What country's Prime Minister appointed an official wizard?

New Zealand’s Prime Minister appointed an official wizard: Mike Moore gave Ian Brackenbury Channell the title “Wizard of New Zealand” in 1990.

Channell, a British-born educator, comedian, illusionist and performance artist, had become a familiar public figure in Christchurch. He often appeared in wizard-like clothing and staged eccentric public performances, treating the role as a mixture of entertainment, satire and social commentary.

The appointment was unusual but not a normal cabinet or civil-service position. It was an honorary, publicity-oriented role intended to promote New Zealand and encourage public discussion through spectacle and humour. Channell later received government-backed payments for performing “acts of wizardry,” with Christchurch City Council administering a contract for many years.

A common mix-up is assuming the story refers to a fictional wizard, a religious official or a minister with the word “wizard” in a nickname. The person was real, and the title was genuinely associated with New Zealand’s government, although the role was ceremonial and eccentric rather than a formal political office. The council’s contract with Channell ended in 2021 after more than two decades.