Editing Prime Minister of New Zealand (section)

==Appointment and tenure==
The governor-general appoints a prime minister, like other [[Ministers in the New Zealand Government|ministerial positions]], on behalf of the [[monarchy of New Zealand|monarch]]. By the conventions of [[responsible government]], the governor-general will call to form a government the individual most likely to receive the support, or confidence, of a majority of the elected [[Member of parliament#New Zealand|members of parliament]] (MPs).<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm">{{cite web|url= http://cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/2.2|title=Prime Minister|work= Cabinet Manual|publisher=[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand)|Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet]]|year= 2008|access-date= 21 September 2011}}</ref> In making this appointment, convention requires the governor-general to act on the outcome of the [[elections in New Zealand|electoral process]] and subsequent discussions between political parties by which the person who will lead the government as prime minister is identified.<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/><ref name="GG">{{Cite press release |title= The Governor-General's role in a General Election |publisher=The Governor-General of New Zealand |url= https://www.gg.govt.nz/publications/governor-generals-role-general-election |date=12 September 2017}}</ref> In practice, the position typically falls to an MP who is the [[parliamentary leader]] of the largest political party among those forming the government.<ref name="te ara">{{cite encyclopedia|first= Gavin|last= McLean|title= Premiers and prime ministers – The role of prime minister|url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/premiers-and-prime-ministers/page-1|encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |date= 1 December 2016|access-date= 4 September 2016}}</ref>{{efn|The aftermath of the [[1931 New Zealand general election]] proved an exception.|group= notes}} The prime minister may lead a [[coalition government]] and/or a [[minority government]] dependent on support from smaller parties during [[confidence and supply]] votes.<ref>{{cite web|title= Parties and Government|url= https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/parliamentary-practice-in-new-zealand/chapter-8-parties-and-government/|publisher=New Zealand Parliament|access-date= 20 December 2017|language= en}}</ref>

[[File:Rt Hon Christopher Luxon gives his oath.jpg|thumb|left|[[Christopher Luxon]] reads the [[Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand)|oath of allegiance]], 27 November 2023]]
Once appointed and sworn in by the governor-general, the prime minister remains in the post until dismissal, resignation,<ref>{{cite web |title= The Prime Minister's resignation – what does it mean for Parliament? |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/the-prime-minister-s-resignation-what-does-it-mean-for-parliament/ |publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]] |date=19 January 2023 |access-date=19 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref> or [[death in office]].{{efn|Five premiers and prime ministers have died in office: [[John Ballance]] (1893), [[Richard Seddon]] (1906), [[William Massey]] (1925), [[Michael Joseph Savage]] (1940), and [[Norman Kirk]] (1974).<ref name="trivia"/> All died of natural causes. See: [[List of members of the New Zealand Parliament who died in office]].|group= notes}} They, like all ministers, hold office "[[At the Governor-General's pleasure|during the pleasure of the Governor-General]]", so theoretically, the governor-general can dismiss a prime minister at any time; however, convention heavily circumscribes the power to do so.<ref>{{cite web | title= Ministers of the Crown |url= https://dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/supporting-work-cabinet/cabinet-manual/2-ministers-crown-3 |website= Cabinet Manual |publisher=[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand)|Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet]] |access-date= 15 November 2018}}</ref> The governor-general retains [[Reserve power#New Zealand|reserve powers]]<ref>{{cite web |title= The Reserve Powers |url= https://gg.govt.nz/office-governor-general/roles-and-functions-governor-general/constitutional-role/reserve-powers |publisher=The Governor-General of New Zealand |access-date= 15 November 2018}}</ref> to dismiss a prime minister in certain circumstances, such as those pertaining to a [[motion of no confidence|no-confidence motion]] against the government in the [[New Zealand House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].<ref>{{citation |title = NZLS New Zealand Law Journal |journal=New Zealand Law Journal |publisher=[[LexisNexis]] |date= 2008 |pages= 114–115 |issn= 0028-8373}}</ref>

Where a prime minister, and by extension, the government, can no longer command the confidence of the house, either by losing a confidence vote or as the result of an election, convention dictates that they should tender their resignation to the governor-general. Under the [[Constitution Act 1986]], general elections are required every three years, setting the maximum period a prime minister can serve without their [[Mandate (politics)|mandate]] being renewed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.legislation.co.nz/act/public/1986/0114/latest/DLM94241.html?search=ta_act_C_ac%40ainf%40anif_an%40bn%40rn_25_a&p=5 |title="Term of Parliament," Section 17 of the Constitution Act 1986 |access-date=6 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018160909/http://www.legislation.co.nz/act/public/1986/0114/latest/DLM94241.html?search=ta_act_C_ac%40ainf%40anif_an%40bn%40rn_25_a&p=5 |archive-date=18 October 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>