| Post: | Minister for Economic Development |
| Flag: | Flag of New Zealand.svg |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of New Zealand |
| Insigniacaption: | Coat of arms of New Zealand |
| Incumbent: | Melissa Lee |
| Incumbentsince: | 27 November 2023 |
| Department: | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment |
| Style: | The Honourable |
| Member Of: | |
| Reports To: | Prime Minister of New Zealand |
| Appointer: | Governor-General of New Zealand |
| Termlength: | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation: | 10 December 1999 |
| First: | Jim Anderton |
| Salary: | $288,900[1] |
| Website: | www.beehive.govt.nz |
The Minister for Economic Development is a minister in the New Zealand Government with the responsibility of promoting development of New Zealand's economy, and is in charge of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The position was established in 1999.
The present minister is Melissa Lee.[2]
At its establishment, the Minister for Economic Development was the lead minister for the Ministry of Economic Development, which was established out of the former Ministry of Commerce as part of the Labour-Alliance coalition agreement.[3]
From 1 July 2012, the Minister assumed responsibility for the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment following the merger of the Ministry of Economic Development with several other government agencies.[4]
The position was briefly renamed Minister for Economic and Regional Development after being merged with the standalone Regional Economic Development in 2020. In early 2023 the portfolio was split back into two, and its name reverted back to Minister for Economic Development.
Similar ministerial roles under previous governments include the Minister for Enterprise and Commerce (1998–1999), the Minister of Trade and Industry (1972–1988) and the Minister of Industries and Commerce (1894–1972).
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Anderton | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark | ||||
| 2 | Trevor Mallard | 19 October 2005 | 2 November 2007 | |||||
| 3 | Pete Hodgson | 2 November 2007 | 19 November 2008 | |||||
| 4 | Gerry Brownlee | 19 November 2008 | 13 December 2011 | Key | ||||
| - | David Carter (Acting) | 24 February 2011 | 13 December 2011 | |||||
| 5 | Steven Joyce | 14 December 2011 | 20 December 2016 | |||||
| 6 | Simon Bridges | 20 December 2016 | 26 October 2017 | English | ||||
| 7 | David Parker | 26 October 2017 | 27 June 2019 | Ardern | ||||
| 8 | Phil Twyford | 27 June 2019 | 6 November 2020 | |||||
| height=40 style="border-bottom:solid 0 grey; background:" | 9 | Stuart Nash | 6 November 2020 | 28 March 2023 | ||||
| height=40 style="border-top:solid 0 grey; background:" | Hipkins | |||||||
| – | Megan Woods | 28 March 2023 | 12 April 2023 | |||||
| 10 | Barbara Edmonds | 12 April 2023 | 27 November 2023 | |||||
| 11 | Melissa Lee | 27 November 2023 | present | Luxon | ||||
A.Carter was appointed as Acting Minister of Economic Development following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and Brownlee's increased workload as Minister for Christchurch Earthquake Recovery (to which he had been appointed in September 2010 after the 2010 Christchurch earthquake).[5] However, Brownlee retained his warrant as Minister of Economic Development until after the 2011 general election.[6]
B.Stylised as Minister for Economic and Regional Development from 6 November 2020 to 1 February 2023.