Spouse of the Prime Minister of New Zealand Michael Joseph Savage, was a bachelor during his term, but otherwise, until the tenure of the 36th Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, the post had always been filled by a woman; Burton Shipley was Jenny Shipley's husband. The current Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is unmarried; her partner is radio personality Clarke Gayford. The current acting spouse of the Prime Minister of New Zealand is Clarke Gayford, who assumed the role when his partner became the Prime Minister of New Zealand on 26 October 2017. There are currently eight living spouses of former prime ministers of New Zealand: The
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada deputy premiership to the premiership of British Columbia in 1999, following the resignation of Glen Clark, and Kathy Dunderdale ascended from the deputy premiership to the premiership of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010, following the resignation of Danny Williams. Extended notice is usually given when a sitting prime minister does not plan to lead his/her party into another election. Leadership contests to determine the successor to a prime minister are usually held during the final days of the incumbent's term, and are traditionally a lengthy and competitive process. In almost all cases, the outgoing prime minister hands over power directly