The following lists events that happened during 2020 in New Zealand. One overarching event is the COVID-19 pandemic.
Incumbents
Regal and vice-regal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Patsy Reddy
Government
Legislature term: 52nd New Zealand Parliament and from November 2020, 53rd New Zealand Parliament.
The Sixth Labour Government, elected in 2017 and October 2020, continues.
Speaker of the House – Trevor Mallard
Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern
Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters until 6 November, then Grant Robertson
Leader of the House – Chris Hipkins
Minister of Finance – Grant Robertson
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters until 6 November, then Nanaia Mahuta
Other party leaders in parliament
National – Simon Bridges until 22 May, then Todd Muller until 14 July, and then Judith Collins (Leader of the Opposition) New Zealand First – Winston Peters until 17 October Green – James Shaw and Marama Davidson ACT – David Seymour Māori Party – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer from 17 October
Judiciary
Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff
Mayor of Tauranga – Tenby Powell until 20 November, and then Tina Salisbury (acting mayor) Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate Mayor of Wellington – Andy Foster Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel Mayor of Dunedin – Aaron Hawkins
Events
January
28 January – Jacinda Ardern announces the general election date to be 19 September. 29 January – The New Zealand Upgrade Programme is announced.
February
3 February – A state of emergency is declared in Milford Sound as rain and flooding hit the region. 5 February – Residents of Gore, Mataura and Wyndham are ordered to evacuate as the Mataura River bursts its banks. 28 February COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand's first case of the coronavirus is confirmed. They had recently returned from Iran via Bali. Kiwibank stops issuing and accepting cheques as payment, becoming the first New Zealand bank to do so.
March
5 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Information of the first human transmission case of the coronavirus within New Zealand is released. 14 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern announces new measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. These measures provide that all people (excluding people who have come from Pacific islands where no cases have been confirmed) who arrive in New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days. Cruise ships are also banned from docking in New Zealand ports. 17 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: A $12.1 billion scheme is announced by the government, due to the economic impact of coronavirus on New Zealand, including $5.1 billion for an income subsidy. This is the biggest peacetime government spend in history. 19 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association announces that all Anzac Day services, scheduled for 25 April, will be cancelled and the red poppy collection postponed due to the health risk. This is the first time that Anzac Day services have not been held since 1916. 21 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Ardern announces the COVID-19 alert level system, with New Zealand initially being placed at alert level 2. 23 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is placed at alert level 3. 25 March COVID-19 in New Zealand: A State of National Emergency is declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is upgraded to alert level 4 at 11:59 pm, and the country enters lockdown for a period of at least four weeks. 26 March – The perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings pleads guilty to all 51 murder charges, as well as 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act laid under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. 29 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The first coronavirus-related death in New Zealand occurs, a woman in her 70s from Greymouth.