The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for arts, culture, heritage, and broadcasting, and is in charge of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The position was established in 1975 as Minister for the Arts.
The present Minister is Paul Goldsmith.
History The Third National Government of New Zealand established a ministerial portfolio with responsibility for the arts at its election in 1975. This reflected a growing interest of the Government in the cultural sector. The name of the portfolio changed to "Minister for Arts and Culture" in 1987. During this period, the portfolio was serviced by the Department of Internal Affairs.
A separate portfolio, Minister responsible for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, was established in 1987. This was held first by Jonathan Hunt (24 August 1987 – 9 February 1990) and subsequently by Margaret Austin (also the Minister for Arts and Culture; 9 February 1990 – 2 November 1990) before being subsumed back into the responsibilities of the Minister for Arts and Culture.
A standalone agency, the Ministry for Cultural Affairs, was established by the Fourth National Government in 1991, which necessitated the change of title to "Minister for Cultural Affairs." With the creation of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage in 1999, which brought together cultural and heritage responsibilities in the same agency, the portfolio title changed to match its department. The present name was adopted in November 1999 at the election of the Fifth Labour Government.
List of ministers Key
No. Name Portrait Term of office Prime Minister As Minister for the Arts 1 Allan Highet 12 December 1975 26 July 1984 Muldoon 2 Peter Tapsell 26 July 1984 24 August 1987 Lange As Minister for Arts and Culture 3 Michael Bassett 24 August 1987 9 February 1990 Lange Palmer 4 Margaret Austin 9 February 1990 2 November 1990 Moore 5 Doug Graham 2 November 1990 3 October 1991 Bolger As Minister for Cultural Affairs (5) Doug Graham 3 October 1991 16 December 1996 Bolger 6 Christine Fletcher 16 December 1996 12 September 1997 7 Simon Upton 12 September 1997 31 August 1998 Shipley 8 Marie Hasler 31 August 1998 1 September 1999 As Minister for Culture and Heritage (8) Marie Hasler 1 September 1999 27 November 1999 Shipley As Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage 9 Helen Clark 27 November 1999 19 November 2008 Clark 10 Chris Finlayson 19 November 2008 8 October 2014Key 11 Maggie Barry 8 October 2014 26 October 2017 English 12 Jacinda Ardern 26 October 2017 6 November 2020Ardern13Carmel Sepuloni6 November 202027 November 2023 Hipkins 14 Paul Goldsmith 27 November 2023 present Luxon
List of associate ministers Associate Ministers for Arts, Culture and Heritage have been appointed on occasion since 1999. Their role is to assist the portfolio minister in carrying out tasks related to the portfolio. They may exercise statutory powers or functions delegated on behalf of the minister under the Constitution Act 1986.
No. Name Portrait Term of officeMinister1Judith Tizard10 December 199919 October 2008Clark2Mahara Okeroa19 October 20053Carmel Sepuloni26 October 20176 November 2020Ardern4Grant Robertson5Jacinda Ardern6 November 202025 January 2023Sepuloni6Kiri Allan 1 February 20237 Willow-Jean Prime 1 February 2023 27 November 2023
References
External links New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage