The 51st New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2014 general election. This Parliament consists of 121 members (120 seats plus one overhang seat) and was in place from September 2014 until August 2017, followed by the 2017 New Zealand general election. Following the final vote count John Key was able to continue to lead the Fifth National Government.
The Parliament was elected using a mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) voting system. Members of Parliament (MPs) represent 71 geographical electorates: 16 in the South Island, 48 in the North Island and 7 Māori electorates. The remaining members were elected from party lists using the Sainte-Laguë method to realise proportionality. The number of geographical electorates was increased from 70 at the previous election, to account for New Zealand's increasing population.
Electorate boundaries for 51st Parliament
The Representation Commission is tasked with reviewing electorate boundaries every five years following each New Zealand census. The last review had been undertaken in 2007, following the 2006 census, and the electorate boundaries determined then were used in both the and general elections.
The next census was scheduled for 8 March 2011, but it was postponed due to the disruption caused by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake on 22 February. The census was formally conducted on 5 March 2013 with additional data collection over the following several weeks. Following the census it was determined there would be sufficient time to conduct a boundary review of all electorates.
The boundaries were redrawn based on population distribution and the Māori electoral option, where people of Māori descent can opt to be either on the general or the Māori roll. By law, the South Island must have 16 general electorates, with the number of North Island general and Māori electorates being the respective population in each group divided by one-sixteenth of the South Island general electorate population, within a tolerance of five percent. At the 2011 election, there were 47 North Island general electorates and seven Māori electorates, totalling 70 electorates across the country.
Following significant consultation final boundaries were released by the Representation Commission on 17 April 2014. The 2014 general election was conducted under these boundaries on 20 September 2014. The increase in population in the Auckland region as recorded in the 2013 census meant an extra electorate was required to keep all electorates within five percent of their quota. To accommodate an extra electorate the Electoral Commission proposed major changes in West Auckland by abolishing the Waitakere electorate and establishing two new electorates, namely Kelston and Upper Harbour. Boundaries within Christchurch changed substantially, with several electorates growing and decreasing due to population movement around the city since the 2010–11 Christchurch earthquakes. In particular a dramatic change was seen in the electorates of , and with lesser changes in , and .
2014 general election
Officeholders Speakers Speaker of the House of Representatives: Rt. Hon. David Carter Deputy Speaker: Hon. Chester Borrows Assistant Speaker: Lindsay Tisch Assistant Speaker: Hon. Trevor Mallard
Other parliamentary officers Clerk: David Wilson (from 6 July 2015) Mary Winifred Harris (until 5 July 2015) Serjeant-at-Arms: Steve Streefkerk (from July 2016) Brent Smith (until 18 March 2016)
Party leaders Prime Minister of New Zealand (National): Rt. Hon. John Key (until 12 December 2016) Rt. Hon. Bill English (from 12 December 2016) Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand (National): Hon. Bill English (until 12 December 2016) Hon. Paula Bennett (from 12 December 2016) Leader of the Opposition (Labour): Andrew Little (18 November 2014 - 1 August 2017) Jacinda Ardern (from 1 August 2017) Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Labour): Hon. Annette King (18 November 2014 - 7 March 2017) Jacinda Ardern (7 March - 1 August 2017) Kelvin Davis (from 1 August 2017) Co-leaders of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand: Male Co-leader: Russel Norman (until 30 May 2015) James Shaw (from 30 May 2015) Female Co-leader: Metiria Turei (until 9 August 2017) Vacant (from 9 August 2017) Leader of New Zealand First: Rt. Hon. Winston Peters Deputy Leader of New Zealand First: Tracey Martin (until 2 July 2015) Ron Mark (from 3 July 2015) Co-leaders of the Māori Party: Male co-leader of the Party: Hon. Te Ururoa Flavell Female co-leader of the Party: Marama Fox Leader of ACT New Zealand: David Seymour Leader of United Future: Hon. Peter Dunne (until 23 August 2017) Damian Light (from 23 August 2017, acting outside the House)
Floor leaders Leader of the House (National): Hon. Gerry Brownlee (until 2 May 2017) Hon. Simon Bridges (from 2 May 2017) Shadow Leader of the House (Labour): Chris Hipkins
Whips
Senior Government (National) Whip: Jami-Lee Ross (from 2 May 2017) Tim Macindoe (until 2 May 2017) Junior Government Whip: Barbara Kuriger (from 2 May 2017) Jami-Lee Ross (until 2 May 2017) Third Government Whip: Matt Doocey (from 2 May 2017) Barbara Kuriger (7 February - 2 May 2017) Jo Hayes (until 7 February 2017) Senior Opposition (Labour) Whip: Kris Faafoi (from 15 December 2016) Chris Hipkins (until 15 December 2016) Junior Opposition Whip: Carmel Sepuloni Assistant Opposition Whip: Kris Faafoi (30 November 2015 - 15 December 2016) Green Party Whip (Musterer): David Clendon (until 8 August 2017) New Zealand First Whip: Barbara Stewart Associate Whip: Clayton Mitchell (from 3 July 2015)
Members The tables below show the members of the 51st Parliament based on preliminary counts of the 2014 general election.
Overview The table below shows the number of MPs in each party following the 2014 election and at dissolution:
Affiliation Members At 2014 election At dissolution 60 59 2 2 1 1 1 1Government total 64 63 32 32 14 14 11 12 Opposition total 57 58 Total 121121 Working Government majority 7 5
Notes The Māori Party, United Future and ACT once again entered into confidence and supply agreements to form a majority, as they did in the previous two parliaments. The Working Government majority is calculated as all Government MPs less all other parties.
New Zealand National Party (60) The National Party won 47.04% of the vote, entitling it to 60 seats. As it won 41 electorates, an additional 19 members were taken from the party list. After the resignation of Northland MP Mike Sabin a by-election was held and lost to New Zealand First. The party's share of seats was reduced to 59.
15 new National Party members were elected, nine from electorates and six from the list. 45 members from the 50th Parliament were returned. Name Electorate (list if blank) Term in office Portfolios & Responsibilities David Carter 1994– Speaker of the House Chairperson, Officers of Parliament Committee Chairperson, Business Committee Chairperson, Standing Orders Committee Chairperson, Parliamentary Service Commission Chester Borrows 2005– Deputy Speaker of the House Lindsay Tisch 1999– Assistant Speaker of the House Ministers in Cabinet Bill English 1990– Party Leader Prime Minister Minister of National Security and Intelligence Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services Paula Bennett 2005– Deputy Party Leader Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Climate Change Issues Minister of Police Minister of State Services Minister of Tourism Minister for Women Steven Joyce 2008– Minister of Finance Minister for Infrastructure Gerry Brownlee Ilam 1996– Leader of the House Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister of Civil Defence Minister of Defence Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission Simon Bridges 2008– Deputy Leader of the House Minister for Economic Development Minister of Transport Minister for Communications Associate Minister of Finance Amy Adams 2008– Minister of Justice Minister for Courts Minister for Social Housing Minister Responsible for Social Investment Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand Corporation Associate Minister of Finance Jonathan Coleman 2005– Minister of Health Minister for Sport and Recreation Christopher Finlayson 2005– Attorney-General Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Associate Minister of Māori Development Minister in Charge of the NZSIS Minister Responsible for the GCSB Chairperson, Privileges Committee Michael Woodhouse 2008– Minister of Immigration Minister for ACC Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Anne Tolley 1999–2002; 2005– Minister for Social Development Minister for Children Minister for Local Government Hekia Parata 2008– Minister of Education Nathan Guy 2005– Minister for Primary Industries Minister for Racing Associate Minister for Economic Development Murray McCully 1987– Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikki Kaye 2008– Minister for Youth Associate Minister of Education Nick Smith 1990– Minister for the Environment Minister for Building and Construction Judith Collins 2002– Minister for Energy and Resources Minister of Revenue Minister for Ethnic Communities Todd McClay 2008– Minister for State Owned Enterprises Minister of Trade Maggie Barry 2011– Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister of Conservation Minister for Seniors Paul Goldsmith 2011– Minister for Regulatory Reform Minister of Science and Innovation Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Louise Upston 2008– Minister of Corrections Associate Minister of Primary Industries Associate Minister of Education Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Alfred Ngaro 2011– Minister for Pacific Peoples Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Associate Minister for Children Associate Minister for Social Housing Ministers outside Cabinet Nicky Wagner 2005– Minister of Customs Minister for Disability Issues Associate Minister of Conservation Associate Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Mark Mitchell 2011– Minister for Land Information Minister of Statistics Associate Minister of Justice Jacqui Dean 2005– Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister for Small Business Associate Minister for ACC Associate Minister for Local Government David Bennett 2005– Minister for Veterans' Affairs Minister for Food Safety Associate Minister of Immigration Associate Minister of Transport Members of Parliament Alastair Scott 2014– Deputy Chairperson, Finance and Expenditure Committee Andrew Bayly 2014– Deputy Chairperson, Local Government and Environment Committee Barbara Kuriger 2014– Third Whip Deputy Chairperson, Health Committee Brett Hudson 2014– Deputy Chairperson, Commerce Committee Chris Bishop 2014– Chairperson, Finance and Expenditure Committee Craig Foss 2005– Deputy Chairperson, Regulations Review Committee Ian McKelvie 2011– Chairperson, Primary Production Committee Jami-Lee Ross 2011– Junior Whip Chairperson, Parliamentary Service Commission Precincts Committee Jian Yang 2011– Chairperson, Education and Science Committee Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities Jo Goodhew 2005– Jo Hayes 2014– Chairperson, Social Services Committee Jonathan Young 2008– Chairperson, Transport and Industrial Relations Committee Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development Jono Naylor 2014– Deputy Chairperson, Justice and Electoral Committee Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 2008– Chairperson, Law and Order Committee Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Police Matt Doocey 2014– Deputy Chairperson, Social Services Committee Maureen Pugh 2015– Deputy Chairperson, Law and Order Committee Maurice Williamson 1987– Melissa Lee 2008– Chairperson, Commerce Committee