Labour leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle, setting up a new "economic team".
Barbara Edmonds has leapfrogged Megan Woods one place to third and will handle Finance, the Economy, and the new Savings and Investment role - leading the party's economic strategy.
Tangi Utikere, the Transport spokesperson, has also shot up seven spots from 19th to 12th, picking up the Local Government portfolio.
"Economic growth for the sake of it isn't an economic strategy. I've tasked Barbara with making sure we're ready to balance the books, increase our savings, expand our investment opportunities, and create the economic conditions for all Kiwis to thrive," Hipkins said.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He said she would lead a new team focused on the economy:
- Barbara Edmonds: Finance and Economy, Savings and Investment.
- Ginny Andersen: Jobs and Incomes
- Peeni Henare: Economic Development
- Reuben Davidson: Science, Technology and Creative Economy
- Cushla Tangaere-Manuel: Māori Economy
Hipkins made the announcement at a State of the Nation speech hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber this morning, saying the next Labour government will focus on jobs, health and housing.
He said the new economic team was a "signal to New Zealanders that we are serious about tackling the big issues and making change for the better".
"The cost-of-living crunch is still hitting New Zealanders hard. Prices are going up, wage growth is stagnant and more people are unemployed or about to lose their jobs.
Barbara Edmonds will head a revamped economic team for Labour. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"The Luxon government does not have a vision or a plan for New Zealand. Buzz words and corporate waffle will not lift incomes, fix our health system or build more homes.
"Labour will not sell our pristine landscapes for a quick buck. We won't lay off thousands of people, and cripple sectors for the sake of politics. We won't sit idly by watching unemployment grow and families to suffer as a result."
He said the new team would "get cracking immediately on new policy".
Coming less than halfway through the coalition's term, his speech also promised a Labour Party that would focus on real solutions that would provide "hope and action" at the next election.
"Politics at its best changes lives. It's why I got into it in the first place," he said. "It lifts people up. It unites hope and action to build the future we all want that works for all of us. It doesn't ignore the challenges we face, or blame someone else, and then at the last possible moment come up with half-baked solutions.
"It focuses on real solutions; solutions that work, not empty slogans. It reflects people's hopes, not the mess and division currently resident in the Beehive. If we're going to make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect people's lives, then we need to be the antidote to that division."
For all the talk of hope, however, he painted a gloomy picture of the country - saying the government was "selling off our schools and hospitals to the highest bidder", saying they were run down and in desperate need of investment, homes and groceries were unaffordable.
Further portfolio changes
Some other major portfolio changes include Education being taken from former teacher Jan Tinetti and handed to Willow-Jean Prime; Social Development moving from deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni to Willie Jackson; and Climate Change shifting from fourth-ranked Megan Woods to Deborah Russell at 16th.
Tinetti however also picks up Workplace Relations and Safety, Social Investment, ECE and Child Poverty Reduction, and Hipkins said the changes were not a reflection on her performance.
"I think Jan's done an outstanding job in the Education portfolio ... most people now are doing portfolios that they weren't doing before the last election because the 2026 election campaign for us is not a rerun of 2023."
Jackson is known for speaking his mind, and said Sepuloni had brought a "different attitude and culture of aroha" to the Social Development portfolio, and he wanted to build on that work.
"We don't like the way this government treats people at a community level ... give people their time, give people their respect, don't just kick them out just because they've missed an appointment or whatever. I'm sick of this cut-throat attitude from this government."
Hipkins said the party had been doing work to rebuild support in Auckland and Sepuloni - who has taken the portfolio from Shanan Halbert - would "really lift that up a level and lift that up a notch ... one of the highest-ranking people in our team is going to be leading our efforts in Auckland, it does sent a powerful message".
Davidson and Tangaere-Manuel - Labour's only two new MPs after the 2023 election - have also been given more responsibility not just with the economic team roles but taking on Broadcasting and Media and Sport and Recreation respectively.
Davidson previously produced children's TV shows, while Tangaere-Manuel was previously chief executive of Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby Union - so these roles should also be comfortable for the electorate MPs from Christchurch East and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.
Hipkins also talked up the need for a bipartisan, consensus-based approach to infrastructure.
He told reporters afterwards the ball was in the government's court for now, but he intended to follow through on that approach if Labour won the election.
"On areas like infrastructure we're going to be going to their investment summit, we're going to have our spokespeople there, we're open to having conversations about how we can get more stability in the pipeline around infrastructure - but of course the onus sits on the current government to actually reach across the aisle to do that.
"What I'm indicating is when we form the government we won't stop everything just because the other side started it and we will be reaching across the aisle to try and make sure that the new commitments we make are enduring."
He said Labour had offered to work with the new government on Fast Track but that had been rejected, and pointed to the cancellation of things like Auckland Light Rail and the Interislander ferries project as "stupid".
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has reshuffled his caucus. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour's new list (new portfolios in bold):
- 1. Chris Hipkins - Leader, Ministerial Services, National Security and Intelligence
- 2. Carmel Sepuloni - Auckland Issues, Women, Pacific Peoples (loses Social Development, Child Poverty Reduction)
- 3. Barbara Edmonds (+1) - Finance and Economy, Savings and Investment (loses Infrastructure)
- 4. Megan Woods (-1) - Energy and Resources, Manufacturing and Industry, Associate Finance (loses Climate Change)
- 5. Willie Jackson - Social Development, Māori Development (loses Broadcasting and Media, Employment, Associate Housing, Associate Workplace Relations)
- 6. Ayesha Verrall - Health, Wellington Issues (loses Public Service)
- 7. Kieran McAnulty - Shadow Leader of the House, Housing, Infrastructure and Public Investment (loses Local Govt and Regional Development)
- 8. Williow-Jean Prime - Education, Children (loses Youth, Associate Education - Māori)
- 9. Ginny Andersen - Jobs and Incomes, Police, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (loses Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Social Investment, Associate Social Development)
- 10. Jan Tinetti - Workplace Relations and Safety, Social Investment, Early Childhood Education, Child Poverty Reduction (loses Education, Women)
- 11. Peeni Henare - Economic Development, Māori-Crown Relations Te Arawhiti, Defence, Associate Health (loses Sport and Recreation)
- 12. Tangi Utikere (+7) - Local Government, Transport, Small Business, Racing (loses Oceans and Fisheries, Associate Education - Pacific)
- 13. Priyanca Radhakrishnan (-1) - NZSIS, GCSB, Disability, Conservation
- 14. Jo Luxton (-1) - Agriculture, Rural Communities, Biosecurity
- 15. Duncan Webb (-1) - Deputy Shadow Leader of the House, Justice, Regulation, Natural Hazards Commission (loses Christchurch issues)
- 16. Deborah Russell (-1) - Revenue, Climate Change, Associate Finance (loses Science, Innovation and Technology, Associate Education - Tertiary)
- 17. Rachel Brooking (-1) - Environment, Food Safety, Space, RMA Reform
- 18. Damien O'Connor (-1) - Trade, Land Information, Regional Development (loses Associate Foreign Affairs, Associate Transport)
- 19. David Parker (-1) - Foreign Affairs, Shadow Attorney General (loses Electoral Reform)
- 20. Camilla Belich - ACC, Public Services, Emergency Management (loses Workplace Relations and Safety)
- 21. Arena Williams - Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Building and Construction, Youth (loses State-owned Enterprises)
- 22. Phil Twyford - Immigration, Disarmament and Arms Control, Associate Foreign Affairs
- 23. Greg O'Connor - Courts, Veterans
- 24. Jenny Salesa - Ethnic Communities, Customs
- 25. Rachel Boyack - Arts, Culture and Heritage, Animal Welfare, Oceans and Fisheries (loses ACC)
- 26. Adrian Rurawhe - Whānau Ora (loses Associate Māori Development)
- 27. Helen White - Community and Voluntary Sector, Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence (loses Small Business and Manufacturing, Associate Justice)
- 28. Ingrid Leary - Seniors, Mental Health
- 29. Lemauga Lydia Sosene - Internal Affairs, Statistics (loses Associate Pacific Peoples, Associate Social Development and Employment)
- 30. Reuben Davidson - Science, Technology and Innovation, Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy (loses Statistics, Digital Economy and Communications, Associate Broadcasting and Media)
- 31. Cushla Tangaere-Manuel - Māori Economy, Sport and Recreation, Forestry (loses Tourism and Hospitality, Cyclone Recovery)
- 32. Tracey McLellan - Corrections, Christchurch Issues (loses Associate Health)
- 33. Shanan Halbert - Tertiary Education, Rainbow Issues (loses Auckland Issues)
- 34. Glen Bennett - Tourism and Hospitality (loses Economic Development, Associate Energy)
