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. In a minor reshuffle following the retirement of David Parker in May 2025, Henare became foreign affairs spokesperson and Vanushi Walters rejoined Parliament as shadow attorney-general.
In March 2026, Hipkins further reshuffled his shadow Cabinet ahead of the 2026 general election and following the retirements of Adrian Rurawhe and Peeni Henare and the signalled retirement of Duncan Webb. Key changes included the appointment of Walters as foreign affairs spokesperson, Prime as social development spokesperson, Andersen as education spokesperson, and Belich as justice spokesperson.
2026 election campaigning During Labour's annual general meeting in late November 2025, Hipkins confirmed that the party would contest all seven Māori electorates at the 2026 New Zealand general election; six of which are held by Te Pāti Māori. The party has sought to exploit growing voter disillusionment with the National-led coalition government's handling of cost of living, health, economic and housing issues as well as infighting within Te Pāti Māori.
On 19 May, the Labour Party declined to release details of its Future Funds policy until after the 2026 general election, including the cost to the New Zealand Crown and which state assets would be merged into the fund. The party's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said the delay was due to several state-owned enterprises having accompanying Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
On 8 June, Labour released its party list for the 2026 election. In response, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers criticised Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, the New Zealand Police's ethnic, iwi and community relations manager, for not earlier disclosing his intention to stand as a Labour candidate. Chambers said that his Labour candidacy posed a conflict of interest, making it untenable for him to continue serving as a senior Police executive. The Police Commissioner also confirmed that the Police would investigate whether Naidoo had shared any sensitive information during the time he was being courted by Labour. In response, Hipkins defended Naidoo's candidacy while Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen accused Police Minister Mark Mitchell of violating the New Zealand Police's independence by instructing Chambers to criticise Naidoo's Labour candidacy.
On 24 August Labour released its election slogan "Better Starts Now," with Hipkins stating that the party would campaign on changing the government. He also said that Labour's campaign would focus on the cost of living, jobs, housing and healthcare. On 27 September, Labour launched its election campaign on 27 September, with Hipkins promising that the Government would forgive 10 percent of eligible student loans at a cost of $583.4 million over the next four years.
List of spokespersons The list of portfolio spokespersons, as of 11 March 2026, is as follows. Rank Spokesperson Portfolio 1 Rt Hon Chris Hipkins Leader of the OppositionSpokesperson for Ministerial ServicesSpokesperson for National Security and Intelligence 2 Hon Carmel Sepuloni Deputy Leader of the OppositionSpokesperson for Auckland IssuesSpokesperson for Pacific PeoplesSpokesperson for Women 3 Hon Barbara Edmonds Spokesperson for FinanceSpokesperson for the Economy, Savings and Investment 4 Hon Megan Woods Spokesperson for Manufacturing and IndustrySpokesperson for Energy and ResourcesAssociate Spokesperson for Finance 5 Hon Willie Jackson Spokesperson for Māori DevelopmentSpokesperson for Māori Crown RelationsAssociate Spokesperson for Health (Māori) 6 Hon Ayesha Verrall Spokesperson for HealthSpokesperson for Wellington Issues 7 Hon Kieran McAnulty Shadow Leader of the HouseSpokesperson for HousingSpokesperson for InfrastructureSpokesperson for Public Investment 8 Hon Willow-Jean Prime Spokesperson for Social DevelopmentSpokesperson for ChildrenAssociate Spokesperson for Education (Māori) 9 Hon Ginny Andersen Spokesperson for EducationSpokesperson for PoliceSpokesperson for Jobs and IncomeSpokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations 10 Hon Jan Tinetti Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and SafetySpokesperson for Social InvestmentSpokesperson for Early Childhood EducationSpokesperson for Child Poverty Reduction 11 Tangi Utikere Deputy Shadow Leader of the HouseSpokesperson for TransportSpokesperson for Local GovernmentSpokesperson for RacingSpokesperson for State-Owned Enterprises 12 Vanushi Walters Shadow Attorney-GeneralSpokesperson for Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for the NZSISSpokesperson for the GCSB 13 Reuben Davidson Spokesperson for Economic DevelopmentSpokesperson for Science, Technology and Innovation Spokesperson for Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy 14 Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan Spokesperson for ConservationSpokesperson for Disability IssuesSpokesperson for ACC 15 Hon Jo Luxton Spokesperson for AgricultureSpokesperson for BiosecuritySpokesperson for Customs 16 Hon Deborah Russell Spokesperson for RevenueSpokesperson for Climate ChangeAssociate Spokesperson for Finance 17 Hon Rachel Brooking Spokesperson for the EnvironmentSpokesperson for Food SafetySpokesperson for SpaceSpokesperson for RMA Reform 18 Hon Damien O'Connor Spokesperson for Trade and Export GrowthSpokesperson for DefenceSpokesperson for Land InformationSpokesperson for Regional Development 19 Camilla Belich Spokesperson for JusticeSpokesperson for Public Service 20 Cushla Tangaere-Manuel Assistant WhipSpokesperson for Emergency Management and RecoverySpokesperson for the Natural Hazards CommissionSpokesperson for Sport and RecreationSpokesperson for ForestrySpokesperson for Māori Economy 21 Glen Bennett Chief WhipSpokesperson for Tourism and Hospitality 22 Tracey McLellan Junior WhipSpokesperson for CorrectionsSpokesperson for Christchurch Issues 23 Hon Jenny Salesa Spokesperson for Ethnic CommunitiesSpokesperson for CustomsAssociate Spokesperson for Pacific Peoples 24 Arena Williams Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer AffairsSpokesperson for Building and ConstructionSpokesperson for Youth 25 Hon Phil Twyford Spokesperson for ImmigrationSpokesperson for Disarmament and Arms ControlAssociate Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs 26 Greg O'Connor Assistant Speaker of the House of RepresentativesSpokesperson for CourtsSpokesperson for Veterans 27 Rachel Boyack Spokesperson for Oceans and FisheriesSpokesperson for Arts, Culture and HeritageSpokesperson for Animal Welfare 28 Shanan Halbert Spokesperson for Tertiary EducationSpokesperson for Whānau Ora 29 Helen White Spokesperson for the Community and Voluntary SectorSpokesperson for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence 30 Ingrid Leary Spokesperson for SeniorsSpokesperson for Mental Health 31 Lemauga Lydia Sosene Spokesperson for Internal AffairsSpokesperson for Statistics 32 Georgie Dansey Spokesperson for Rainbow IssuesSpokesperson for Regulation 33 Dan Rosewarne Spokesperson for Rural CommunitiesSpokesperson for Small Business 34 Hon Duncan Webb
Policies Broadcast and media A streaming levy on foreign streaming companies like Netflix in order to invest in the New Zealand film industry.
Commerce Small business policies: promising faster invoice payments, tax relief on new equipment and reduced compliance costs. Banning major companies from charging excessive prices for goods and services. Forcing the two supermarket giants Foodstuffs and Woolworths New Zealand to separate their retail and wholesale operations to help small grocers and promote competition. "Fair go law": proposed ban on businesses from charging surprise fees, "worthless" insurance, hard to cancel subscriptions and "unreasonable" exit fees across a range of products and services.
Defence Opposition to New Zealand entering the non-nuclear component of the AUKUS alliance.
Education Reinstating school boards' Treaty of Waitangi obligations, reversing the National-led coalition government's curriculum changes, mandated testing and so-called "politicisation of the education system."