Regal and vice-regal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – The Hon Anand Satyanand PCNZM, QSO
2009 was the first full year of the election of the 49th New Zealand Parliament.
Speaker of the House – Lockwood Smith
Prime Minister – John Key
Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
Minister of Finance – Bill English
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully
Labour – Phil Goff (Leader of the Opposition since 11 November 2008)
Act – Rodney Hide, since 13 June 2004
Greens – Metiria Turei (since 30 May 2009) and Russel Norman (since 3 June 2006)
Māori Party – Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, both since 7 July 2004
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – John Banks, since October 2007
Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby, since October 2004
Mayor of Hamilton – Bob Simcock, since May 2007
Mayor of Wellington – Kerry Prendergast, since October 2001
Mayor of Christchurch – Bob Parker, since October 2007
Mayor of Dunedin – Peter Chin, since October 2004
27 February: Prime Minister John Key proposes a nine-day working fortnight, to counter the Late-2000s recession.
6 March: Retrial of David Bain begins in the Christchurch High Court
25 March: Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is appointed Head of the United Nations Development Program; her resignation necessitates the 2009 Mount Albert by-election
26 March: the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommends eight Auckland Region local government bodies merge to form a "supercity".
25 April: First indication of potential for Flu infection with return of students from Mexico, see 2009 flu pandemic in New Zealand
7 May: Gunman Jan Molenaar shoots three police officers executing a routine cannabis search warrant, and a neighbour who tried to assist them. He killed Senior Constable Leonard Snee and seriously injured the others, and after a two-day siege was found dead.
30 May: Metiria Turei elected as co-leader of the Green Party at the AGM in Dunedin.
3 June: A police investigation leads to MP Richard Worth resigning ministerial portfolios including Minister of Internal Affairs "for personal reasons", with Prime Minister John Key saying, "If he hadn't resigned I would have sacked him".
5 June: David Bain is found not guilty of the murder of five family members.
12 June: Five members of the family of Janet Moses were found guilty of manslaughter after performing a fatal exorcism.
24 June: A NZ$36.1 million first division jackpot in the New Zealand Lotteries Commission's Big Wednesday game is won by a Masterton-based lottery syndicate of four: the largest single lottery prize won in New Zealand.
4 July: The Ministry of Health confirms the first three deaths in New Zealand from the 2009 flu pandemic.
15 July: The magnitude 7.8 2009 Fiordland earthquake strikes at 9:22 pm, 90 km north-west of Tuatapere.
4 August: Former MP Phillip Field found guilty on bribery, corruption and obstruction of justice charges.
8–9 August: New Zealand's first Telethon for 16 years raises $2 million for the KidsCan Stand Tall Trust.
30 October – Electricity supply to Northland and northern Auckland is cut for three hours, affecting 280,000 customers, after a forklift carrying a shipping container hits the only major transmission line supplying the region.
30 November: Atea-1, the first New Zealand rocket into space, is launched from Great Mercury Island.
Holidays and observances
6 February - Waitangi Day (Friday)
10 April/13 April Good Friday/Easter Monday
25 April - ANZAC Day (Saturday)
1 June - Queen's Birthday Monday
24 June - Matariki (Wednesday)
26 October - Labour Day Monday
May - New Zealand Music Month
Vodafone Album of the year: Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
Vodafone Single of the year: Ladyhawke - My Delerium
Best group: Midnight Youth
Best male solo artist: Savage
Best female solo artist: Ladyhawke
Breakthrough artist of the year: Ladyhawke
Best Music Video: Chris Graham – Brother (Smashproof)
Best Rock Album: Midnight Youth – "The Brave Don't Run"
Best Urban/Hip Hop Album: Ladi 6 – "Time Is Not Much"
Best Aotearoa Roots Album: Fat Freddy's Drop – "Dr Boondigga and the Big BW"
Best dance/electronica album: Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
Best gospel/Christian album: Mumsdollar - Ruins
Best classical album: David Bremner – "Gung Ho"
The Vodafone People's Choice Award, voted by New Zealand music fans: Smashproof
Highest Selling NZ Single: Smashproof feat. Gin - Brother
Highest Selling NZ Album: The Feelers - The Best: 1998 - 2008"
Radio Airplay Record of the Year: Tiki Taane- "Always on my mind"
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Eddie Low MNZM.
Earth Whisperers/Papatuanuku
Auckland Trotting Cup: Auckland Reactor
Katie Lee becomes the first racehorse to win both the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
The 2009 Chatham Cup is won by Wellington Olympic, who beat Three Kings United 2–1 in the final.
Ballinger Belt –
David Rich (Australia)
Mike Collings (Te Puke), second, top New Zealander
27 August – Sacred Falls, Thoroughbred racehorse
4 September – Habibi, Thoroughbred racehorse
18 November – It's A Dundeel, Thoroughbred racehorse
20 November – Prince of Penzance, Thoroughbred racehorse
