2016 in New Zealand

← 2015 2014 2013 2016 in New Zealand → 2017 2018 2019
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	Other events of 2016 Timeline of New Zealand history

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

• Head of State – Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General – The Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO^[1]

Government

2016 is the second full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014.

The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.

• Speaker of the House – David Carter
• Prime Minister – John Key
• Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
• Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
• Minister of Finance – Bill English
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

Other party leaders

• Labour – Andrew Little
• Green – James Shaw and Metiria Turei
• New Zealand First – Winston Peters
• Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
• ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
• United Future – Peter Dunne

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown
• Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby
• Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker
• Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown
• Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
• Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull

Events

February

• 14 February – significant aftershock in Christchurch causing various cliffs to collapse

March

• 3–24 March – Second flag referendum

August

• 5–21 August – 132 athletes from New Zealand will compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

October

• 8 October – New Zealand local elections

Sport

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Malcolm Dodson (Kaituna/Blenheim)^[2]

Deaths

January

• 2 January – Tim Francis, diplomat (born 1928)
• 5 January – Keith Thiele, World War II pilot (born 1921)
• 8 January – Ida Gaskin, schoolteacher, quiz show contestant, politician (born 1919)
• 17 January
  • Melvin Day, artist (born 1923)
  • Jules Le Lievre, rugby union player (born 1933)
• 22 January – Alec Wishart, musician (born 1939)
• 23 January – Barry Brickell, potter (born 1935)
• 24 January – Neville Black, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1925)
• 27 January – Shirley Tonkin, sudden infant death syndrome researcher (born 1921)
• 28 January
  • Rob Courtney, Paralympic athlete (born 1959)
  • Peter Robinson, musician (born 1958)
  • Bob Tizard, politician, deputy prime minister (1974–75) (born 1924)
• 31 January – Mere Broughton, Māori language activist, unionist (born c.1935)

February

• 1 February – Kelly McGarry, mountain biker (born 1982)
• 2 February
  • Chris Kenny, boxing trainer (born c.1938)
  • Marcus Turner, singer-songwriter, folk musician, television presenter (born 1956)
• 7 February – Andrew Hintz, cricketer (born 1963)
• 10 February – John Spencer, businessman (born c.1934)
• 13 February – Barry Jones, Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (born 1941)
• 17 February – Sophia Hawthorne, actress (born 1976)
• 24 February – Ken English, rugby league player (born 1927)
• 26 February – Jack Forrest, rugby league player (born 1924)
• 29 February – Ranginui Walker, Māori activist and academic (born 1932)

March

• 3 March – Martin Crowe, cricketer (born 1962)
• 4 March – Harry Turbott, architect, landscape architect, environmentalist (born 1930)
• 5 March – David Abbott, cricket umpire (born 1934)
• 11 March – Sel Belsham, rugby league player, cricketer (born 1930)
• 16 March – George Menzies, rugby league player and coach (born 1930)
• 19 March – Graham Fortune, diplomat and public servant (born 1941)
• 25 March – Ross Jennings, television producer and director (born 1944)
• 27 March – Frank Torley, television reporter, director and producer (born c.1940)

April

• 3 April
  • Rowley Habib, poet, playwright, short-story writer (born 1933)
  • Whai Ngata, broadcaster, journalist, lexicographer (born c.1942)
• 11 April – Ruth Gilbert, poet (born 1917)
• 12 April – Alan Loveday, violinist (born 1928)
• 13 April – Kurtis Haiu, rugby union player (born 1984)
• 14 April – Colin Knight, educationalist (born 1934)
• 22 April
  • Rex Fell, Thoroughbred racehorse breeder (born c.1945)
  • Peter Sellers, sports broadcaster (born 1921)
• 23 April – Bill Sevesi, musician (born 1923)
• 24 April – Paul Annear, jeweller (born 1947)
• 27 April – Chris Parkinson, broadcaster (born 1941)

References

1. "Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae". Governor-General of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
2. "Ballinger Belt". National Rifle Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 March 2016.