Senior Whip of the National Party
| Senior Whip of the National Party | |
|---|---|
since 4 March 2025 | |
| Reports to | Leader of the National Party |
| Precursor | Scott Simpson |
| Inaugural holder | Bert Kyle |
| Formation | 14 May 1936 |
| Deputy | Suze Redmayne |
The New Zealand National Party's Senior Whip administers the "whipping in" system that tries to ensure that party MPs attend and vote according to the party leadership's wishes. The position is elected by the National caucus members. The Senior Whip also acts as an intermediary between the backbenchers and the party leadership. Whenever National is in government the senior whip serves as the Chief Government Whip and when out of government serves as Chief Opposition Whip.
All National whips have been members of the House of Representatives, with none coming from the Legislative Council before its abolition in 1950.
The current whips are Stuart Smith (MP for Kaikōura—senior whip), appointed 4 March 2025, and Suze Redmayne (MP for Rangitīkei—junior whip) and Dana Kirkpatrick (MP for East Coast—third whip), appointed 5 December 2023.