always happened.

In 1977, there was some disagreement when a former prime minister was chosen as governor-general. Because of this, it’s now usual to talk with the opposition leader before making the choice, to keep things fair. The decision stays private until both the New Zealand government and Buckingham Palace announce it together.

Lately, many of the people chosen as governor-general have been lawyers or judges. This is because understanding laws is important for the job, especially since 1996 when a new way of voting was introduced in New Zealand.

Tenure

The governor-general serves for about five years, but this can sometimes be longer. For example, Dame Silvia Cartwright was meant to finish in 2006, but her time was extended by four months so it would not happen during an election time.

If the governor-general leaves office or cannot perform their duties, the chief justice (currently Helen Winkelmann) steps in to do the job. If the chief justice is not available, the next most senior judge in the New Zealand judiciary takes over.

Dismissal

The prime minister can ask the monarch to remove the governor-general from their job. But no governor-general of New Zealand has ever been removed like this, so we do not know how the monarch would react. Some experts think the monarch might ignore the request, while others think they would agree.

In the 1800s, three early governors of New Zealand were removed from their roles. This was before New Zealand had its own government, and the decisions were made by the British government.

Functions

The governor-general of New Zealand has three main jobs: constitutional, ceremonial, and community. They stay neutral and do not get involved in everyday government decisions.

Constitutional role

The Constitution Act 1986 says that the governor-general is the monarch's representative in New Zealand. They use the monarch's powers, called the Royal Prerogative, like appointing people and approving laws. They do this mostly when the prime minister and Cabinet ask them to.

The governor-general has some key duties in government. They choose ministers, begin and end meetings of parliament, and give Royal Assent to bills to make them laws. Usually, they follow what the prime minister suggests, but they have some special powers if needed.

Ceremonial role

Besides these duties, the governor-general has many ceremonial tasks. They welcome important visitors, represent New Zealand on trips abroad, and sign big documents. They are also the ceremonial commander-in-chief of the Defence Force, joining military events and ceremonies.

Community role

The governor-general helps many community groups, like charities and cultural organizations. They go to events, open new buildings, and host gatherings at Government House, Wellington. Every year, they give a New Year's Message about important topics for New Zealand.

Salary and privileges

The New Zealand Government pays for everything the governor-general needs. Some reports say this costs about one dollar per person each year.

The governor-general gets an annual salary of NZ$440,000, which includes taxes. They live in Government House in Wellington, and have another smaller home in Auckland. These houses are used for official duties and events. The governor-general also has an official car for travel, currently a BMW 7 Series. They have special flags and symbols used during official appearances.

History

Governors

From 1832 James Busby was the official British resident in New Zealand. He helped create the Treaty of Waitangi, which set up British rule. Captain William Hobson became the first lieutenant-governor of New Zealand in 1840, when it was part of the colony of New South Wales. Sir George Gipps was the first governor, but only while New Zealand was still part of New South Wales, until 1841 when New Zealand became separate. Hobson was governor until he died in 1842. After that, Captain Robert FitzRoy took over. FitzRoy had trouble keeping peace between Māori and settlers who wanted to buy their land. The first fights of the New Zealand Wars happened during his time, and he was recalled in 1845.

Sir George Grey followed FitzRoy and is often seen as the most important governor. He was the last governor to act without needing approval from parliament. During his first term from 1845 to 1852, he made changes to how New Zealand was governed. He set up the first provinces, with a lieutenant-governor for each: George Dean Pitt for the New Ulster Province and Robert Wynyard for the New Munster Province. Later, elected leaders took over from the lieutenant-governors.

The job of moving to a new system of government was given to Robert Wynyard, the administrator of the Government. He opened the 1st New Zealand Parliament in 1854. There were arguments about who should choose government leaders. Wynyard tried to find a middle ground, but things stayed tense until Sir Thomas Gore Browne became governor in 1855. Under Gore Browne, the new system started, which gave more power to elected leaders. Sir George Grey returned as governor in 1861. He had to balance what the British government wanted and what New Zealand needed. He stayed until 1868.

After Grey, new governors came mostly from British nobility and had less power. They usually followed what the leader of New Zealand wanted. One famous case was when Sir Arthur Gordon left New Zealand in 1881. While he was away, the leader asked the chief judge to attack a Māori village, even though the governor had said he did not want this to happen.

Governors-general

British subjects

In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion called the Dominion of New Zealand. This led to new rules in 1917 that reduced the governor's powers. The job was renamed governor-general. Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, who was already governor, became the first governor-general.

In 1926, a meeting agreed that the British Commonwealth was a group of countries working together. This gave the governor-general more power, like the king or queen. New Zealand agreed to these changes fully in 1947.

Before this, the governor-general’s duties were slowly reduced. For example, starting in 1939, the British government’s main representative in New Zealand was no longer the governor-general.

In 1945, Prime Minister Peter Fraser suggested that Sir Bernard Freyberg, a New Zealand military leader, become governor-general. Until 1967, the British government chose governors-general, with advice from the New Zealand prime minister.

New Zealand citizens

In the 1960s, the British government said the New Zealand prime minister and the king should choose the governor-general. In 1967, the first New Zealand-born governor-general, Sir Arthur Porritt, was chosen. He was followed by Sir Denis Blundell in 1972, the first to live in New Zealand. Choosing New Zealanders led to worries that they might not stay neutral, but Sir Keith Holyoake, a former prime minister, acted fairly.

In 1983, new rules were made that gave even less power to the governor-general. The rules were signed by the New Zealand prime minister, showing that the job now belonged to New Zealand. The governor-general now led the “Realm of New Zealand” instead of the “Dominion of New Zealand”.

After these changes, governors-general were chosen to represent all New Zealanders. Sir Paul Reeves was the first Māori governor-general. Dame Catherine Tizard was the first woman. Sir Anand Satyanand was the first with Indian and Pasifika background and the first Roman Catholic.

Since the late 20th century, governors-general have done more duties of the head of state, like visiting other countries and representing New Zealand around the world.

Some people talk about changing the job of governor-general to a president, but others think the role just needs updating. In 2009, a review suggested the governor-general should pay income tax like others. This change was made in 2010.

In 2020, a survey found many New Zealanders did not know the queen was the head of state.