Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins

Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins
Shadow Cabinet of New Zealand
27 November 2023 – Present
People and organisations
Monarch	Charles III
Leader of the Opposition	Chris Hipkins
Deputy Leader of the Opposition	Carmel Sepuloni
Member party	New Zealand Labour Party
Status in legislature	Official Opposition
History
Legislature term	54th New Zealand Parliament
Predecessor	Shadow Cabinet of Christopher Luxon

The Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins is the official Opposition in the 54th New Zealand Parliament. It comprises the members of the New Zealand Labour Party, which is the largest political party that is not a member of the government.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins announced his shadow cabinet on 30 November 2023, after the formation of the Sixth National Government.

History

Formation

On 7 November 2023 the Labour caucus re-elected Hipkins as leader and elected Carmel Sepuloni deputy leader after Kelvin Davis declined to remain in the role. Labour's senior and junior whips, Tangi Utikere and Camilla Belich respectively, were re-elected. Hipkins deferred announcing portfolio assignments until after the incoming government was formed. On 29 November it was revealed that Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall would hold the finance and health portfolios, with the remainder to be announced the following day.

Many former ministers in the Hipkins-led Sixth Labour Government continued in their portfolios, but in opposition. These included Sepuloni in social development, Megan Woods in energy and resources, Willie Jackson in Māori development and broadcasting, Kieran McAnulty in local government and regional development, Ginny Andersen in police, Jan Tinetti in education and women, and Barbara Edmonds in economic development. Duncan Webb picked up the justice portfolio and David Parker became spokesperson for foreign affairs. McAnulty also secured the housing portfolio and was named Shadow Leader of the House. All 34 members of the caucus were assigned at least one portfolio but the highest-ranked member who had not previously served as a minister was senior whip Tangi Utikere, at 21, who was also assigned the transport portfolio.

Subsequent changes

On 15 December 2023, Davis (spokesperson for Māori–Crown relations and Treaty of Waitangi negotiations) announced that he would retire from Parliament effective Waitangi Day on 6 February 2024. On 29 January 2024, Rino Tirikatene (spokesperson for corrections and land information) announced that he would retire from Parliament that weekend. The resignations of Davis and Tirikatene allowed Shanan Halbert and Tracey McLellan to reenter Parliament on the Labour Party list. On 20 February 2024, Robertson (spokesperson for finance and racing) announced that he would be resigning the following month to take up the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago. Robertson's resignation allowed Glen Bennett to reenter Parliament on the Labour Party list.

Hipkins addressed the three resignations in a reshuffle on the same day as Robertson's resignation. Barbara Edmonds was promoted into the finance portfolio, Damien O'Connor and Tangi Utikere took over the land information and racing portfolios, Ginny Andersen assumed the Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations portfolio, Peeni Henare the Māori–Crown Relations portfolio, Shanan Halbert the Auckland and rainbow issues portfolios, and McLellan the corrections and associate health portfolios. Bennett assumed the economic development and associate energy portfolios after reentering Parliament on 25 March 2024.

List of spokespersons

The list of portfolio spokespersons, as of 25 March 2024, is as follows.

Rank		Spokesperson	Portfolio
	1	Rt Hon Chris Hipkins	Leader of the Opposition Spokesperson for Ministerial Services Spokesperson for National Security and Intelligence
	2	Hon Carmel Sepuloni	Deputy Leader of the Opposition Spokesperson for Social Development Spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Spokesperson for Child Poverty Reduction
	3	Hon Megan Woods	Spokesperson for Climate Change Spokesperson for Energy Spokesperson for Resources Associate Spokesperson for Finance
	4	Hon Barbara Edmonds	Spokesperson for Finance Spokesperson for Infrastructure
	5	Hon Willie Jackson	Spokesperson for Māori Development Spokesperson for Broadcasting and Media Spokesperson for Employment Associate Spokesperson for Housing Associate Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety
	6	Hon Ayesha Verrall	Spokesperson for Health Spokesperson for Public Service Spokesperson for Wellington Issues
	7	Hon Kieran McAnulty	Shadow Leader of the House Spokesperson for Housing Spokesperson for Local Government Spokesperson for Regional Development
	8	Hon Willow-Jean Prime	Spokesperson for Children Spokesperson for Youth Associate Spokesperson for Education (Māori)
	9	Hon Ginny Andersen	Spokesperson for Police Spokesperson for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Spokesperson for Social Investment Associate Spokesperson for Social Development Spokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
	10	Hon Jan Tinetti	Spokesperson for Education Spokesperson for Women
	11	Hon Peeni Henare	Spokesperson for Defence Spokesperson for Sport and Recreation Associate Spokesperson for Health Spokesperson for Māori-Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti
	12	Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan	Spokesperson for Conservation Spokesperson for Disability Issues Spokesperson for the NZSIS Spokesperson for the GCSB
	13	Hon Jo Luxton	Spokesperson for Agriculture Spokesperson for Biosecurity Spokesperson for Rural Communities
	14	Hon Duncan Webb	Deputy Shadow Leader of the House Spokesperson for Justice Spokesperson for Regulation Spokesperson for Earthquake Commission Spokesperson for Christchurch Issues
	15	Hon Deborah Russell	Spokesperson for Revenue Spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology Associate Spokesperson for Education (Tertiary)
	16	Hon Rachel Brooking	Spokesperson for the Environment Spokesperson for Food Safety Spokesperson for Space
	17	Hon Damien O'Connor	Spokesperson for Trade Spokesperson for Land Information Associate Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Associate Spokesperson for Transport
	18	Hon David Parker	Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Shadow Attorney General Spokesperson for Electoral Reform
	19	Tangi Utikere	Chief Whip Spokesperson for Transport Spokesperson for the Oceans and Fisheries Spokesperson for Racing Associate Spokesperson for Education (Pacific)
	20	Camilla Belich	Junior Whip Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety Spokesperson for Emergency Management
	21	Arena Williams	Assistant Whip Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson for Building and Construction Spokesperson for State Owned Enterprises
	22	Hon Phil Twyford	Spokesperson for Immigration Spokesperson for Disarmament and Arms Control Associate Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs
	23	Greg O'Connor	Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives Spokesperson for Courts Spokesperson for Veterans
	24	Hon Jenny Salesa	Spokesperson for Ethnic Communities Spokesperson for Customs
	25	Rachel Boyack	Spokesperson for ACC Spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage Spokesperson for Animal Welfare
	26	Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe	Spokesperson for Whānau Ora Associate Spokesperson for Māori Development
	27	Helen White	Spokesperson for the Community and Voluntary Sector Spokesperson for Small Business and Manufacturing Associate Spokesperson for Justice
	28	Ingrid Leary	Spokesperson for Seniors Spokesperson for Mental Health
	29	Lemauga Lydia Sosene	Spokesperson for Internal Affairs Associate Spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Associate Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment
	30	Reuben Davidson	Spokesperson for Statistics Spokesperson for the Digital Economy and Communications Associate Spokesperson for Broadcasting and Media
	31	Cushla Tangaere-Manuel	Spokesperson for Tourism and Hospitality Spokesperson for Forestry Spokesperson for Cyclone Recovery
	32	Tracey McLellan	Spokesperson for Corrections Associate Spokesperson for Health
	33	Shanan Halbert	Spokesperson for Auckland Issues Spokesperson for Rainbow Issues
	34	Glen Bennett	Spokesperson for Economic Development Associate Spokesperson for Energy

Policies

Defence

In February 2024, Labour reversed its previous support for New Zealand entering the non-nuclear component of the AUKUS, with foreign affairs spokesperson Phil Twyford describing it as an "offensive warfighting alliance against China."

Foreign policy

In April 2024, Labour called for New Zealand to recognise Palestinian statehood. During the 2023 general election, Labour had campaigned on inviting a Palestinian representative to become an ambassador to New Zealand but had canceled it following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023.