The following lists events that happened during 1998 in New Zealand. Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,829,200 Increase since 31 December 1997: 26,500 (0.70%) Males per 100 Females: 96.8 Incumbents Regal and viceregal Head of State - Elizabeth II Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO Government The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Fourth National Government in power. Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd Prime Minister - Jenny Shipley Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Peters then Wyatt Creech Minister of Finance - Bill Birch Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum Opposition leaders See: :Category:Parliament of New Zealand, :New Zealand elections National - Prime Minister Jenny Shipley Act - Richard Prebble New Zealand First - Winston Peters United New Zealand - Peter Dunne Labour - Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition) The Alliance - Jim Anderton and Sandra Lee Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland - Les Mills then Christine Fletcher Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans then Russell Matthew Remmington Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky Mayor of Christchurch - Vicki Buck then Garry Moore Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner Events 2 May – By-election in Taranaki-King Country after the former Prime Minister Jim Bolger resigned. Shane Ardern retained the seat for National. 14 August – Prime Minister Jenny Shipley sacks Winston Peters from Cabinet after a dispute over the privatisation of Wellington International Airport. Peters subsequently cancels New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National. 22 October – Magnum Photo Supplies Ltd v Viko New Zealand Ltd, [1999] (1 NZLR 395) case is decided. New Zealand appoints a resident ambassador to Argentina and establishes an embassy in Buenos Aires. Until 2016, this year was New Zealand's warmest year on record. Arts and literature Michael King wins the Robert Burns Fellowship. Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Montana Medal: Harry Orsman (ed.), Dictionary of New Zealand English Deutz Medal: Maurice Gee, Live Bodies Reader's Choice: Malcolm McKinnon(ed.), New Zealand Historical Atlas First Book Awards Fiction: Catherine Chidgey, In a fishbone church Poetry: Kapka Kassabova, All Roads Lead to the Sea Non-Fiction: Genevieve Noser, Olives: The new passion See 1998 in art, 1998 in literature, :Category:1998 books Music New Zealand Music Awards Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. were: Album of the Year: Bic Runga - Drive Salmonella Dub - Calming of the Drunken