Years in Parliament until they became PM
When looking at the weekend at the lengths of terms for party leaders, I also had a look at how many years it took for an MP to become Prime Minister. The results are below:
- John Key 6 years
- David Lange 7 years
- Jenny Shipley 10 years
- Geoffrey Palmer 10 years
- Bill Rowling 12 years
- Mike Moore 12 years
- Richard Seddon 14 years
- Sid Holland 14 years
- Gordon Coates 14 years
- Robert Muldoon 15 years
- Norman Kirk 15 years
- William Hall-Jones 16 years
- Michael Joseph Savage 16 years
- Jim Bolger 18 years
- William Massey 18 years
- Helen Clark 18 years
- Joseph Ward 19 years
- George Forbes 22 years
- Peter Fraser 22 years
- Keith Holyoake 25 years
- Thomas Mackenzie 25 years
- Jack Marshall 25 years
- Walter Nash 28 years
- Francis Bell 32 years
I’ve only included Prime Ministers, not Premiers.
It is interesting the fastest six are all from the modern era, and before that the fastest riser was Seddon. I’m not sure anyone will ever beat John Key’s record of six years.
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Tags: Prime Minister
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
I have always thought that John key’s best attribute for the job was that he has not been a politician for years previously.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:04 am
John Key is the one term wonder?
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
Well since he just gutted the superannuation he will be!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 am
I would not be so sure about Key being beaten DPF, unless the Nat’s start to stand for something then his record may well be taken by Andrew Little.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:21 am
Good point bruv – the less appealing possibility is that Phil Goff beats Francis Bell’s record at the other end of the scale. He’s been an MP for 25 years, so there’s only 7 to go.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:24 am
Interesting you should mention this DPF – I wrote a paper last year on a very similar topic. However, the way I looked at it was to say that the more interesting facet is to ask how long they spent as an MP before becoming leader of their party, as this is selected by their peers in parliament and says a lot about their ability to make their mark quickly… Of course it doesn’t imply success on a national level, Brash being the classic example now.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:31 am
If Brash had won in 2005, that would have given him the record of 3 years. It would seem that when a party gets gutted, new blood finds a way to climb the ladder quickly. Hence Andrew Little for Labour could be a strong future contender.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
If the trend line is to short time, then I’m not so sure Key’s record will never be beaten. Arguably politics is becoming more like many other careers (or other careers are becoming more like politics – not sure which). So it is now more possible to “bring in an outsider” – as many large corporates are now doing when they look for their next leader. If it is very successful for National with Key (jury is still out) then perhaps it will happen more often.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
Great point PaulL. I’d never thought of likening it to the headhunted CEO sort of image…
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Then there is the list of MPs and how long it’s taken them to get into *Cabinet*. The obvious ones that stand out for shortness of time would be Steven Joyce and Margaret Wilson. Are there others who came straight into Cabinet? Some of the NZ First MPs in 1996 like Deborah Morris, I guess. But what about those at the other end of the list – those that took a decade/s or more to get into Cabinet?
Bryce
http://www.liberation.org.nz
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I find it interesting that our most IMHO dictatorial PM’s (Muldoon and Clark) were beaten by those that had spent the least time in Parliament. Is this indicative of the mood that such practices create – a groundswell of opinion against them and those they gather around them. And we look for something fresh and renewing.
Places 3-6 are all people who got to be PM by default. They did not stand for General Election as Party Leader to become PM. When they did stand as the then PM, they all lost.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
The interesting thing about that list is none of the ones who raced to power have subsequently been regarded by history as great leaders (putting Key side as he is yet to be judged). Seddon is probably the first ‘statue-worthy’ prime minister at 14 years. Seems you can be in too much of hurry to get to the top?
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Or, Stevedore, that you aren’t statue worthy until history has had time to judge you – 20 or so years. And if all the short-termers are in modern times, then it becomes self fulfilling.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Two of the most recent – Palmer and Moore – were PMs in 1989-90. I’m happy to bet in 1 year’s time, when their 20 years have passed, the committees in charge of fundraising for their statues will still be short a few dollars.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
True, but they were both also very short-lived PMs – so unlikely to get statues anyway.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
“But what about those at the other end of the list – those that took a decade/s or more to get into Cabinet?”
With this government, I believe it is John Carter, who had in Parliament 21 years before first entering Cabinet. From my earlier observations, it seemed that Warren Freer had been in Parliament over 25 years before his appointment to the Kirk Government in 1972. (Taken from time first entered Parlt, 26 years had elapsed between Martyn Finlay being first elected and being appointed at the same time as Freer)
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Winston Peters 58 years…. oh wait he never made PM.
Didums.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Mike Moore technically took fifteen years if you include his stint as the Eden MP during the Kirk-Rowling government.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Thanks for doing this. I’ve been too lazy for it myself. I suspect the change says something about the nature of the job and also Key’s suitability for it.