Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician)
Sir Peter Wilfred Tapsell was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. He was notable for being the first Māori Speaker, and for being the first Speaker since Bill Barnard in 1943 to hold office while not a member of the governing party.
Tapsell in 2011
Tapsell as Speaker
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
In New Zealand, the speaker of the House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer and highest authority of the New Zealand House of Representatives. The individual who holds the position is elected by members of the House from among their number in the first session after each general election. They hold one of the highest-ranking offices in New Zealand. The current Speaker is Gerry Brownlee, who was elected on 5 December 2023.
Current Speaker Gerry Brownlee at his confirmation as Speaker with Governor-General Cindy Kiro
The Speaker, Ronald Algie (wearing a wig and robes), seated in the chair in the debating chamber, 1966
Speaker Sir Arthur Guinness, wearing the speaker's wig, 1911. The formal wig fell into disuse some decades later.
Image: Sir Charles Clifford, ca 1860
