Outgoing deputy leader Gerry Brownlee endorsed Dr Shane Reti ( Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kura) as the new deputy, while accepting his time in the seat had come to an end.
"The issues the country is going to face in the next couple of years are going to much more determined by the Covid-19 response. You could see that not only in a health sense but in an economic sense and I think Shane will provide good support for Judith given that particular focus that this country's going to have to deal with, the whole world is dealing with in fact."
The first Māori deputy leader was Paul Bennett.
Long-serving parliamentarian Winston Peters was at one time Deputy Prime Minister in a National-led coalition with NZ First but was never National deputy leader.
Earlier Sir Apirana Ngata was the deputy leader of the United Party.