Father_of_the_House_(New_Zealand)

Father of the House (New Zealand)

Father of the House (New Zealand)

New Zealand political title

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

Key

  Independent   Liberal   Reform   United
  Labour   National   Progressive   United Future
More information Name, Image ...

Table footnotes:[38]

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

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    "Members of Parliament – Longest, shortest, oldest, youngest". New Zealand Parliamentary Service. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. [2]
    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. [3]
    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. [4]
    Wilson 1985, p. 188.
  5. [5]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 185, 188.
  6. [6]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 213, 225.
  7. [7]
    "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. [8]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 186, 202.
  9. [9]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 57, 202, 233.
  10. [10]
    "The Father of the House". The Marlborough Express. Vol. XXXIX, no. 155. 5 July 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  11. [11]
    "The Late Sir Arthur Guinness". Colonist. Vol. LV, no. 13752. 18 June 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  12. [12]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 233, 236.
  13. [13]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 201, 236.
  14. [14]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 188, 201.
  15. [15]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 179, 188.
  16. [16]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 179, 219.
  17. [17]
    "Māori MPs – Parliament's people". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  18. [18]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 219, 245.
  19. [19]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 245.
  20. [20]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 223.
  21. [21]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 225.
  22. [22]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 225.
  23. [23]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 218.
  24. [24]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 218, 223.
  25. [25]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 47, 58, 206, 223.
  26. [26]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 206.
  27. [27]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 222.
  28. [28]
    Wilson 1985, p. 206.
  29. [29]
    Wilson 1985, p. 189.
  30. [30]
    Wilson 1985, p. 191.
  31. [31]
    Wilson 1985, p. 180.
  32. [32]
    Wilson 1985, p. 194.
  33. [33]
    "UnitedFuture thanks Peter Dunne for his service and looks to the future". United Future. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  34. [34]
    "Peter Dunne resigns from politics only weeks out from the election". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  35. [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. [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. [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. [38]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 137–139.

References

  • 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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