# Minister of Labour (New Zealand)

The Minister of Labour was the minister in the government responsible for the Department of Labour. The portfolio was established in 1892, a year after the Department of Labour was formed, and was abolished on 1 July 2012, when it was replaced by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Today, the duties of the Minister of Labour are assumed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.

## Office-holders

The following MPs have held the office of Minister of Labour:

### Key

Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | William Pember Reeves | 31 May 1892 | 10 January 1896 | Ballance |
| 1 | William Pember Reeves | 31 May 1892 | 10 January 1896 | Seddon |
| 2 | Richard Seddon | 10 January 1896 | 10 June 1906 | Seddon |
| 3 | William Hall-Jones | 21 June 1906 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| 4 | John A. Millar | 6 August 1906 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 5 | Alexander Hogg | 6 January 1909 | 17 June 1909 | Ward |
| (4) | John A. Millar | 17 June 1909 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| 6 | George Laurenson | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 7 | William Massey | 10 July 1912 | 14 May 1920 | Massey |
| 8 | William Herries | 17 May 1920 | 7 February 1921 | Massey |
| 9 | George Anderson | 1 March 1921 | 26 November 1928 | Massey |
| 9 | George Anderson | 1 March 1921 | 26 November 1928 | Bell |
| 9 | George Anderson | 1 March 1921 | 26 November 1928 | Coates |
| 10 | Robert Wright | 28 November 1928 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 11 | Bill Veitch | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| 12 | Sydney Smith | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| 13 | Adam Hamilton | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 14 | Tim Armstrong | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1938 | Savage |
| 15 | Paddy Webb | 13 December 1938 | 27 June 1946 | Savage |
| 15 | Paddy Webb | 13 December 1938 | 27 June 1946 | Fraser |
| 16 | James O'Brien | 27 June 1946 | 19 December 1946 | Fraser |
| 17 | Angus McLagan | 19 December 1946 | 12 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 18 | Bill Sullivan | 13 December 1949 | 13 February 1957 | Holland |
| 19 | John McAlpine | 13 February 1957 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 19 | John McAlpine | 13 February 1957 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 20 | Fred Hackett | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 21 | Tom Shand | 12 December 1960 | 11 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 22 | Jack Marshall | 12 December 1969 | 7 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 23 | David Thomson | 7 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 24 | Hugh Watt | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | Kirk |
| 25 | Arthur Faulkner | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 26 | Peter Gordon | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 27 | Jim Bolger | 13 December 1978 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 28 | Stan Rodger | 26 July 1984 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| 29 | Helen Clark | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 29 | Helen Clark | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 30 | Bill Birch | 2 November 1990 | 27 March 1993 | Bolger |
| 31 | Maurice McTigue | 27 March 1993 | 21 December 1993 | Bolger |
| 32 | Doug Kidd | 21 December 1993 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| 33 | Max Bradford | 16 December 1996 | 10 December 1999 | Bolger |
| 33 | Max Bradford | 16 December 1996 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 34 | Margaret Wilson | 10 December 1999 | 26 February 2004 | Clark |
| 35 | Paul Swain | 26 February 2004 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 36 | Ruth Dyson | 19 October 2005 | 5 November 2007 | Clark |
| 37 | Trevor Mallard | 5 November 2007 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 38 | Kate Wilkinson | 19 November 2008 | 6 November 2012 | Key |
| | Chris Finlayson Acting Minister | 6 November 2012 | 31 January 2013 | Key |
| 39 | Simon Bridges | 31 January 2013 | 6 October 2014 | Key |