# Minister of Defence (New Zealand)

The minister of defence is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence.
The present minister is Judith Collins, a member of the National Party.

## History

Initially, military affairs in New Zealand were controlled by the British-appointed governor, without input from the New Zealand Parliament, which was only established in 1853. There was no minister of defence as such, as the governor retained control over all armed forces in the colony. However, senior military officers did serve as members of the Executive Council. Three such appointments were made: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wynyard, Major General Thomas Simson Pratt, and Lieutenant General Duncan Alexander Cameron.
In 1863, under the premiership of Alfred Domett, a minister for colonial defence was appointed. Reader Wood, a former militia officer, became the first minister. This post continued to exist with only brief interruption until Edward Stafford's short-lived premiership of 1872, in which no defence minister was appointed. As a consequence of the New Zealand Wars, the defence portfolio was considered closely linked to the post of Minister of Native Affairs — on occasion, the latter post was formally titled "Minister of Native Affairs and Defence". It was not until the premiership of Robert Stout in 1884 that a separate minister of defence was formally appointed, and not until 1887 that the post was given to someone who was not simultaneously minister of native affairs. Until 1896 the responsibility for the New Zealand Police rested with the minister of defence before being allocated to the minister of justice instead.
During World War II, the post was supplemented by several others — a minister of national service (conscription), a minister of supply and munitions, a minister in charge of war expenditure, and a minister of armed forces and war co-ordination. All were part of the special War Cabinet, but only the first was a member of the regular domestic Cabinet.

## List of defence ministers
### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National  NZ First
| No. | No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| | 1 | Reader Wood | 22 July 1862 | 30 October 1863 | Domett |
| | 2 | Harry Atkinson | 24 November 1864 | 16 October 1865 | Weld |
| | 3 | Theodore Haultain | 31 October 1865 | 28 June 1869 | Stafford |
| | 4 | Donald McLean | 28 June 1869 | 10 September 1872 | Fox |
| 1872–1884: No separate appointments, although John Bryce twice held office as "Minister of Native Affairs and Defence"; broken by William Rolleston from 4 February to 19 October 1881 ||||||||
| | 5 | John Ballance | 16 July 1884 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| | 6 | Thomas Fergus | 8 October 1884 | 17 October 1889 | Atkinson |
| | 7 | William Russell | 17 October 1889 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| | 8 | Richard Seddon | 24 January 1891 | 22 June 1896 | Ballance |
| | 8 | Richard Seddon | 24 January 1891 | 22 June 1896 | Seddon |
| | 9 | Thomas Thompson | 22 June 1896 | 23 January 1900 | Seddon |
| | (8) | Richard Seddon | 23 January 1900 | 10 June 1906 | Seddon |
| | 10 | Albert Pitt | 21 June 1906 | 18 November 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| | 10 | Albert Pitt | 21 June 1906 | 18 November 1906 | Ward |
| | 11 | Joseph Ward | 23 November 1906 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| | 12 | Arthur Myers | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| | 13 | James Allen | 10 July 1912 | 28 April 1920 | Massey |
| | 14 | Heaton Rhodes | 21 July 1920 | 18 January 1926 | Massey |
| | 14 | Heaton Rhodes | 21 July 1920 | 18 January 1926 | Bell |
| | 14 | Heaton Rhodes | 21 July 1920 | 18 January 1926 | Coates |
| | 15 | Frank Rolleston | 18 January 1926 | 26 November 1928 | Coates |
| | 16 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 28 November 1928 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| | 17 | Thomas Wilford | 10 December 1928 | 10 December 1929 | Ward |
| | 18 | John Cobbe | 10 December 1929 | 6 December 1935 | Ward |
| | 18 | John Cobbe | 10 December 1929 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| | 19 | Fred Jones | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Savage |
| | 19 | Fred Jones | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| | 20 | Tom Macdonald | 13 December 1949 | 26 September 1957 | Holland |
| | 21 | Dean Eyre | 26 September 1957 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| | 22 | Phil Connolly | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| | (21) | Dean Eyre | 12 December 1960 | 12 December 1966 | Holyoake |
| | 23 | David Thomson | 12 December 1966 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| | 24 | Allan McCready | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| | 25 | Arthur Faulkner | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | Kirk |
| | 26 | Bill Fraser | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| | (24) | Allan McCready | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| | 27 | Frank Gill | 13 December 1978 | 21 August 1980 | Muldoon |
| | (23) | David Thomson | 28 August 1980 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| | 28 | Frank O'Flynn | 26 July 1984 | 24 July 1987 | Lange |
| | 29 | Bob Tizard | 24 July 1987 | 9 February 1990 | Lange |
| | 29 | Bob Tizard | 24 July 1987 | 9 February 1990 | Palmer |
| | 30 | Peter Tapsell | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| | 30 | Peter Tapsell | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| | 31 | Warren Cooper | 2 November 1990 | 1 March 1996 | Bolger |
| | 32 | Paul East | 1 March 1996 | 5 December 1997 | Bolger |
| | 33 | Max Bradford | 5 December 1997 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| | 34 | Mark Burton | 10 December 1999 | 12 October 2005 | Clark |
| | 35 | Phil Goff | 12 October 2005 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| | 36 | Wayne Mapp | 19 November 2008 | 14 December 2011 | Key |
| | 37 | Jonathan Coleman | 14 December 2011 | 6 October 2014 | Key |
| | 38 | Gerry Brownlee | 6 October 2014 | 2 May 2017 | Key |
| | 38 | Gerry Brownlee | 6 October 2014 | 2 May 2017 | English |
| | 39 | Mark Mitchell | 2 May 2017 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| | 40 | Ron Mark | 26 October 2017 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| | 41 | Peeni Henare | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Ardern |
| | 41 | Peeni Henare | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Hipkins |
| | 42 | Andrew Little | 1 February 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| | 43 | Judith Collins | 27 November 2023 | Incumbent | Luxon |