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, 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.