Deputy Prime Ministers of New Zealand

The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand (Māori: Te Pirimia Tuarua o Aotearoa) is the second most senior member of the Cabinet of New Zealand.

The officeholder usually deputises for the Prime Minister at official functions. The position is currently vacant.

The role existed on an informal basis for as long as the office of Prime Minister/Premier has existed, but the office of Deputy Prime Minister was formally established as a ministerial portfolio in 2020. This means that CharlesManners is considered as the first deputy prime minister.

The post of deputy prime minister was formally established in 2020. Eight individuals have held the position (one of them doing so twice) and of those people, CharlesManners, Flooded_Seas and firewolf4052 have eventually served as Prime Ministers.

The duties of the Deputy Prime Minister are to act on behalf of the Prime Minister in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The Deputy Prime Minister has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio. If the Prime Minister were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor-General would normally appoint the Deputy Prime Minister as Prime Minister on an interim basis until the governing party elects a new leader, but is not obligated to do so.