At 11:08 a.m. yesterday, John Key signed his warrant of office and seven minutes later he was taking the oath of office. Key is New Zealand’s 38th prime minister and at the age of 47 is one of the youngest.
The ceremony was presided by Governor General Anand Satyanand and was watched over by the 28 new ministers’ friends and families.
There was silence in the audience until the Maori Party colleagues of ministers Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia burst into song, as the co-leaders entered the Grand Hall at Parliament.
Key was for the first time called prime minister when he was asked to sign his affirmations of office.
The new cabinet held its first meeting yesterday afternoon with Key indicating he would warn his new ministers there was little money for new spending.
He said he would emphasize that the government’s books and the wider economy were in a parlous state.
Earlier yesterday morning, Labor’s Helen Clark resigned her government’s ministerial warrants.
A spokesman for the former prime minister said she had formally resigned her ministers’ warrants at Government House.
As she left for Government House yesterday morning she was farewelled by about 200 supporters and former staff on the steps of Parliament House.
