New Zealand order of precedence

The Order of Precedence in New Zealand was approved by the Queen Elizabeth II on 9 January 1974, and amended to include former Governors-General on 10 September 1981.

1. The Governor-General (Anand Satyanand), or (whilst acting in the place of the Governor-General) the deputy of the Governor-General or the officer administering the Government
2. The Prime Minister (John Key)
3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Lockwood Smith)
4. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (Liana Marolla, Italy)
5. The Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown (ordered by ministerial rank; list as of 19 November 2008
   • Bill English (Deputy Prime Minister)
   • Gerry Brownlee
   • Simon Power
   • Tony Ryall
   • Nick Smith
   • Judith Collins
   • Anne Tolley
   • Chris Finlayson
   • David Carter
   • Murray McCully
   • Tim Groser
   • Wayne Mapp
   • Steven Joyce
   • Georgina Te Heuheu
   • Paula Bennett
   • Phil Heatley
   • Pansy Wong
   • Jonathan Coleman
   • Kate Wilkinson
   • Maurice Williamson (outside cabinet)
   • Richard Worth (outside cabinet)
   • John Carter (outside cabinet)
   • Rodney Hide (outside official coalition)
   • Heather Roy (outside official coalition)
   • Pita Sharples (outside official coalition)
   • Tariana Turia (outside official coalition)
   • Peter Dunne (outside official coalition)
6. Former Governors-General
   • Sir Paul Reeves, 1985 - 1990
   • Dame Catherine Tizard, 1990 - 1996
   • Sir Michael Hardie Boys, 1996 - 2001
   • Dame Silvia Cartwright, 2001 - 2006
7. The Chief Justice (Dame Sian Elias)
8. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in New Zealand for Her Majesty's Governments elsewhere, according to date of presentation of Letters of Credence or of assumption of duty, and Foreign Ministers and Envoys. See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs order of precedence page for a list.
9. The Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New Zealand (Phil Goff)
10. Privy Counsellors

    Until 1999 it was traditional for the Prime Minister, senior and long-serving Ministers of the Crown, the Chief Justice and Judges of the Court of Appeal to be appointed to the Privy Council. No appointments were made during the term of the Fifth Labour Government. [1].

    • Rt Hon Sir Owen Woodhouse, 16 October 1974
    • Rt Hon Sir Brian Talboys, 17 January 1977
    • Rt Hon Sir Ronald Davison, 31 May 1978
    • Rt Hon Sir Ivor Richardson, 31 May 1978
    • Rt Hon Sir Duncan McMullin, 30 April 1980
    • Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer, 23 January 1985
    • Rt Hon Bob Tizard, 23 December 1985
    • Rt Hon Sir Maurice Casey, 25 November 1986
    • Rt Hon Sir Gordon Bisson, 15 September 1987
    • Rt Hon Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, 1 November 1989
    • Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, 1 November 1989
    • Rt Hon Sir Michael Hardie Boys, 1 November 1989 (former Governor-General, see above)
    • Rt Hon Helen Clark, 9 February 1990
    • Rt Hon Mike Moore, 9 February 1990
    • Rt Hon Jim Bolger, 16 April 1991
    • Rt Hon Don McKinnon, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir Bill Birch, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Thomas Gault, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir Ian McKay, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon John Henry, 19 November 1996
    • Rt Hon Ted Thomas, 19 November 1996
    • Rt Hon Jenny Shipley, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Winston Peters, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Doug Graham, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Paul East, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Kenneth Keith, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Peter Blanchard, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Andrew Tipping, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Wyatt Creech, 24 November 1999
    • Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias, 24 November 1999(Current Chief Justice, see above)
    • Rt Hon Simon Upton, 14 December 1999
11. Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives. There is no established order of precedence over members of parliament in general, although each party has its internal ranking.
12. Judges of the Supreme Court
13. President and puisne judges of the Court of Appeal
14. Chief High Court Judge and other judges of the High Court
15. "Mayors of cities and boroughs and chairmen of counties while in their own districts." In 1989, boroughs and counties were amalgamated into district councils. District mayors, and the Chatham Islands mayor could expect to be accorded this same precedence.
16. Charges d'Affaires
17. Former Prime Ministers (all living former Prime Ministers are members of the Privy Council and thus have higher precedence)
18. Former Ministers of the Crown in New Zealand
    • John Tamihere (2002 – 3 November 2004)
    • and others
19. The Clerk of the Parliament of New Zealand, Controller and Auditor-General and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Investigations (the Chief Ombudsman)
20. The Chief of Defence Staff, the Chairman of the State Services Commission, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Heads of Civil Departments of State
    • Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, ONZM (Chief of Defence Force since 1st May 2006)
    • and others
21. Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Forces
    • Rear Admiral David Ledson, ONZM (Chief of Navy)
    • Major General Louis Gardiner, ONZM (Chief of Army)
    • Air Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott, ONZM,(Chief of Air Force)
22. Consuls-General & Consuls of countries without diplomatic representation in New Zealand
23. Heads of religious denominations in New Zealand
24. Knights of the various orders and Knights Bachelor, according to their precedence in the United Kingdom

Main Source: NZ Gazette 1974 vol I pp5-6 and NZ Gazette 1981 vol II p2575