The minister of defence is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence.
The present minister is Paul Goldsmith, a member of the National Party.
History Initially, military affairs in New Zealand were controlled by the British-appointed governor, without input from the New Zealand Parliament, which was only established in 1853. There was no minister of defence as such, as the governor retained control over all armed forces in the colony. However, senior military officers did serve as members of the Executive Council. Three such appointments were made: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wynyard, Major General Thomas Simson Pratt, and Lieutenant General Duncan Alexander Cameron.
In 1863, under the premiership of Alfred Domett, a minister for colonial defence was appointed. Reader Wood, a former militia officer, became the first minister. This post continued to exist with only brief interruption until Edward Stafford's short-lived premiership of 1872, in which no defence minister was appointed. As a consequence of the New Zealand Wars, the defence portfolio was considered closely linked to the post of Minister of Native Affairs — on occasion, the latter post was formally titled "Minister of Native Affairs and Defence". It was not until the premiership of Robert Stout in 1884 that a separate minister of defence was formally appointed, and not until 1887 that the post was given to someone who was not simultaneously minister of native affairs. Until 1896 the responsibility for the New Zealand Police rested with the minister of defence before being allocated to the minister of justice instead.
During World War II, the post was supplemented by several others — a minister of national service (conscription), a minister of supply and munitions, a minister in charge of war expenditure, and a minister of armed forces and war co-ordination. All were part of the special War Cabinet, but only the first was a member of the regular domestic Cabinet.
List of defence ministers Key
No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister 1 Reader Wood 22 July 1862 30 October 1863 Domett 2 Harry Atkinson 24 November 1864 16 October 1865 Weld 3 Theodore Haultain 31 October 1865 28 June 1869 Stafford 4 Donald McLean 28 June 1869 10 September 1872 Fox1872–1884: No separate appointments, although John Bryce twice held office as"Minister of Native Affairs and Defence"; broken by William Rolleston from 4 February to 19 October 1881 5 John Ballance 16 July 1884 8 October 1887 Stout 6 Thomas Fergus 8 October 1884 17 October 1889 Atkinson 7 William Russell 17 October 1889 24 January 1891 8Richard Seddon24 January 189122 June 1896 BallanceSeddon 9 Thomas Thompson 22 June 1896 23 January 1900 (8) Richard Seddon 23 January 1900 10 June 190610Albert Pitt21 June 190618 November 1906 Hall-JonesWard 11 Joseph Ward 23 November 1906 28 March 1912 12 Arthur Myers 28 March 1912 10 July 1912 Mackenzie 13 James Allen 10 July 1912 28 April 1920Massey 14Heaton Rhodes 21 July 1920 18 January 1926 BellCoates 15 Frank Rolleston 18 January 1926 26 November 1928 16 William Downie Stewart Jr 28 November 1928 10 December 1928 17 Thomas Wilford 10 December 1928 10 December 1929 Ward 18 John Cobbe 10 December 1929 6 December 1935 Forbes 19 Fred Jones 6 December 1935 13 December 1949 Savage Fraser 20 Tom Macdonald 13 December 1949 26 September 1957 Holland 21 Dean Eyre 26 September 1957 12 December 1957 Holyoake 22 Phil Connolly 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash (21) Dean Eyre 12 December 1960 12 December 1966 Holyoake 23 David Thomson 12 December 1966 9 February 1972 24 Allan McCready 9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall 25 Arthur Faulkner 8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk 26 Bill Fraser 10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling (24) Allan McCready 12 December 1975 13 December 1978 Muldoon 27 Frank Gill 13 December 1978 21 August 1980 (23) David Thomson 28 August 1980 26 July 1984 28 Frank O'Flynn 26 July 1984 24 July 1987 Lange 29 Bob Tizard 24 July 1987 9 February 1990 Palmer 30 Peter Tapsell 9 February 1990 2 November 1990 Moore 31 Warren Cooper 2 November 1990 1 March 1996 Bolger 32 Paul East 1 March 1996 5 December 1997 33 Max Bradford 5 December 1997 10 December 1999 Shipley 34 Mark Burton 10 December 1999 12 October 2005 Clark 35 Phil Goff 12 October 2005 19 November 2008 36 Wayne Mapp 19 November 2008 14 December 2011 Key 37 Jonathan Coleman 14 December 2011 6 October 2014 38 Gerry Brownlee 6 October 2014 2 May 2017 English 39 Mark Mitchell 2 May 2017 26 October 2017 40 Ron Mark 26 October 2017 6 November 2020Ardern41Peeni Henare6 November 20201 February 2023Hipkins 42 Andrew Little 1 February 2023 27 November 2023 43 Judith Collins 27 November 2023 2 April 2026 Luxon 44 Chris Penk 7 April 2026 13 August 2026 45 Paul Goldsmith 13 August 2026 Incumbent
See also Ministry of Defence (New Zealand) Defence Diplomacy
References
External links New Zealand Ministry of Defence