The New Zealand monarch appoints the governor-general by commission issued under the Seal of New Zealand . Constitutional convention adopted in 1930 , following the Imperial Conference held that year , allowed for the appointment of the governor-general to be made upon the advice of the New Zealand Government , though that right was not exercised directly by a New Zealand prime minister until 1967 , with the appointment of the first New Zealand-born Governor-General , Sir Arthur Espie Porritt on the advice of Keith Holyoake . The prime minister 's advice has sometimes been the result of a decision by Cabinet ; there is no requirement for this , and there have been a few instances where the governor-general was appointed with no consultation of Cabinet . Since 1980 , the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet prepares a short list of candidates for the office . By convention , the leader of the Opposition is consulted on the appointment , however this has not always been the case . More recently , the introduction of MMP in 1996 and a multi-party system has meant the prime minister primarily consults with each of the party leaders in the House of Representatives
Imperial Conference
1930 Imperial Conference
Governor-General of New Zealand