# Minister of Police (New Zealand)

The Minister of Police is the minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the New Zealand Police.
The current officeholder is Mark Mitchell.

## History

Initially, responsibility for the police force had rested with the Minister of Defence but was instead allocated to the Minister of Justice in 1896. The minister responsible for police was, for the most part, the holder of either aforementioned office until it was later split into a separate full ministerial portfolio in 1969.

## List of Police Ministers

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

### Key

Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National  NZ First  Mauri Pacific
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | Thomas Thompson | 25 February 1896 | 23 January 1900 | Seddon |
| 2 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Seddon |
| 2 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Hall-Jones |
| 2 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 3 | John Findlay | 6 January 1909 | 26 December 1911 | Ward |
| 4 | Josiah Hanan | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 5 | Alexander Herdman | 10 July 1912 | 4 February 1918 | Massey |
| 6 | Thomas Wilford | 4 February 1918 | 25 August 1919 | Massey |
| 7 | William Massey | 4 September 1919 | 3 April 1920 | Massey |
| 8 | Ernest Lee | 3 April 1920 | 13 January 1923 | Massey |
| 9 | Francis Bell | 13 January 1923 | 27 June 1923 | Massey |
| 10 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Massey |
| 10 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Bell |
| 10 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Coates |
| 11 | Frank Rolleston | 18 January 1926 | 26 November 1928 | Coates |
| 12 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 26 November 1928 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| (6) | Thomas Wilford | 10 December 1928 | 10 December 1929 | Ward |
| 13 | John Cobbe | 18 December 1929 | 6 December 1935 | Ward |
| 13 | John Cobbe | 18 December 1929 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 14 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Savage |
| 14 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 15 | Sidney Holland | 13 December 1949 | 18 January 1950 | Holland |
| 16 | Wilfred Fortune | 18 January 1950 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| (15) | Sidney Holland | 26 November 1954 | 7 December 1956 | Holland |
| 17 | Dean Eyre | 7 December 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 17 | Dean Eyre | 7 December 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 18 | Phil Connolly | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| (17) | Dean Eyre | 12 December 1960 | 20 December 1963 | Holyoake |
| 19 | Percy Allen | 20 December 1963 | 22 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 20 | David Thomson | 22 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| (17) | Percy Allen | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 21 | Mick Connelly | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Kirk |
| 21 | Mick Connelly | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 22 | Allan McCready | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 23 | Frank Gill | 13 December 1978 | 21 August 1980 | Muldoon |
| 24 | Ben Couch | 21 August 1980 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 25 | Ann Hercus | 26 July 1984 | 16 September 1987 | Lange |
| 26 | Peter Tapsell | 16 September 1987 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| 27 | Roger Douglas | 8 August 1989 | 10 July 1990 | Palmer |
| 28 | Richard Prebble | 10 July 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 28 | Richard Prebble | 10 July 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 29 | John Banks | 2 November 1990 | 2 March 1994 | Bolger |
| 30 | John Luxton | 2 March 1994 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| 31 | Jack Elder | 16 December 1996 | 31 August 1998 | Bolger |
| 31 | Jack Elder | 16 December 1996 | 31 August 1998 | Shipley |
| 32 | Clem Simich | 31 August 1998 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 33 | George Hawkins | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 34 | Annette King | 19 October 2005 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 35 | Judith Collins | 19 November 2008 | 12 December 2011 | Key |
| 36 | Anne Tolley | 12 December 2011 | 7 October 2014 | Key |
| 37 | Michael Woodhouse | 8 October 2014 | 14 December 2015 | Key |
| (35) | Judith Collins | 14 December 2015 | 20 December 2016 | Key |
| 38 | Paula Bennett | 20 December 2016 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 39 | Stuart Nash | 26 October 2017 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| 40 | Poto Williams | 6 November 2020 | 14 June 2022 | Ardern |
| 41 | Chris Hipkins | 14 June 2022 | 25 January 2023 | Ardern |
| (39) | Stuart Nash | 1 February 2023 | 15 March 2023 | Hipkins |
| - | Megan Woods acting minister | 15 March 2023 | 20 March 2023 | Hipkins |
| 42 | Ginny Andersen | 20 March 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 43 | Mark Mitchell | 27 November 2023 | present | Luxon |