NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Labour's current deputy leader Kelvin Davis rules himself out as deputy PM

Jason Walls
By Jason Walls
Political Editor – Newstalk ZB·NZ Herald·
1 Nov, 2020 09:10 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Kelvin Davis has announced that he will not take the position of Deputy Prime Minister in the new Labour government, but that he will continue as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
Vote2020

Labour's Kelvin Davis has revealed he wants to stay on as the party's deputy leader but he won't be seeking the job of Deputy Prime Minister.

That's a job that Finance Minister Grant Robertson will almost certainly be selected for.

Speaking to media before this morning's Labour caucus meeting, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she "fully supports" Davis' position and she has his full confidence in him.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said Davis told her before the election that he didn't want to be the Deputy Prime Minister.

"I asked him to wait until after the election to give it some thought and consideration – but more recently he has continued to hold that position."

Davis said he wanted to stay on as deputy leader so he could be a mentor for some of the newer MPs in what he described as a "very big caucus".

"I see myself as supporting the wider caucus."

He said that from the outset, Ardern told him that this was his decision and his alone.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said the main focus of him being in politics was to make a difference for Māori – "that's what I will continue to do".

Davis' decision might come as a surprise to some, given Ardern has previously said that Deputy Prime Minister would be the party's deputy leader.

That role was vacated by NZ First leader Winston Peters after his party failed to reach the 5 per cent threshold at the election.

That means he, and his MPs, are out of Parliament and Ardern's Cabinet.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Diana Wichtel on election night TV coverage and what to expect in the next three years

30 Oct 05:00 PM
Politics

PM inks new Greens deal; Shaw, Davidson will still push wealth tax outside of agreement

31 Oct 10:25 PM
Politics

Jacinda Ardern's new Cabinet: Who's up or down, in or out?

01 Nov 05:06 PM
New Zealand|politics

Jacinda Ardern's new Cabinet: The full line-up and portfolios

02 Nov 01:00 AM

Labour's caucus is now meeting to decide on the shape of the Cabinet.

There will be a confirmation vote on the party's leadership, which Ardern is certain to win.

Given she, and senior MPs, have thrown their support behind Davis to stay on as Labour's deputy, he is also almost certain to stay in the job.

In terms of who will be the Deputy Prime Minister, Robertson is seen as the top contender.

It would be seen as a shock if he is not appointed to the role when Ardern makes her announcement at 1pm.

But Robertson would not say if he wanted to job when speaking to media this morning.

Meanwhile, the caucus will also be voting on which MPs get what Ministerial portfolios.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There are six empty seats at the Cabinet table: those vacated by the four NZ First ministers, and the unfilled vacancies of former Labour Party ministers Iain Lees-Galloway and Clare Curran.

The Labour caucus elects the members of Cabinet – "we will work through every ministers' name in that room", Ardern said.

"I think it's important that the team has an overall view of the proposed team and have the ability to endorse that."

Anyone is able to nominate, and there will be a vote "if required". Ardern herself will make "suggestions" on who should be in what job.

But the process Ardern uses means there is unlikely to be any surprises when the caucus votes.

"I do spend the better part of a week in talks with all of our members, working through their expectations, my expectations and then I spend a bit of time socialising the decision.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"What will be presented to the team, many of them will be familiar with because we have worked it through over a period of time."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'No longer feels like the organisation I loved': Napier council staff bristle at job-loss plan

21 May 05:39 AM
Premium
Politics

Phil Goff: Weaponisation of starvation is a war crime

21 May 05:14 AM
Politics

Te Pāti Māori MP proposes bill requiring MPs to uphold Te Tiriti principles

21 May 05:13 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'No longer feels like the organisation I loved': Napier council staff bristle at job-loss plan

'No longer feels like the organisation I loved': Napier council staff bristle at job-loss plan

21 May 05:39 AM

'We were told we're a family and we look after our own.'

Premium
Phil Goff: Weaponisation of starvation is a war crime

Phil Goff: Weaponisation of starvation is a war crime

21 May 05:14 AM
Te Pāti Māori MP proposes bill requiring MPs to uphold Te Tiriti principles

Te Pāti Māori MP proposes bill requiring MPs to uphold Te Tiriti principles

21 May 05:13 AM
Premium
Tech Insider: The Kiwis most likely to support an under-16 social media ban and the reasons why

Tech Insider: The Kiwis most likely to support an under-16 social media ban and the reasons why

21 May 05:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP