Father of the House (New Zealand) explained

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, the 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

Name Image First elected Became Father/Mother Left ParliamentTime in ParliamentTime as Father/MotherNotes References
Hugh Carleton14 July 185330 December 1870Defeated in 1871 election
Alfred Brandon29 July 185830 December 18708 November 188110 years, 10 months, 10 daysRetired in 1881
Sir Maurice O'Rorke18 January 18618 November 18813 October 18908 years, 10 months, 26 daysDefeated in 1890 election, re-elected in 1893
Harry Atkinson3 October 18723 October 189022 January 18913 months, 20 daysPremier 1876–1877, 1883–1884, 1884, 1887–1891; resigned in 1891[4]
Ebenezer Hamlin18 January 187622 January 18918 November 18932 years, 9 months, 18 daysRetired in 1893
Richard Seddon5 September 18798 November 189310 June 190612 years, 7 months, 3 daysPrime Minister 1893–1906; died in office
Sir William Steward9 December 188110 June 190620 November 19115 years, 5 months, 11 daysRetired in 1911[5]
Sir Arthur Guinness22 July 188420 November 191110 June 19131 year, 6 months, 21 daysDied in office[6]
Sir James Carroll7 September 188710 June 191327 November 19196 years, 5 months, 18 daysDefeated in 1919 election
Sir James Allen4 May 189227 November 191922 March 19203 months, 25 daysResigned in 1920
William Massey9 April 189422 March 192010 May 19255 years, 1 month, 20 daysPrime Minister 1912–1925; died in office
Sir Thomas Wilford4 December 189610 May 192518 November 19294 years, 6 months, 8 daysResigned in 1929[7]
Sir Āpirana Ngata20 December 190518 November 192930 August 194313 years, 9 months, 12 daysDefeated in 1943 election
Peter Fraser3 October 191830 August 194312 December 19507 years, 3 months, 13 daysPrime Minister 1940–1949; died in office
Bill Parry17 December 191912 December 195027 July 19517 months, 16 daysRetired in 1951
Robert McKeen7 December 192227 July 19515 October 19543 years, 2 months, 8 daysRetired in 1954
Rex Mason15 April 19265 October 195425 October 196612 years, 20 daysRetired in 1966
Sir Walter Nash18 December 192925 October 19664 June 19681 year, 7 months, 10 daysPrime Minister 1957–1960; died in office
Robert Macfarlane3 June 19394 June 196824 October 19691 year, 4 months, 20 daysRetired in 1969
Sir Keith Holyoake25 September 194324 October 196910 March 19777 years, 4 months, 14 daysPrime Minister 1957, 1960–1972; resigned in 1977
Warren Freer24 September 194710 March 197729 October 19814 years, 7 months, 19 daysRetired in 1981
Mick Connelly27 October 195629 October 198114 June 19842 years, 7 months, 16 daysRetired in 1984
Sir Robert Muldoon26 November 196014 June 198417 December 19917 years, 6 months, 3 daysPrime Minister 1975–1984; resigned in 1991
Jonathan Hunt26 November 196617 December 199130 March 200513 years, 4 months, 13 daysResigned in 2005
28 November 198130 March 200518 April 20094 years, 19 daysPrime 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.
Michael Cullen28 November 198118 April 200929 April 200912 daysResigned in 2009
Jim Anderton14 July 198429 April 200926 November 20112 years, 6 months, 3 daysRetired in 2011
Deemed to hold the post ahead of Peter Dunne due to the alphabetical order in which they were sworn in.
14 July 198426 November 201123 September 20175 years, 9 months, 28 daysRetired at the 2017 election.[8] [9]
Bill English27 October 199023 September 201713 March 20185 months, 18 daysPrime 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 Smith27 October 199013 March 201810 June 2021[10] 3 years, 2 months, 28 daysResigned in 2021
Trevor Mallard6 November 199310 June 202120 October 20221 year, 4 months and 11 daysResigned in 2022[11] [12]
Nanaia Mahuta12 October 199621 October 202214 October 2023Defeated in the 2023 election
Gerry Brownlee12 October 1996present
Judith Collins27 July 200214 October 2023

Table footnotes:

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Members of Parliament – Longest, shortest, oldest, youngest . 18 March 2024 . New Zealand Parliamentary Service . en.
  2. Book: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . First published in 1966 . . A. H. . McLintock . Alexander Hare McLintock . 27 September 2013 . Carleton, Hugh Francis . 23 April 2009.
  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. Web site: Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards . New Zealand Parliament . 8 June 2021.
  5. News: The Father of the House . 27 September 2013 . . 5 July 1906 . XXXIX . 155 . 1.
  6. News: The Late Sir Arthur Guinness . 18 July 2012 . Colonist . 18 June 1913 . LV . 13752 . 1.
  7. Web site: Māori MPs – Parliament's people . . 27 September 2013 . 20 December 2012.
  8. Web site: UnitedFuture thanks Peter Dunne for his service and looks to the future. 23 September 2017. United Future. 21 August 2017.
  9. News: Peter Dunne resigns from politics only weeks out from the election. 23 September 2017. 22 August 2017.
  10. News: Sowman-Lund . Stewart . Live updates, June 1: Collins responds to criticism of 'head butt' tweet; just 13 active Covid cases in NZ . 1 June 2021 . The Spinoff . 1 June 2021 . "Smith will quit politics on June 10 after announcing his resignation yesterday".
  11. News: Former Speaker and Labour MP Trevor Mallard delivers final speech in the House . Michael . Neilson . 20 October 2022 . . 21 October 2022.
  12. News: Resignation of member . 608 . Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand . 23 . 14 October 2022 . 22 . 21 October 2022.

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