# 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.
The current Minister of Health is National Party MP Simeon Brown.

## History

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
### Key

Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | Joseph Ward | 8 November 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Seddon |
| 1 | Joseph Ward | 8 November 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| 2 | George Fowlds | 6 August 1906 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 3 | David Buddo | 6 January 1909 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| 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 | Massey |
| 6 | Francis Bell | 4 September 1919 | 3 April 1920 | Massey |
| 7 | James Parr | 3 April 1920 | 7 June 1923 | Massey |
| 8 | Maui Pomare | 7 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Massey |
| 8 | Maui Pomare | 7 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Bell |
| 8 | Maui Pomare | 7 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Coates |
| 9 | Alexander Young | 18 January 1926 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 10 | Arthur Stallworthy | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | Ward |
| 10 | Arthur Stallworthy | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| (9) | Alexander Young | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 11 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Savage |
| 11 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Fraser |
| 12 | Tim Armstrong | 30 April 1940 | 21 January 1941 | Fraser |
| 13 | Arnold Nordmeyer | 21 January 1941 | 29 May 1947 | Fraser |
| 14 | Mabel Howard | 29 May 1947 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 15 | Jack Watts | 13 December 1949 | 19 September 1951 | Holland |
| 16 | Jack Marshall | 19 September 1951 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| 17 | Ralph Hanan | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 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 | Holyoake |
| 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 | Muldoon |
| 26 | Aussie Malcolm | 11 December 1981 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 27 | Michael Bassett | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| 28 | David Caygill | 24 August 1987 | 30 January 1989 | Lange |
| 29 | Helen Clark | 30 January 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Lange |
| 29 | Helen Clark | 30 January 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 29 | Helen Clark | 30 January 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 30 | Simon Upton | 2 November 1990 | 27 March 1993 | Bolger |
| 31 | Bill Birch | 27 March 1993 | 29 November 1993 | Bolger |
| 32 | Jenny Shipley | 29 November 1993 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| 33 | Bill English | 16 December 1996 | 2 February 1999 | Bolger |
| 33 | Bill English | 16 December 1996 | 2 February 1999 | Shipley |
| 34 | Wyatt Creech | 2 February 1999 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 35 | Annette King | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 36 | Pete Hodgson | 19 October 2005 | 5 November 2007 | Clark |
| 37 | David Cunliffe | 5 November 2007 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 38 | Tony Ryall | 19 November 2008 | 6 October 2014 | Key |
| 39 | Jonathan Coleman | 6 October 2014 | 26 October 2017 | Key |
| 39 | Jonathan Coleman | 6 October 2014 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 40 | David Clark | 26 October 2017 | 2 July 2020 | Ardern |
| 41 | Chris Hipkins | 2 July 2020 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| 42 | Andrew Little | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Ardern |
| 42 | Andrew Little | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Hipkins |
| 43 | Ayesha Verrall | 1 February 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 44 | Shane Reti | 27 November 2023 | 24 January 2025 | Luxon |
| 45 | Simeon Brown | 24 January 2025 | Present | Luxon |