# Minister of Customs (New Zealand)

The Minister of Customs is a minister in the New Zealand Government appointed by the Prime Minister to be in charge of matters of border control, international trade and travel and the collection of import duties and taxes to New Zealand. The minister is responsible for the New Zealand Customs Service which is the oldest government department in New Zealand.
The present Minister is Casey Costello.

## List of ministers

The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Customs.

### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National  NZ First  Alliance
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | William Richmond | 1 January 1859 | 25 February 1859 | Stafford |
| 2 | Henry Sewell | 25 February 1859 | 26 April 1859 | Stafford |
| (1) | William Richmond | 26 April 1859 | 12 July 1861 | Stafford |
| 3 | Reader Wood | 12 July 1861 | 6 August 1862 | Fox |
| 4 | Dillon Bell | 6 August 1862 | 21 August 1862 | Domett |
| (3) | Reader Wood | 21 August 1862 | 24 November 1864 | Domett |
| (3) | Reader Wood | 21 August 1862 | 24 November 1864 | Whitaker |
| 5 | William Fitzherbert | 24 November 1864 | 3 April 1865 | Weld |
| 6 | John Richardson | 3 April 1865 | 16 October 1865 | Weld |
| 7 | James Crowe Richmond | 24 August 1866 | 28 June 1869 | Stafford |
| 8 | Julius Vogel | 28 June 1869 | 8 January 1871 | Fox |
| (2) | Henry Sewell | 8 January 1871 | 30 October 1871 | Fox |
| (8) | Julius Vogel | 30 October 1871 | 10 September 1872 | Fox |
| 9 | Oswald Curtis | 10 September 1872 | 11 October 1872 | Stafford |
| 10 | John Bathgate | 11 October 1872 | 26 October 1872 | Waterhouse |
| 11 | William Reynolds | 26 October 1872 | 15 February 1876 | Waterhouse |
| 11 | William Reynolds | 26 October 1872 | 15 February 1876 | Fox |
| 11 | William Reynolds | 26 October 1872 | 15 February 1876 | Vogel |
| 11 | William Reynolds | 26 October 1872 | 15 February 1876 | Pollen |
| 12 | Harry Atkinson | 15 February 1876 | 3 July 1876 | Vogel |
| 13 | George McLean | 4 July 1876 | 13 October 1877 | Vogel |
| 13 | George McLean | 4 July 1876 | 13 October 1877 | Atkinson |
| 14 | George Grey | 15 October 1877 | 12 January 1878 | Grey |
| 15 | John Ballance | 12 January 1878 | 12 July 1878 | Grey |
| (14) | George Grey | 12 July 1878 | 8 October 1879 | Grey |
| (12) | Harry Atkinson | 8 October 1879 | 10 March 1881 | Hall |
| 16 | John Hall | 10 March 1881 | 21 April 1882 | Hall |
| (12) | Harry Atkinson | 21 April 1882 | 16 August 1884 | Whitaker |
| (12) | Harry Atkinson | 21 April 1882 | 16 August 1884 | Atkinson |
| 17 | George Morris | 19 August 1884 | 28 August 1884 | Stout |
| (13) | George McLean | 28 August 1884 | 3 September 1884 | Atkinson |
| (8) | Julius Vogel | 3 September 1884 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| 18 | George Fisher | 8 October 1887 | 8 April 1889 | Atkinson |
| (12) | Harry Atkinson | 8 April 1889 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| (15) | John Ballance | 24 January 1891 | 27 April 1893† | Ballance |
| 19 | Joseph Ward | 1 May 1893 | 16 June 1896 | Seddon |
| 20 | Richard Seddon | 16 June 1896 | 29 October 1900 | Seddon |
| 21 | Charles H. Mills | 29 October 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Seddon |
| 21 | Charles H. Mills | 29 October 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| 22 | John A. Millar | 6 August 1906 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 23 | Alexander Hogg | 6 January 1909 | 17 June 1909 | Ward |
| 24 | George Fowlds | 17 June 1909 | 4 September 1911 | Ward |
| 25 | Roderick McKenzie | 4 September 1911 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| 26 | George Laurenson | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 27 | Francis Fisher | 10 July 1912 | 7 January 1915 | Massey |
| 28 | William Herries | 19 February 1915 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| 29 | Arthur Myers | 12 August 1915 | 22 August 1919 | Massey |
| (28) | William Herries | 4 September 1919 | 7 February 1921 | Massey |
| 30 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 9 March 1921 | 10 December 1928 | Massey |
| 30 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 9 March 1921 | 10 December 1928 | Bell |
| 30 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 9 March 1921 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 31 | William Taverner | 10 December 1928 | 20 December 1929 | Ward |
| 32 | James Donald | 20 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| 33 | George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| (30) | William Downie Stewart Jr | 22 September 1931 | 28 January 1933 | Forbes |
| 34 | Gordon Coates | 28 January 1933 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 35 | Walter Nash | 6 December 1935 | 11 October 1936 | Savage |
| - | Mark Fagan Acting Minister | 11 October 1936 | 16 August 1937 | Savage |
| (35) | Walter Nash | 16 August 1937 | 13 December 1949 | Savage |
| (35) | Walter Nash | 16 August 1937 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 36 | Charles Bowden | 13 December 1949 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| 37 | Dean Eyre | 26 November 1954 | 23 March 1956 | Holland |
| 38 | Eric Halstead | 23 March 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 38 | Eric Halstead | 23 March 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 39 | Ray Boord | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 40 | Jack Marshall | 12 December 1960 | 24 January 1962 | Holyoake |
| 41 | Norman Shelton | 24 January 1962 | 12 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 42 | Lance Adams-Schneider | 12 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 43 | George Gair | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 44 | Mick Connelly | 8 December 1972 | 13 March 1975 | Kirk |
| 44 | Mick Connelly | 8 December 1972 | 13 March 1975 | Rowling |
| 45 | Roger Douglas | 13 March 1975 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 46 | Peter Wilkinson | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 47 | Hugh Templeton | 13 December 1978 | 15 June 1982 | Muldoon |
| 48 | Keith Allen | 15 June 1982 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 49 | Margaret Shields | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| 50 | Trevor de Cleene | 24 August 1987 | 14 December 1988 | Lange |
| (49) | Margaret Shields | 14 December 1988 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| 51 | Peter Neilson | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 51 | Peter Neilson | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 52 | Wyatt Creech | 2 November 1990 | 1 July 1993 | Bolger |
| 53 | Murray McCully | 1 July 1993 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| 54 | Neil Kirton | 16 December 1996 | 12 September 1997 | Bolger |
| 55 | Tuariki Delamere | 12 September 1997 | 31 August 1998 | Bolger |
| 55 | Tuariki Delamere | 12 September 1997 | 31 August 1998 | Shipley |
| 56 | John Luxton | 31 August 1998 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 57 | Phillida Bunkle | 10 December 1999 | 23 February 2001 | Clark |
| - | Jim Anderton Acting Minister | 23 February 2001 | 15 August 2002 | Clark |
| 58 | Rick Barker | 15 August 2002 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 59 | Nanaia Mahuta | 19 October 2005 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 60 | Maurice Williamson | 19 November 2008 | 1 May 2014 | Key |
| 61 | Nicky Wagner | 7 May 2014 | 2 May 2017 | Key |
| 61 | Nicky Wagner | 7 May 2014 | 2 May 2017 | English |
| 62 | Tim Macindoe | 2 May 2017 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 63 | Meka Whaitiri | 26 October 2017 | 30 August 2018 | Ardern |
| 64 | Kris Faafoi | 30 August 2018 | 27 June 2019 | Ardern |
| 65 | Jenny Salesa | 27 June 2019 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| (63) | Meka Whaitiri | 6 November 2020 | 3 May 2023 | Ardern |
| (63) | Meka Whaitiri | 6 November 2020 | 3 May 2023 | Hipkins |
| - | Damien O'Connor Acting Minister | 3 May 2023 | 8 May 2023 | Hipkins |
| 66 | Jo Luxton | 8 May 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 67 | Casey Costello | 27 November 2023 | present | Luxon |