List of longest-serving members of the New Zealand Parliament

This is a list of members of the New Zealand Parliament who have served for at least 30 years. The time of service is not always continuous and separate terms are aggregated.

A total of 35 individuals have served in excess of 30 years in Parliament.[1]

Members of Parliament who have served for at least 30 years

Key

  Liberal   Reform   Labour
  National   NZ First   United Future

†: Died in office

Name Portrait First elected Left Parliament Highest office held Period of service References
Rex Mason 15 April 1926 25 October 1966[nb 1] Cabinet Minister 40 years, 193 days [2]
Sir Keith Holyoake 1 December 1932 10 March 1977 Prime Minister 39 years, 94 days [3]
Sir Maurice O'Rorke 18 January 1861 5 November 1902[nb 2] Speaker of the House 38 years, 235 days
Sir Walter Nash 18 December 1929 4 June 1968† Prime Minister 38 years, 169 days [4]
Jonathan Hunt 26 November 1966 30 March 2005 Speaker of the House 38 years, 124 days [5]
Sir Āpirana Ngata 20 December 1905 30 August 1943[nb 3] Cabinet Minister 37 years, 253 days [6]
Sir Joseph Ward 26 September 1887 8 July 1930† Prime Minister 36 years, 306 days
Winston Peters 24 May 1979 present Deputy Prime Minister 36 years, 318 days
Trevor Mallard 14 July 1984 20 October 2022 Speaker of the House 35 years, 87 days [7]
Sir William Steward 3 February 1871 20 November 1911[nb 4] Speaker of the House 34 years, 287 days [8][9]
George Forbes 17 November 1908 30 August 1943[nb 5] Prime Minister 34 years, 286 days
Sir Eruera Tirikatene 3 August 1932 11 January 1967† Cabinet Minister 34 years, 161 days
Warren Freer 24 September 1947 29 October 1981[nb 6] Cabinet Minister 34 years, 35 days [10]
Clyde Carr 14 November 1928 31 May 1962 Chairman of Committees 33 years, 198 days [11]
Peter Dunne 14 July 1984 23 September 2017 Cabinet Minister 33 years, 71 days [12]
William Hughes Field 6 January 1900 1 November 1935 MP 32 years, 278 days [13]
Sir Arnold Nordmeyer 27 November 1935 28 October 1969 Leader of the Opposition 32 years, 230 days [14]
Sir James Carroll 7 September 1887 27 November 1919[nb 7] Cabinet Minister 32 years, 81 days [15]
Peter Fraser 3 October 1918 12 December 1950† Prime Minister 32 years, 70 days [16]
Phil Goff 28 November 1981 12 October 2016 Leader of the Opposition 31 years, 309 days
Robert McKeen 7 December 1922 5 October 1954[nb 8] Speaker of the House 31 years, 302 days [17]
Bill Parry 17 December 1919 27 July 1951[nb 9] Cabinet Minister 31 years, 222 days [18]
Gordon Coates 19 December 1911 27 May 1943† Prime Minister 31 years, 159 days
Sir Robert Muldoon 26 November 1960 17 December 1991 Prime Minister 31 years, 35 days [19]
William Massey 9 April 1894 10 May 1925† Prime Minister 31 years, 31 days [20]
Sir James Allen 26 September 1887 22 March 1920 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 330 days [21]
Damien O'Connor 6 November 1993 present Cabinet Minister 30 years, 259 days
Nick Smith 27 October 1990 10 June 2021 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 226 days
Bob Tizard 30 November 1957 27 October 1990 Deputy Prime Minister 30 years, 196 days
Sir Robert Macfarlane 3 June 1939 28 October 1969[nb 10] Speaker of the House 30 years, 147 days
Sir Thomas Wilford 4 December 1896 18 November 1929 Leader of the Opposition 30 years, 109 days [22][23]
Annette King 14 July 1984 23 September 2017 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 63 days
Murray McCully 15 August 1987 23 September 2017 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 39 days
Maurice Williamson 15 August 1987 23 September 2017 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 39 days
Thomas Young Duncan 9 December 1881 19 December 1911 Cabinet Minister 30 years, 10 days

Table footnotes:[24]

  1. ^ date of dissolution of the 34th Parliament
  2. ^ date of dissolution of the 14th Parliament
  3. ^ date of dissolution of the 26th Parliament
  4. ^ date of dissolution of the 17th Parliament
  5. ^ date of dissolution of the 26th Parliament
  6. ^ date of dissolution of the 39th Parliament
  7. ^ date of dissolution of the 19th Parliament
  8. ^ date of dissolution of the 30th Parliament
  9. ^ date of dissolution of the 29th Parliament
  10. ^ date of dissolution of the 35th Parliament

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Longest serving members of Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  2. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 218.
  3. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 47, 58, 206, 223.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 218, 223.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 206.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 245.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "The Father of the House". The Marlborough Express. Vol. XXXIX, no. 155. 5 July 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  9. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 233, 236.
  10. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 206.
  11. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 188.
  12. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 194.
  13. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 195.
  14. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 223.
  15. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 188, 201.
  16. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 223.
  17. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 215, 225.
  18. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 198, 225.
  19. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 198, 222.
  20. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 58, 179, 219.
  21. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 179, 188.
  22. ^ "Maori MPs – Parliament's people". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  23. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 219, 245.
  24. ^ 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.