# Chairman of Committees (New Zealand House of Representatives)

The Chairman of Committees was an elected position of the New Zealand House of Representatives. The role existed between 1854 and 1992. The roles of the Chairman of Committees were to deputise for the Speaker, and to chair the House when it was in committee. The role is now carried out by the Deputy Speaker. The role of Chairman of Committees also existed for the Legislative Council.

## Establishment

The position was established during the first session of the 1st New Zealand Parliament. Parliament first convened on 24 May 1854, and on 21 June of that year, Auckland lawyer Frederick Merriman was elected as its first Chairman of Committees. The role also existed for the Legislative Council, was established in 1865 and first held by Mathew Richmond.

## Role

The chief role of the Chairman of Committees was to chair the House when it was in committee (i.e., considering a bill at committee stage) or preside in the absence of the Speaker or when the Speaker so requested. These arrangements were based on those of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
The Chairman of Committees ceased to hold office on the dissolution of Parliament, but was remunerated until the next Parliament first met, when it then had a chance to elect a new chairman.
Until 1992, the Chairman of Committees was known as the Deputy Speaker only when presiding over the House. That year, the position of Deputy Speaker was made official under the Standing Orders, and the role of Chairman of Committees was discontinued. The first Deputy Speaker was appointed on 10 November 1992.

## Office holders

The following is a list of Chairmen of Committees of the House of Representatives:
Key
Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term start and end dates | Term start and end dates | Parliament |
| 1 | Frederick Merriman | 21 June 1854 | 15 September 1855 | 1st |
| 2 | Hugh Carleton | 17 April 1856 | 5 November 1860 | 2nd |
| 2 | Hugh Carleton | 11 June 1861 | 27 January 1866 | 3rd |
| 2 | Hugh Carleton | 4 July 1866 | 30 December 1870 | 4th |
| 3 | Maurice O'Rorke$^1$ | 16 August 1871 | 23 October 1872 | 5th |
| 4 | Arthur Seymour | 16 July 1873 | 14 May 1875 | 5th |
| (3) | Maurice O'Rorke | 21 July 1875 | 6 December 1875 | 5th |
| (3) | Maurice O'Rorke | 28 June 1876 | 11 July 1879 | 6th |
| (4) | Arthur Seymour | 16 July 1879 | 15 August 1879 | 6th |
| (4) | Arthur Seymour | 26 September 1879 | 8 November 1881 | 7th |
| 5 | Ebenezer Hamlin | 30 May 1882 | 27 June 1884 | 8th |
| 5 | Ebenezer Hamlin | 5 September 1884 | 15 July 1887 | 9th |
| 5 | Ebenezer Hamlin | 13 October 1887 | 3 October 1890 | 10th |
| 6 | Westby Perceval | 23 June 1891 | 15 September 1891 | 11th |
| 7 | William Lee Rees | 18 September 1891 | 11 July 1893 | 11th |
| 8 | Arthur Guinness$^1$ | 13 July 1893 | 8 November 1893 | 11th |
| 8 | Arthur Guinness$^1$ | 10 July 1894 | 14 November 1896 | 12th |
| 8 | Arthur Guinness$^1$ | 9 April 1897 | 15 November 1899 | 13th |
| 8 | Arthur Guinness$^1$ | 3 July 1900 | 5 November 1902 | 14th |
| 9 | John A. Millar | 2 July 1903 | 15 November 1905 | 15th |
| 10 | Roderick McKenzie | 31 August 1906 | 29 October 1908 | 16th |
| 11 | Thomas Wilford | 12 June 1909 | 8 July 1910 | 17th |
| 12 | James Colvin | 23 August 1910 | 20 November 1911 | 17th |
| 13 | Frederic Lang$^1$ | 2 August 1912 | 26 June 1913 | 18th |
| 14 | Alexander Malcolm | 4 July 1913 | 20 November 1914 | 18th |
| 14 | Alexander Malcolm | 7 July 1915 | 27 November 1919 | 19th |
| 14 | Alexander Malcolm | 15 July 1920 | 30 November 1922 | 20th |
| 15 | Alexander Young | 24 July 1923 | 14 October 1925 | 21st |
| 16 | Frank Hockly | 2 July 1926 | 18 October 1928 | 22nd |
| 17 | Sydney George Smith | 11 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | 23rd |
| 18 | William Bodkin | 27 June 1930 | 27 October 1931 | 23rd |
| (17) | Sydney George Smith | 27 October 1931 | 12 November 1931 | 23rd |
| (17) | Sydney George Smith | 26 February 1932 | 12 February 1935 | 24th |
| 19 | Jimmy Nash | 13 February 1935 | 1 November 1935 | 24th |
| 20 | Ted Howard | 1 April 1936 | 20 September 1938 | 25th |
| 21 | Robert McKeen$^1$ | 29 June 1939 | 30 August 1943 | 26th |
| 21 | Robert McKeen$^1$ | 1 March 1944 | 4 November 1946 | 27th |
| 22 | Clyde Carr | 24 June 1947 | 3 November 1949 | 28th |
| 23 | Cyril Harker | 29 June 1950 | 27 July 1951 | 29th |
| 23 | Cyril Harker | 28 September 1951 | 5 October 1954 | 30th |
| 23 | Cyril Harker | 30 March 1955 | 29 October 1957 | 31st |
| 24 | Reginald Keeling | 22 January 1958 | 31 October 1960 | 32nd |
| 25 | Roy Jack$^1$ | 23 June 1961 | 29 October 1963 | 33rd |
| 25 | Roy Jack$^1$ | 12 June 1964 | 25 October 1966 | 34th |
| 26 | Jack George | 28 April 1967 | 28 October 1969 | 35th |
| 27 | Alfred E. Allen$^1$ | 13 March 1970 | 7 June 1972 | 36th |
| 28 | Richard Harrison$^1$ | 8 June 1972 | 26 October 1972 | 36th |
| 29 | Ron Bailey | 16 February 1973 | 10 September 1974 | 37th |
| 30 | Jonathan Hunt$^1$ | 17 September 1974 | 30 October 1975 | 37th |
| (28) | Richard Harrison$^1$ | 24 June 1976 | 9 May 1978 | 38th |
| 31 | Jack Luxton | 12 May 1978 | 26 October 1978 | 38th |
| 31 | Jack Luxton | 18 May 1979 | 29 October 1981 | 39th |
| 31 | Jack Luxton | 8 April 1982 | 15 June 1984 | 40th |
| 32 | John Terris | 17 August 1984 | 29 July 1987 | 41st |
| 32 | John Terris | 17 September 1987 | 10 September 1990 | 42nd |
| 33 | Jim Gerard | 29 November 1990 | 10 November 1992 | 43rd |
$^1$ Also served as Speaker

## Deputy Chairman of Committees

The position of Deputy Chairman of Committees was created in 1975. After the role of chairman was replaced by that of Deputy Speaker in 1992, the third presiding officer of the House continued to be known as the deputy chairman for several more years, until the final holder of the office, Peter Hilt, became the first MP to be appointed Assistant Speaker on 21 February 1996.

### Key

National  Labour  United NZ
List of Deputy Chairmen of Committees :
| No. | Name | Term start and end dates | Term start and end dates | Parliament |
| 1 | Ron Barclay | 26 March 1975 | 30 October 1975 | 37th |
| 2 | Bill Birch | 24 June 1976 | 26 October 1978 | 38th |
| 3 | Tony Friedlander | 13 June 1979 | 29 October 1981 | 39th |
| 4 | Dail Jones | 8 April 1982 | 15 June 1984 | 40th |
| 5 | Trevor Young | 17 August 1984 | 29 July 1987 | 41st |
| 5 | Trevor Young | 17 September 1987 | 10 September 1990 | 42nd |
| 6 | Robert Anderson | 29 November 1990 | 23 September 1993 | 43rd |
| 7 | Joy McLauchlan | 22 December 1993 | 27 February 1995 | 44th |
| 8 | Peter Hilt | 1 March 1995 | 21 February 1996 | 44th |