Official Opposition (New Zealand)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Official Opposition" New Zealand – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Politics of New Zealand
Constitution
The Crown Monarch King Charles III Governor-General (list) Cindy Kiro Realm of New Zealand
Executive government List of governments (current) Cabinet Ministers Prime Minister (list) Christopher Luxon Executive Council State services departments
Legislature 54th New Zealand Parliament King-in-Parliament House of Representatives Speaker: Gerry Brownlee Official Opposition
Elections Political parties Electorates Electoral system Electoral reform Electoral Commission Recent elections: General: 2014 2017 2020 2023 Local: 2013 2016 2019 2022 Referendums Political funding and election expenses
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Helen Winkelmann Court of Appeal President: Mark Cooper High Court District Court Other Courts: Employment Environment Courts Martial Appeal Māori Land Waitangi Tribunal Law of New Zealand
Local government Regions Territorial authorities Community boards
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister: Winston Peters Diplomatic missions of / in New Zealand Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy New Zealand and the United Nations
Ideology Anarchism Christian Conservatism Environmentalism Fascism Feminism Liberalism Populism Republicanism Socialism
Related topics Māori politics Nuclear-free zone
New Zealand portal Other countries
v t e

The Official Opposition (formally His Majesty's Loyal Opposition) in New Zealand is usually the largest political party or coalition which is not a member of the ruling government—it does not provide ministers. This is usually the second-largest party in the House of Representatives, although in certain unusual circumstances it may be the largest party (due to a larger government bloc) or even a third or fourth party.

The Official Opposition forms a shadow cabinet headed by the leader of the Opposition and comprising senior MPs with the same portfolio interests as the government's ministers. Unlike in the United Kingdom, where members of the shadow cabinet are called "shadow ministers," the members of New Zealand's shadow cabinet are called "opposition spokespeople."