The Minister for National Security and Intelligence is a minister in the New Zealand Government who is responsible for leading and setting the policies and legislative framework of New Zealand's national security system. The current minister is Christopher Luxon, who is also the current Prime Minister of New Zealand, as by convention, the National Security and Intelligence portfolio is always held by the Prime Minister.
| Minister for National Security and Intellegence | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Prime Minister of New Zealand |
| Appointer | Governor-General of New Zealand |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 8 October 2014 |
| First holder | John Key |
| Website | [1] |
Role and responsibility
The Minister for National Security and Intelligence is responsible for overseeing policy and legislation relating to New Zealand's national security apparatus. The Minister also chairs the Cabinet National Security Committee and the Parliamentary specialist committee on Intelligence and Security.[1][2][3] The minister does not provide direct oversight to New Zealand's main two intelligence agencies, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) and Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), which is instead provided by two separate portfolios, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS and Minister Responsible for the GCSB.[4][5] Administrative support for the portfolio is provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Prior to the creation of the National Security and Intelligence portfolio in 2014, the NZSIS and GCSB portfolios were, by convention and without exception, held by the Prime Minister, meaning sole ministerial oversight of New Zealand's intelligence and security agencies and arrangements lay with the Prime Minister.[6] The portfolio was established following the 2014 election by Prime Minister John Key as part of a rearrangement to the way New Zealand's intelligence sector was governed.[1] Since then it has been convention for the Prime Minister to hold the National Security and Intelligence portfolio, while direct ministerial oversight for the NZSIS and GCSB is delegated to another senior minister.
List of ministers for national security and intelligence
- Key
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Key |  | 8 October 2014 | 12 December 2016 | Key | ||
| 2 | Bill English |  | 12 December 2016 | 26 October 2017 | English | ||
| 3 | Jacinda Ardern |  | 26 October 2017 | 25 January 2023 | Ardern | ||
| 4 | Chris Hipkins | .jpg) | 25 January 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins | ||
| 5 | Christopher Luxon | .png) | 27 November 2023 | Incumbent | Luxon | ||