Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand living former New Zealand Deputy Prime Ministers, as seen below. The most recent Deputy Prime Minister to die was Jim Anderton (served 1999–2002), on 7 January 2018, aged 79. Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand () is the second-most senior minister in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power. The office was created as a ministerial portfolio in 1954. The officeholder usually deputises for the Prime Minister at official functions. The current Deputy Prime Minister is Winston Peters, the Leader of New Zealand First. Generally, the
Helen Clark in 1974 in Auckland but was not elected to any position. Following one unsuccessful attempt, she was elected to Parliament in as the member for Mount Albert, an electorate she represented until 2009. Clark held numerous Cabinet positions in the Fourth Labour Government, including Minister of Housing, Minister of Health and Minister of Conservation. She was Deputy Prime Minister from 1989 to 1990 under Prime Ministers Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore. After Labour's narrow defeat in the , Clark challenged Moore for leadership of the party and won, becoming the Leader of the Opposition. Following the , Labour formed a