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Father of the House (New Zealand)

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Father or Mother of the House is an unofficial title applied to the longest-serving member of Parliament (MP) sitting in the New Zealand House of Representatives. In New Zealand, no duties or special distinctions are associated with the position. The current Father of the House is Gerry Brownlee, List MP and formerly member for Ilam. He has served continuously in the House of Representatives since 12 October 1996. The current Mother of the House, as the longest continuously serving female MP, is Judith Collins. She was first elected in 2002.[1]

The position is usually determined by continuous service, not aggregate time in parliament or the earliest year of entry. For example, Damien O'Connor has served as long as Brownlee, and entered parliament a term earlier (in 1993), but since he lost his seat in 2008 he is not considered a joint Father of the House. When more than one MP have served equally long periods, the title is usually assigned to whoever was sworn in first, a process which happens alphabetically by surname.

In New Zealand's first general election of 1853, the Bay of Islands electorate was the first to declare the election of a successful candidate, Hugh Carleton, who was returned unopposed. In the subsequent General Assembly of 1854, Carleton liked to be known as the Father of the House.[2]

In March 2005 then Prime Minister Helen Clark became the first to be dubbed Mother of the House.[3]

List of Fathers and Mothers of the House

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Key

  Independent   Liberal   Reform   United
  Labour   National   Progressive   United Future
Name Image First elected Became Father/Mother Left Parliament Time in Parliament Time as Father/Mother Notes References
Hugh Carleton   14 July 1853 30 December 1870[nb 1] 17 years, 5 months and 16 days Defeated in 1871 election [2][4]
Alfred Brandon   29 July 1858 30 December 1870 8 November 1881[nb 2] 23 years, 3 months and 10 days 10 years, 10 months, 10 days Retired in 1881 [5]
Sir Maurice O'Rorke   18 January 1861 8 November 1881 3 October 1890[nb 3] 29 years, 8 months and 15 days 8 years, 10 months, 26 days Defeated in 1890 election, re-elected in 1893 [6]
Harry Atkinson   3 October 1872[nb 4] 3 October 1890 22 January 1891 18 years, 3 months and 19 days 3 months, 20 days Premier 1876–1877, 1883–1884, 1884, 1887–1891; resigned in 1891[nb 5] [7]
Ebenezer Hamlin   18 January 1876 22 January 1891 8 November 1893[nb 6] 17 years, 9 months and 21 days 2 years, 9 months, 18 days Retired in 1893 [8]
Richard Seddon   5 September 1879 8 November 1893 10 June 1906 26 years, 9 months and 5 days 12 years, 7 months, 3 days Prime Minister 1893–1906; died in office [9]
Sir William Steward   9 December 1881[nb 7] 10 June 1906 20 November 1911[nb 8] 29 years, 11 months and 11 days 5 years, 5 months, 11 days Retired in 1911 [10][11][12]
Sir Arthur Guinness   22 July 1884 20 November 1911 10 June 1913 28 years, 10 months and 19 days 1 year, 6 months, 21 days Died in office [11][13]
Sir James Carroll   7 September 1887 10 June 1913 27 November 1919[nb 9] 32 years, 2 months and 20 days 6 years, 5 months, 18 days Defeated in 1919 election [14]
Sir James Allen   4 May 1892[nb 10] 27 November 1919 22 March 1920 37 years, 10 months and 18 days 3 months, 25 days Resigned in 1920 [15]
William Massey   9 April 1894 22 March 1920 10 May 1925 31 years, 1 month and 1 day 5 years, 1 month, 20 days Prime Minister 1912–1925; died in office [16]
Sir Thomas Wilford   4 December 1896 10 May 1925 18 November 1929 32 years, 11 months and 14 days 4 years, 6 months, 8 days Resigned in 1929[nb 11] [17][18]
Sir Āpirana Ngata   20 December 1905 18 November 1929 30 August 1943[nb 12] 37 years, 8 months and 10 days 13 years, 9 months, 12 days Defeated in 1943 election [19]
Peter Fraser   3 October 1918 30 August 1943 12 December 1950 32 years, 2 months and 9 days 7 years, 3 months, 13 days Prime Minister 1940–1949; died in office [20]
Bill Parry   17 December 1919 12 December 1950 27 July 1951[nb 13] 31 years, 7 months and 10 days 7 months, 16 days Retired in 1951 [21]
Robert McKeen   7 December 1922 27 July 1951 5 October 1954[nb 14] 31 years, 9 months and 28 days 3 years, 2 months, 8 days Retired in 1954 [22]
Rex Mason   15 April 1926 5 October 1954 25 October 1966[nb 15] 40 years, 6 months and 10 days 12 years, 20 days Retired in 1966 [23]
Sir Walter Nash   18 December 1929 25 October 1966 4 June 1968 38 years, 7 months and 17 days 1 year, 7 months, 10 days Prime Minister 1957–1960; died in office [24]
Robert Macfarlane   3 June 1939 4 June 1968 24 October 1969[nb 16] 30 years, 4 months and 21 days 1 year, 4 months, 20 days Retired in 1969
Sir Keith Holyoake   25 September 1943[nb 17] 24 October 1969 10 March 1977 33 years, 5 months and 13 days 7 years, 4 months, 14 days Prime Minister 1957, 1960–1972; resigned in 1977[nb 18] [25]
Warren Freer   24 September 1947 10 March 1977 29 October 1981[nb 19] 34 years, 1 month and 5 days 4 years, 7 months, 19 days Retired in 1981 [26]
Mick Connelly   27 October 1956 29 October 1981 14 June 1984[nb 20] 27 years, 7 months and 18 days 2 years, 7 months, 16 days Retired in 1984
Sir Robert Muldoon   26 November 1960 14 June 1984 17 December 1991 31 years and 21 days 7 years, 6 months, 3 days Prime Minister 1975–1984; resigned in 1991 [27]
Jonathan Hunt   26 November 1966 17 December 1991 30 March 2005 38 years, 4 months and 4 days 13 years, 4 months, 13 days Resigned in 2005[nb 21] [28]
Helen Clark   28 November 1981 30 March 2005 18 April 2009 27 years, 4 months and 21 days 4 years, 19 days Prime Minister 1999–2008; resigned in 2009
Deemed to hold the post ahead of Michael Cullen due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in. 		[3][29]
Michael Cullen   28 November 1981 18 April 2009 29 April 2009 27 years, 5 months and 1 day 12 days Resigned in 2009 [30]
Jim Anderton   14 July 1984 29 April 2009 26 November 2011 27 years, 4 months and 12 days 2 years, 6 months, 3 days Retired in 2011
Deemed to hold the post ahead of Peter Dunne due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in. 		[31]
Peter Dunne   14 July 1984 26 November 2011 23 September 2017 33 years, 2 months and 9 days 5 years, 9 months, 28 days Retired at the 2017 election. [32][33][34]
Bill English   27 October 1990 23 September 2017 13 March 2018 27 years, 4 months and 14 days 5 months, 18 days Prime Minister 2016–2017; resigned in 2018
Deemed to be the Father ahead of Nick Smith due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in.
Nick Smith   27 October 1990 13 March 2018 10 June 2021[35] 30 years, 7 months and 14 days 3 years, 2 months, 28 days Resigned in 2021
Trevor Mallard   6 November 1993[nb 22] 10 June 2021 20 October 2022 28 years, 11 months and 14 days 1 year, 4 months and 11 days Resigned in 2022 [36][37]
Nanaia Mahuta[nb 23]   12 October 1996 21 October 2022 14 October 2023 26 years, 11 months and 23 days 11 months and 24 days Defeated in the 2023 election [1]
Gerry Brownlee[nb 23]   12 October 1996 present 28 years, 1 month and 14 days 2 years, 1 month and 14 days
Judith Collins[nb 24]   27 July 2002 14 October 2023 22 years, 4 months and 8 days 1 year, 1 month and 21 days [1]

Table footnotes:[38]

  1. ^ date of dissolution of the 4th Parliament
  2. ^ date of dissolution of the 7th Parliament
  3. ^ date of dissolution of the 10th Parliament
  4. ^ Atkinson had previously been an MP (1861–66 and 1867–69)
  5. ^ Atkinson resigned upon being appointed to the Legislative Council
  6. ^ date of dissolution of the 11th Parliament
  7. ^ Steward had previously been an MP (1871–75)
  8. ^ date of dissolution of the 17th Parliament
  9. ^ date of dissolution of the 19th Parliament
  10. ^ Allen had previously been an MP (1887–90)
  11. ^ Wilford resigned to take up the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
  12. ^ date of dissolution of the 26th Parliament
  13. ^ date of dissolution of the 29th Parliament
  14. ^ date of dissolution of the 30th Parliament
  15. ^ date of dissolution of the 34th Parliament
  16. ^ date of dissolution of the 39th Parliament
  17. ^ Holyoake had previously been an MP (1932–38)
  18. ^ Holyoake resigned to take up the post of Governor-General
  19. ^ date of dissolution of the 39th Parliament
  20. ^ date of dissolution of the 40th Parliament
  21. ^ Hunt resigned to take up the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
  22. ^ Mallard had previously been an MP (1984–90)
  23. ^ a b Brownlee and Mahuta were considered Father and Mother concurrently between 21 October 2021 and 14 October 2023.
  24. ^ Brownlee and Collins are considered Father and Mother concurrently since 14 October 2023.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "Members of Parliament – Longest, shortest, oldest, youngest". New Zealand Parliamentary Service. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b McLintock, A. H., ed. (23 April 2009) [First published in 1966]. "Carleton, Hugh Francis". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b Hansard (3 March 2005) vol. 623, Week 81, col. 2005. Available at: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/47HansD_20050303/volume-623-week-81-thursday-3-march-2005 (Retrieved 24 February 2019).
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 188.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 185, 188.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 213, 225.
  7. ^ "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 186, 202.
  9. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 57, 202, 233.
  10. ^ "The Father of the House". The Marlborough Express. Vol. XXXIX, no. 155. 5 July 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  11. ^ a b "The Late Sir Arthur Guinness". Colonist. Vol. LV, no. 13752. 18 June 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  12. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 233, 236.
  13. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 201, 236.
  14. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 188, 201.
  15. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 179, 188.
  16. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 179, 219.
  17. ^ "Māori MPs – Parliament's people". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  18. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 219, 245.
  19. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 245.
  20. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 223.
  21. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 225.
  22. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 225.
  23. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 218.
  24. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 218, 223.
  25. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 47, 58, 206, 223.
  26. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 206.
  27. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 222.
  28. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 206.
  29. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 189.
  30. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 191.
  31. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 180.
  32. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 194.
  33. ^ "UnitedFuture thanks Peter Dunne for his service and looks to the future". United Future. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  34. ^ "Peter Dunne resigns from politics only weeks out from the election". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  35. ^ Sowman-Lund, Stewart (1 June 2021). "Live updates, June 1: Collins responds to criticism of 'head butt' tweet; just 13 active Covid cases in NZ". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 June 2021. Smith will quit politics on June 10 after announcing his resignation yesterday
  36. ^ Neilson, Michael (20 October 2022). "Former Speaker and Labour MP Trevor Mallard delivers final speech in the House". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  37. ^ "Resignation of member". Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. Vol. 22, no. 23. 14 October 2022. p. 608. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  38. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 137–139.

References

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  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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