Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins
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 announced that he would retire from Parliament effective Waitangi Day on 6 February 2024. On 29 January 2024, Rino Tirikatene 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 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, Tangi Utikere, Ginny Andersen, Halbert, McLellan and Bennett.
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.
2026 election campaigning
During Labour's annual general meeting in late November 2025, Hipkins confirmed that the party would contest all seven Māori electorates; 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.List of spokespersons
The list of portfolio spokespersons, as of 8 March 2025, is as follows.Policies
Broadcast and media
In mid January 2026, broadcasting and media spokesperson Reuben Davidson announced that a Labour government would propose a streaming levy on foreign streaming companies like Netflix in order to invest in the New Zealand film industry. This proposal was welcomed by Screen Production and Development Association president Irene Gardiner.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."Finance
In mid October 2024, Hipkins and finance spokesperson Edmonds unveiled the party's "NZ Future Fund" policy, which would complement the New Zealand Superannuation Fund established by the Fifth Labour Government. The NZ Future Fund seeks to stimulate economic investment in New Zealand and is modelled after Singapore's Temasek fund.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 Gaza war on 7 October 2023.Health
In early November 2025, health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall and Hipkins released a policy proposing free cervical cancer screenings for all women aged between 25 and 69 years. This cervical screening scheme is estimated to cost NZ$21.6 million and would be funded through health baselines.On 30 November 2025, Hipkins announced during Labour's annual general meeting that the party, if elected into government, would offer doctors and nurse practitioners low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones.