Editing Prime Minister of New Zealand (section)

==Responsibilities and powers==
{{See also|New Zealand Government|Constitution of New Zealand}}
[[File:Luxon Cabinet Photo 2023.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Prime Minister [[Christopher Luxon]] (foreground, left of centre) chairs his first meeting of Cabinet, November 2023]]
The office of prime minister is not defined by [[Codification (law)| codified]] laws but by unwritten customs known as [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional conventions]] which developed in Britain and which New Zealand replicated. These conventions depend for the most part on the underlying principle that the prime minister and fellow ministers must not lose the confidence of the democratically elected component of parliament, the House of Representatives. The prime minister is the leader of the [[Cabinet of New Zealand|Cabinet]] (itself a body existing by convention) and takes a coordinating role.<ref name="te ara" />

The ''[[Cabinet Manual (New Zealand)|Cabinet Manual]]'' provides an outline of the prime minister's powers and responsibilities.<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/>

=== Principal adviser to the sovereign ===
By constitutional convention, the prime minister holds formal power to [[Advice (constitutional law)|advise]] the sovereign. This means that as long as the prime minister has the confidence of parliament, they alone may advise the monarch on:<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/>
* appointment or {{linktext|recall}} of the governor-general{{efn|group= notes|name= recall| No prime minister in New Zealand has ever exercised the power of recall. Three governors were recalled during the colonial period, but on the advice of British ministers.}}
* amendments to the [[Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand|Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General]], which most recently occurred in 2006
* the conferment of [[New Zealand royal honours system|New Zealand honours]] (except for honours in the personal gift of the monarch)

===Principal adviser to the governor-general===
As head of government, the prime minister alone has the right to advise the governor-general to:
* appoint, dismiss, or accept the resignation of ministers<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/>
*  [[dissolution of parliament |dissolve parliament]] and [[Writ of election|issue a writ]] for an election to be held.{{efn|group= notes|The prime minister is legally obligated to do so within three years of the previous election.}}<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/> The governor-general may reject the advice to dissolve parliament if the prime minister has recently lost a vote of confidence (that is, the governor-general would be using their [[reserve power]]s), but {{as of | 2023 | lc = on}} none has done so.<ref>{{cite web|title= Chapter 8 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= 16 May 2018|language= en}}</ref>

===Head of government===
Convention regards the prime minister as "[[first among equals]]".<ref name="te ara"/> A prime minister does hold the most senior post in government, but must also adhere to any decisions taken by Cabinet, as per the convention of [[Cabinet collective responsibility |collective ministerial responsibility]]. The actual ability of a prime minister to give direct orders is largely limited; most of the position's power comes about through other means, such as:
* the ability to set the Cabinet agenda, thereby controlling items for discussion<ref name="cabinetmanual_pm"/>{{efn|group= notes|Some political scientists have gone so far as to describe the Cabinet as the prime minister's "[[focus group]]".<ref name="Cross">{{cite book|last1= Cross|first1= William P.|last2= Blais|first2= André|title= Politics at the Centre: The Selection and Removal of Party Leaders in the Anglo Parliamentary Democracies|date= 2012|isbn= 9780199596720|page= 2|publisher= OUP Oxford}}</ref>}}
* The ability to appoint and dismiss ministers, and to allocate [[wikt:portfolio|portfolios]]{{efn|group= notes|name=ministers|The extent to which this power can be exercised varies between parties; the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]], for example, places most of this responsibility in the hands of its [[Parliamentary group | parliamentary caucus]], leaving the prime minister only with the power to choose which portfolios a minister is given.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Dowding |first1= Keith |last2= Dumont |first2= Patrick |title= The Selection of Ministers around the World |date= 2014 |publisher= Routledge |isbn= 9781317634454 |page= 27 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=UStHBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA27|language= en}}</ref> Furthermore, [[Electoral system of New Zealand|the MMP electoral system]] has complicated this, as a prime minister may have to consult with the leaders of other parties in government.}}
*the influence a prime minister is likely/assumed to have as leader of the dominant political party, which may afford more direct control over subordinates than is attached to the prime ministerial role<ref name="Cross"/>
* The power gained simply from being central to most significant decision-making, and from being able (as of right) to comment on and criticise any decisions taken by other ministers

Since the 1996 implementation of [[Electoral system of New Zealand |the MMP electoral system]], the role of the prime minister in negotiating and maintaining relationships with [[Coalition government|support parties]] has increased, placing some constraints on prime ministerial abilities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title= New Zealand Government and Politics|last= Hayward|first= Margaret|publisher= Oxford University Press|year= 2015|isbn= 978-0-19-558525-4|location= Auckland|pages= 371–373 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lOpArgEACAAJ}}</ref>

=== Other roles and functions ===
{{external media
| float  = right
| video1 = [https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33177/new-zealands-darkest-day 'New Zealand's darkest day']. Prime Minister John Key addresses the country live on television following the earthquake that devastated Christchurch on 22 February 2011. Providing reassurance and [[leadership]] at times of national crisis is a traditional responsibility of the prime minister.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand's darkest day |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33177/new-zealands-darkest-day |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=20 May 2021 |date=2012}}</ref>
}}

Prime ministers also take on additional portfolios (to prioritise policy areas).<ref name="te ara"/> Historically, 19th-century premiers looked after the colonial-secretary and finance portfolios. As New Zealand developed, the role of [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand) |minister of finance]] became too big; Prime Minister [[Robert Muldoon |Sir Robert Muldoon]] came under criticism for taking on the finance portfolio during his time in office (1975–1984), as it resulted in a large concentration of power in the hands of one individual.<ref name="te ara"/>

Before 1987 it was common for prime ministers to take the role of [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand) |minister of foreign affairs]], so they could represent New Zealand on the international stage.<ref name=":0" /> More recent prime ministers have taken portfolios relevant to their interests, or to promote specific areas they saw as important. For example, [[David Lange]] took the education portfolio in his second term; [[Helen Clark]] took the role of [[Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage |minister for arts, culture and heritage]]; [[John Key]] served as [[Minister of Tourism (New Zealand)|minister of tourism]]; and [[Jacinda Ardern]] became minister for child-poverty reduction.<ref name="te ara"/>

Although no longer likely to be the minister of foreign affairs, the prime minister remains responsible for welcoming foreign heads of government, visiting leaders overseas, and attending [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting]]s.<ref name=":0" />

Conventionally, the prime minister is the responsible minister for the [[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand)| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet]] (DPMC; founded in 1990), which has the task of supporting the policy agenda of Cabinet through policy advice and the coordination of the implementation of key government programmes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Support">{{cite encyclopedia|title= Premiers and prime ministers – Support Services and Statues|url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/premiers-and-prime-ministers/page-5|encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date= 4 December 2016}}</ref> 

Before 2014, the prime minister was also responsible for the [[New Zealand Security Intelligence Service|New Zealand Security and Intelligence Service]] (NZSIS) and for the [[Government Communications Security Bureau]] (GCSB).<ref name=":0" /> In 2014, Prime Minister John Key gave himself the new portfolio of [[Minister of National Security and Intelligence (New Zealand)|National Security and Intelligence]] and delegated responsibility for SIS and GCSB to other ministers. He also expanded the role of DPMC in [[national security| security]] and intelligence. This model has been followed by subsequent prime ministers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Key |first1=John |title=National Security and Intelligence role created |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1410/S00026/national-security-and-intelligence-role-created.htm |access-date=11 February 2023 |publisher=New Zealand Government |date=6 October 2014 |language=en-NZ |via=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]}}</ref>