New Zealand
In New Zealand, the term Father- or Mother of the House is an unofficial title applied to the longest-serving MP in the house, regardless of their position. The Father of the House has no official role in Parliament. The current Father of the House in the Parliament of New Zealand is Peter Dunne, the leader of the United Future New Zealand, having served continuously since the 1984 general election. The current Speaker of the House, Lockwood Smith, has also served continuously since 1984, but as members are sworn into office in alphabetical order, Dunne by virtue of this has served the longest.
In New Zealand's first election of 1853, the Bay of Islands electorate was the first to declare the election of a successful candidate, Hugh Carleton, was returned unopposed. In the subsequent General Assembly of 1854, Carleton liked to be known as the Father of the House.
List of Fathers (and Mothers) of the House
- Hugh Carleton 1853-1870 (first elected 1853)
- Alfred Brandon 1870-1881 (first elected 1858)
- James Macandrew 1881-1887 (first elected 1853, re-elected 1859)
- Sir Maurice O'Rorke 1887-1890 (first elected 1861, defeated 1890 and re-elected 1893)
- John Bryce 1890-1891 (first elected 1866, re-elected 1871)
- Ebenezer Hamlin 1891-1893 (first elected 1876)
- Richard Seddon 1893-1906 (first elected 1879) (PM 1893-1906)
- Sir William Steward 1906–1912 (first elected 1871, re-elected 1881)
- Sir Arthur Guinness 1912-1913 (first elected 1884)
- Sir James Carroll 1913-1919 (first elected 1887)
- Sir James Allen 1919-1920 (first elected 1887, re-elected 1892)
- William Massey 1920-1925 (first elected 1894) (PM 1912-1925)
- (Sir) Thomas Wilford 1925-1929 (first elected 1896, re-elected 1899)
- Sir Apirana Ngata 1930-1943 (first elected 1905)
- Peter Fraser 1943-1950 (first elected 1918) (PM 1940-1949)
- William Parry 1950-1951 (first elected 1919)
- Robert McKeen 1951-1954 (first elected 1922)
- Henry Greathead Rex Mason 1954-1966 (first elected 1926) (longest-serving MP in NZ's history)
- Sir Walter Nash 1966-1968 (first elected 1929) (PM 1957-1960)
- (Sir) Keith Holyoake 1968-1977 (first elected 1932, re-elected 1938) (PM 1957 & 1960-1972)
- Warren Freer 1977-1981 (first elected 1947)
| Name | Party | First elected | Became Father | Left Parliament | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Muldoon | National | 26 November 1960 | 28 November 1981 | 17 December 1991 | Prime Minister 1975-84 | |
| Jonathan Hunt | Labour | 26 November 1966 | 17 December 1991 | 30 March 2005 | ||
| Helen Clark | Labour | 28 November 1981 | 30 March 2005 | 18 April 2009 | Prime Minister 1999-2008 | |
| Michael Cullen | Labour | 28 November 1981 | 18 April 2009 | 29 April 2009 | ||
| Jim Anderton | Progressive | 14 July 1984 | 29 April 2009 | 26 November 2011 | ||
| Peter Dunne | United Future | 14 July 1984 | 26 November 2011 | present | ||
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