- 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 withsupply and confidence from
United Future andNew Zealand First in exchange for two ministerial spots outside Cabinet.*Speaker of the House -
Margaret Wilson (Labour) sinceMarch 3 ,2005
*Prime Minister -Helen Clark (Labour) sinceDecember 5 ,1999
*Deputy Prime Minister -Michael Cullen (Labour) sinceAugust 15 ,2002
*Minister of Finance -Michael Cullen (Labour) sinceDecember 5 ,1999 Non-Labour Ministers
*Minister of Foreign Affairs -Winston Peters (NZ First) sinceOctober 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) sinceNovember 27 ,2006
*Act -Rodney Hide , sinceJune 13 ,2004
*Greens -Jeanette Fitzsimons (since1995 ) andRussel Norman (since2006 )
*Māori Party -Tariana Turia andPita Sharples , both sinceJuly 7 ,2004 Main centre leaders
*
Mayor of Auckland - John Banks, sinceOctober 2007
*Mayor of Hamilton -Bob Simcock , sinceMay 2007
*Mayor of Wellington -Kerry Prendergast , sinceOctober 2001
*Mayor of Christchurch -Bob Parker , sinceOctober 2007
*Mayor of Dunedin - Peter Chin, sinceOctober 2004 Events
*
22 January :State funeral for SirEdmund 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 asKiwiRail
*1 August : Crown entitiesLand Transport New Zealand andTransit 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 anorovirus 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 MinisterHelen Clark of the2008 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 MondayArts and literature
New Books
Awards
Music
*May -
New Zealand Music MonthTelevision
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 inauguralFIFA 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 climbMount 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 : SirHamish 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
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