# Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins

* This article is part of a series aboutChris Hipkins
MP for Remutaka
Electoral history
Ministerial career
Senior Whip of the Labour Party
Leader of the House
Minister of Health
Minister of Police
Minister for the Public Service
Minister of Education
Minister for the COVID-19 response
Leader of the Labour Party
2023 leadership election
Prime Minister
Sixth Labour Government
Second term
International prime ministerial trips
Response to COVID-19 pandemic
2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods
Cyclone Gabrielle
Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Cabinet
General elections
2023 :
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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, Kelvin 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 Tirikatene and Davis, both list MPs, allowed Tracey McLellan and Shanan Halbert to reenter Parliament. On 20 February 2024, Grant 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 was succeeded as a list MP by Glen Bennett on 25 March 2024.
Hipkins addressed the three resignations in a single reshuffle on the same day as Robertson's resignation. The eleventh-ranked economic development and associate finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds was promoted to the fourth rank and the lead finance portfolio, behind senior MP Megan Woods. The other MPs who gained new portfolios were Damien O'Connor (land information), Tangi Utikere (racing portfolios), Ginny Andersen (Treaty of Waitangi negotiations), Peeni Henare Māori–Crown Relations), Halbert (Auckland and rainbow issues), McLellan (corrections and associate health) and Bennett (economic development and associate energy).
In March 2025, Hipkins announced a reshuffle of the Cabinet with a focus on creating a team focused around the economy consisting of Barbara Edmonds, Ginny Andersen, Peeni Henare, Reuben Davidson and Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. Hipkins also gave a state of the nation address focusing on jobs, health and housing at the Auckland Business Chamber, which was attended by Chamber leader Simon Bridges, Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown and several union and business leaders. Former chief whip and incoming local government spokesperson Tangi Utikere was promoted to the 12th rank and the whips team of Utikere, Camilla Belich and Arena Williams were succeeded by Glen Bennett, Tracey McLellan and Tangaere-Manuel.

## List of spokespersons

The list of portfolio spokespersons, as of 8 March 2025, 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 Auckland Issues Spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Spokesperson for Women |
| 3 | Hon Barbara Edmonds | Spokesperson for Finance Spokesperson for the Economy, Savings and Interest |
| 4 | Hon Megan Woods | Spokesperson for Manufacturing and Industry Spokesperson for Energy Spokesperson for Resources Associate Spokesperson for Finance |
| 5 | Hon Willie Jackson | Spokesperson for Māori Development Spokesperson for Social Development |
| 6 | Hon Ayesha Verrall | Spokesperson for Health Spokesperson for Wellington Issues |
| 7 | Hon Kieran McAnulty | Shadow Leader of the House Spokesperson for Housing Spokesperson for Infrastructure Spokesperson for Public Investment |
| 8 | Hon Willow-Jean Prime | Spokesperson for Education Spokesperson for Children |
| 9 | Hon Ginny Andersen | Spokesperson for Police Spokesperson for Jobs and Income Spokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations |
| 10 | Hon Jan Tinetti | Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety Spokesperson for Social Investment Spokesperson for Early Childhood Education Spokesperson for Child Poverty Reduction |
| 11 | Hon Peeni Henare | Spokesperson for Economic Development Spokesperson for Defence Spokesperson for Māori-Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Associate Spokesperson for Health |
| 12 | Tangi Utikere | Spokesperson for Transport Spokesperson for Local Government Spokesperson for Racing Spokesperson for Small Business |
| 13 | Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan | Spokesperson for Conservation Spokesperson for Disability Issues Spokesperson for the NZSIS Spokesperson for the GCSB |
| 14 | Hon Jo Luxton | Spokesperson for Agriculture Spokesperson for Biosecurity Spokesperson for Rural Communities |
| 15 | Hon Duncan Webb | Deputy Shadow Leader of the House Spokesperson for Justice Spokesperson for Regulation Spokesperson for the Natural Hazards Commission |
| 16 | Hon Deborah Russell | Spokesperson for Revenue Spokesperson for Climate Change Associate Spokesperson for Finance |
| 17 | Hon Rachel Brooking | Spokesperson for the Environment Spokesperson for Food Safety Spokesperson for Space Spokesperson for RMA Reform |
| 18 | Hon Damien O'Connor | Spokesperson for Trade Spokesperson for Land Information Spokesperson for Regional Development |
| 19 | Hon David Parker | Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Shadow Attorney General |
| 20 | Camilla Belich | Spokesperson for ACC Spokesperson for Emergency Management Spokesperson for Public Services |
| 21 | Arena Williams | Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson for Building and Construction Spokesperson for Youth |
| 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 Oceans and Fisheries Spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage Spokesperson for Animal Welfare |
| 26 | Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe | Spokesperson for Whānau Ora |
| 27 | Helen White | Spokesperson for the Community and Voluntary Sector Spokesperson for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence |
| 28 | Ingrid Leary | Spokesperson for Seniors Spokesperson for Mental Health |
| 29 | Lemauga Lydia Sosene | Spokesperson for Internal Affairs Spokesperson for Statistics |
| 30 | Reuben Davidson | Spokesperson for Science, Technology and Innovation Spokesperson for Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy |
| 31 | Cushla Tangaere-Manuel | Assistant Whip Spokesperson for Sport and Recreation Spokesperson for Forestry Spokesperson for Māori Economy |
| 32 | Tracey McLellan | Junior Whip Spokesperson for Corrections Spokesperson for Christchurch Issues |
| 33 | Shanan Halbert | Spokesperson for Tertiary Education Spokesperson for Rainbow Issues |
| 34 | Glen Bennett | Chief Whip Spokesperson for Tourism and Hospitality |

## Policies
### Defence

In February 2024, Labour reversed its previous support for New Zealand entering the non-nuclear component of the AUKUS, with Associate 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.

### Infrastructure

Taking a bipartisan approach towards investment, Labour has supported the Sixth National Government's Infrastructure Investment Summit, which was held in Auckland on 13 March 2025. Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds gave a speech, titled "Investing in New Zealanders," outlining the party's views on "inclusive and sustainable development" that benefitted New Zealanders. Despite this bipartisan approach to investment, Hipkins has indicated that Labour would not support the privatisation of health and education buildings.