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Home | Political post | Governor-General of New Zealand
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The Constitution Act 1986 provides that a "Governor-General appointed by the Sovereign is the Sovereign's representative in New Zealand." There is no specific term, but by convention the Governor-General usually serves for approximately five years. The office's full title is: The Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over New Zealand. The functions and roles of the Governor-General are set out in letters patent issued in 1983 (amended in 2006), and include: appointing ministers and judges, dissolving Parliament, granting assent to legislation, issuing writs for elections and bestowing honours. All the Governor-General's duties are carried out in the name of The Queen. Beyond constitutional functions, the Governor-General has an important ceremonial role. He or she travels widely throughout New Zealand to open conferences, attend services and commemorations. When travelling abroad, the Governor-General is seen as the representative of New Zealand, and of the Queen of New Zealand, and is treated as a head of state in most ways. Under the Niue Constitution Act, the Governor-General also represents the Queen in Niue. The current Governor-General is Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae, who was sworn in on 31 August 2011, replacing Sir Anand Satyanand, having been appointed by the Queen of New Zealand on 7 March 2011, on the advice of the Prime Minister. Administrative support for the Governor-General is provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. |