Story: Premiers and prime ministers

Heather Simpson

Heather Simpson

From the 1970s prime ministers supplemented the public service with political advisers. One very powerful adviser was Helen Clark’s chief of staff, economist and long-time friend Heather Simpson. Dubbed ‘H2’ by insiders after the initial she shared with the prime minister, Simpson avoided the limelight but behind the scenes was ‘across everything’, as one minister put it.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DCDL-0005921
Cartoon by Murray Webb

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Gavin McLean, 'Premiers and prime ministers - Support services and statues', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/cartoon/33206/heather-simpson (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Gavin McLean, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Dec 2016