2008 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
*Governor-General - The Hon. Anand Satyanand, PCNZM, QSO [ [http://www.gg.govt.nz/gg/former.htm] ]

Government

The 48th New Zealand Parliament continues. The government is a Labour-Progressive coalition with supply and confidence from
United Future and New Zealand First in exchange for two ministerial spots outside Cabinet.

*Speaker of the House - Margaret Wilson (Labour) since March 3, 2005
*Prime Minister - Helen Clark (Labour) since December 5, 1999
*Deputy Prime Minister - Michael Cullen (Labour) since August 15, 2002
*Minister of Finance - Michael Cullen (Labour) since December 5, 1999

Non-Labour Ministers
*Minister of Foreign Affairs - Winston Peters (NZ First) since October 2005
*Jim Anderton (Progressives) - Minister of Agriculture (within Cabinet)
*Peter Dunne (United Future)- Minister of Revenue and Associate Minister of Health (outside Cabinet)

Other Party Leaders

*National - John Key (Leader of the Opposition) since November 27, 2006
*Act - Rodney Hide, since June 13, 2004
*Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons (since 1995) and Russel Norman (since 2006)
*Māori Party - Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, both since July 7, 2004

Main centre leaders

*Mayor of Auckland - John Banks, since October 2007
*Mayor of Hamilton - Bob Simcock, since May 2007
*Mayor of Wellington - Kerry Prendergast, since October 2001
*Mayor of Christchurch - Bob Parker, since October 2007
*Mayor of Dunedin - Peter Chin, since October 2004

Events

* 22 January: State funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary
* 5 June: A newly redesigned flag for the Governor General of New Zealand is flown for the first time at Government House, Auckland. [cite web|url=http://www.gg.govt.nz/features/|retrieved=2008-09-15|title=The Governor-General’s new flag]
* 1 July: Rail transport network is renationalised as KiwiRail
* 1 August: Crown entities Land Transport New Zealand and Transit New Zealand merge to form the NZ Transport Agency
* 16 August: Dunedin Public Hospital is put in lockdown for a week after approximately 170 staff and patients fall ill to a norovirus outbreak, resulting in 2,300 appointments and procedures being delayed. [cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/19034/dunedin-hospital-lift-lockdown|title=Dunedin Hospital to lift lockdown|last=Schofield|first=Edith|date=22 August 2008|publisher=Otago Daily Times|accessdate=2008-08-25]
* 5 September: Fonterra advise Prime Minister Helen Clark of the 2008 baby milk scandal. [cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/world/asia/16milk.html|title=Chinese Baby Formula Scandal Widens as 2nd Death Is Announced|last=Yardley|first=Jim|date=September 15, 2008|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-09-16]
* 8 November: General Election to be held on this day. [cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1316907/2071987|title=Clark announces election date|date=12 September 2008|publisher=TVNZ|accessdate=2008-09-12]

Holidays and Observances

* 6 February - Waitangi Day (Wednesday)
* 21 March/24 March Good Friday/Easter Monday
* 25 April - ANZAC Day (Friday)
* 2 June - Queen's Birthday Monday
* 5 June - Matariki (Thursday)
* 27 October - Labour Day Monday

Arts and literature

New Books

Awards

Music

*May - New Zealand Music Month

Television

Film

Internet

port

Cricket

* New Zealand men's cricket team, the Black Caps plays three test matches against England and draws the series, each team having won a game

Netball

* The ANZ Netball Championship begins in April 2008.

Motorsport

Olympic Games

Rugby league

Rugby union

Rowing

Soccer

*30 October-16 November — New Zealand hosts the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Matches will be held in Albany, Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington.

Tennis

Births

Deaths

*January 1: Joan Dingley, mycologist
*January 4: Bert Walker, former National Party politician, minister.
*January 10: George Laking, diplomat and public servant. [cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1540066|title=PM pays tribute to Sir George Laking|date=January 11, 2008|publisher=TVNZ|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*January 11: Sir Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and first person to climb Mount Everest. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7182376.stm|title=Everest hero Edmund Hillary dies|date=11 January 2008|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*January 16: Hone Tuwhare, poet. [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=252&objectid=10487191|title=Maori poet Hone Tuwhare dies|date=January 16, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*February 12: Ron Chippindale, Chief Inspector of Accidents [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10491998|title=Erebus investigator killed in crash |date=February 12, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*February 19: Barry Barclay, Māori film-maker [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=513&objectid=10493329|title=Film maker Barry Barclay dies|date=February 19, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*March 21: Merv Wallace, cricketer and test match captain. [cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/22/sports/AS-SPT-CRK-New-Zealand-Obit-Wallace.php|title=Former New Zealand cricket captain Merv Wallace dead at 91|date=March 22, 2008|publisher=International Herald Tribune |accessdate=2008-08-25]
*April 6: Tony Davies, All Blacks rugby union player [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10502846|title=Former All Black Davies dies|date=April 9, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*April 11: Fraser Colman, former Labour Party politician, minister.
*April 12: Dame Augusta Wallace, former judge, first woman District Court judge. [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=240&objectid=10503981|title=NZ's first female district court judge dies|date=April 14, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*June 5: Colin Kay, Mayor of Auckland and New Zealand triple jump champion. [cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10514726|title=Devotee of sport and politics|last=Falconer|first=Phoebe|date=June 6, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-25]
*August 25: Hardwicke Knight, Otago historian. [cite web|url=http://dunedinpubliclibraries.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/hardwicke-knight-display-1st-floor-city-library/|title=Hardwicke Knight commemorative display|date=10 September 2008|publisher=Dunedin Public Libraries|accessdate=2008-09-18]
*September 7: Sir Hamish Hay, Mayor of Christchurch from 1974 to 1989. [cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/2062527|title=Sir Hamish Hay dies|date=8 September 2008|publisher=TVNZ|accessdate=2008-09-08]
*September 8: A. R. Guthrey, Mayor of Christchurch from 1968 to 1971. [cite news|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ahLqfM5c|archivedate=2008-09-09|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4686623a11.html|title=Former mayor and wife die within minutes of each other|publisher=The Press|date=9 September 2008]
*September 13: Duncan Laing, swimming coach, trainer of 11 Olympic athletes. [cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/22239/master-coach-duncan-laing-dies|title=Master coach Duncan Laing dies|date=13 September 2008|publisher=Otago Daily Times|accessdate=2008-09-13]
*September 13: Sue Garden-Bachop, women's rugby international player and administrator. [cite web|url=http://www.rugbyheaven.co.nz/4691691a22479.html|title=Former Black Fern dies|date=13 September 2008|publisher=RugbyHeaven.co.nz|accessdate=2008-09-18]
*September 25: Brian Donnelly, politician and diplomat. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10534248|title=Ex-NZ First MP dies|publisher=The New Zealand Herald|date=25 September 2008]
*October 2: Rob Guest, actor and singer. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/arts-literature/news/article.cfm?c_id=18&objectid=10535330|title=Theatre star Rob Guest dies|date=2008-10-02|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-10-01]

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 2008 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 2008

References