Minister of Health (New Zealand)

The Minister of Health, formerly styled Minister of Public Health, is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the New Zealand Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora—Health New Zealand.

Minister of Health of New Zealand
Incumbent
Shane Reti
since 27 November 2023
Ministry of Health
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports toPrime Minister of New Zealand
AppointerGovernor-General of New Zealand
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Formation8 November 1900
First holderSir Joseph Ward
Salary$288,900[1]
Websitewww.beehive.govt.nz

The current Minister of Health is National Party MP Shane Reti.[2]

History

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The first Minister of Public Health was appointed in 1900, during the premiership of Richard Seddon. The word "Public" was dropped from the title when Sir Māui Pōmare took over the portfolio from 27 June 1923, as simply "Minister of Health".

In the health system reforms of the 1980s, the Department of Health lost responsibility for both the provision and funding of healthcare – these roles were transferred to separate Crown Health Enterprises (the precursors to today's District Health Boards) and the Health Funding Authority, respectively. The only function remaining was policy-making (resulting in the department being renamed a Ministry). For a time, there was a separate Minister in Charge of Crown Health Enterprises, who was not necessarily the same as the Minister of Health. Further reforms have changed this, however – the Health Funding Authority has been re-absorbed into the Ministry of Health, and the modern District Health Boards, while not part of the Ministry, are considered a responsibility of the Minister of Health.

In July 2022, on the passing of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, District Health Boards were disestablished and the provision and funding of healthcare was centralised under Health New Zealand.

List of Health Ministers

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Key

  Liberal   Reform   United   Labour   National

No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister
1 Joseph Ward   8 November 1900 6 August 1906 Seddon
Hall-Jones
2 George Fowlds   6 August 1906 6 January 1909 Ward
3 David Buddo   6 January 1909 28 March 1912
4 George Warren Russell   28 March 1912 10 July 1912 Mackenzie
5 Heaton Rhodes   10 July 1912 12 August 1915 Massey
(4) George Warren Russell   12 August 1915 25 August 1919
6 Francis Bell   4 September 1919 3 April 1920
7 James Parr   3 April 1920 7 June 1923
8 Maui Pomare   7 June 1923 18 January 1926
Bell
Coates
9 Alexander Young   18 January 1926 10 December 1928
10 Arthur Stallworthy   10 December 1928 22 September 1931 Ward
Forbes
(9) Alexander Young   22 September 1931 6 December 1935
11 Peter Fraser   6 December 1935 30 April 1940 Savage
Fraser
12 Tim Armstrong   30 April 1940 21 January 1941
13 Arnold Nordmeyer   21 January 1941 29 May 1947
14 Mabel Howard   29 May 1947 13 December 1949
15 Jack Watts   13 December 1949 19 September 1951 Holland
16 Jack Marshall   19 September 1951 26 November 1954
17 Ralph Hanan   26 November 1954 12 December 1957
Holyoake
18 Rex Mason   12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash
19 Norman Shelton   12 December 1960 24 January 1962 Holyoake
20 Don McKay   24 January 1962 9 February 1972
21 Lance Adams-Schneider   9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall
22 Bob Tizard   8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk
23 Tom McGuigan   10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling
24 Frank Gill   12 December 1975 13 December 1978 Muldoon
25 George Gair   13 December 1978 11 December 1981
26 Aussie Malcolm   11 December 1981 26 July 1984
27 Michael Bassett   26 July 1984 24 August 1987 Lange
28 David Caygill   24 August 1987 30 January 1989
29 Helen Clark   30 January 1989 2 November 1990
Palmer
Moore
30 Simon Upton   2 November 1990 27 March 1993 Bolger
31 Bill Birch   27 March 1993 29 November 1993
32 Jenny Shipley   29 November 1993 16 December 1996
33 Bill English   16 December 1996 2 February 1999
Shipley
34 Wyatt Creech   2 February 1999 10 December 1999
35 Annette King   10 December 1999 19 October 2005 Clark
36 Pete Hodgson   19 October 2005 5 November 2007
37 David Cunliffe   5 November 2007 19 November 2008
38 Tony Ryall   19 November 2008 6 October 2014 Key
39 Jonathan Coleman   6 October 2014 26 October 2017
English
40 David Clark   26 October 2017 2 July 2020[3] Ardern
41 Chris Hipkins   2 July 2020 6 November 2020
42 Andrew Little   6 November 2020 1 February 2023
Hipkins
43 Ayesha Verrall   1 February 2023 27 November 2023
44 Shane Reti   27 November 2023 Present Luxon

References

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  1. ^ "Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 3 November 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. ^ "New Cabinet focused on bread and butter issues". The Beehive. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  3. ^ "David Clark resigns as Health Minister: 'It's best for me to step aside'". 2 July 2020.
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