The Honourable
Barbara Edmonds
MP
37th Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
1 February 2023 – 27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChris Hipkins
Preceded byJan Tinetti
Succeeded byBrooke van Velden
14th Minister for Pacific Peoples
In office
1 February 2023 – 27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChris Hipkins
Preceded byWilliam Sio
Succeeded byShane Reti
10th Minister for Economic Development
In office
12 April 2023 – 27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChris Hipkins
Preceded byMegan Woods (acting)
Succeeded byMelissa Lee
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Mana
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byKris Faafoi
Personal details
Born1980 or 1981 (age 42–43)[1]
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
SpouseChris
Children8
Residence(s)Porirua, New Zealand

Barbara Rachael Fati Palepa Edmonds[2] is a New Zealand politician. She was elected as the Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Mana, representing the Labour Party, in 2020. She served as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister of Revenue and Minister for Economic Development in the final year of the Sixth Labour Government.

Early life and career

Edmonds was born Rachael Fati Poe, in North Shore, Auckland, to parents Selani (Fale’ula, Faleatiu) and Palepa (Safotu, Fasito’o)[3] who had immigrated from Western Samoa in 1978. Her mother died from cancer when she was four years old and Edmonds inherited her name Palepa (Barbara) on her fifth birthday.[4][5][6] Edmonds' first language is Samoan and she did not speak English fluently until she began primary school.[7]

Edmonds was educated at Carmel College and the University of Auckland. Her school was next door to North Shore Hospital where members of her family were working in the kitchen, laundry and as cleaners.[8] She married Chris Edmonds, whom she met at age 16 and with whom she shares eight children.[5][9] Edmonds was a parent elected member of the Board of Trustees of Mana College.[10]

Edmonds is a specialist tax lawyer, and before entering Parliament, worked in both the private and public sectors. In 2016, she was seconded from Inland Revenue to work as a private secretary to Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins, as National Party Ministers of Revenue.[4][11] In 2017, she was appointed as a political adviser to Labour's Stuart Nash.[4]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd Mana 49 Labour
2023–present 54th Mana 18 Labour

In August 2020, Edmonds was ranked 49th on the Labour Party's list.[12]

First term, 2020–2023

During the 2020 election, she won Mana by a large margin of 16,244, defeating National candidate Jo Hayes.[13] Following the election, she was appointed as Labour's associate whip on 2 November.[14] She was deputy chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee from 3 December 2020 to 22 June 2022, when she became chair.[15][16] As a first-term member of Parliament, Edmonds attracted praise from National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who complimented her select committee work and described her as "very, very smart [and] very, very considered."[17] In late 2022, New Zealand Herald journalist Audrey Young ranked her second highest of the 42 new MPs who entered Parliament in 2020.[18]

In a cabinet reshuffle by new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on 31 January 2023 Edmonds was promoted into Cabinet and appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister for Pacific Peoples, as well as Associate Minister of Health (Pacific Peoples) and Associate Minister of Housing.[19] She additionally became Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery on 24 February 2023, Minister for Economic Development on 12 April 2023 after the dismissal of Stuart Nash, Minister of Revenue on 24 July 2023 after the resignation of David Parker, and Associate Minister of Finance after the resignation of Kiri Allan.[20][21][22][23]

In the internal affairs portfolio, Edmonds oversaw the completion of upgrades at 26 fire stations.[24] As economic development minister, Edmonds led the first all-female trade delegation to Australia in Australia 2023, featuring 26 female business leaders.[25] Also in August 2023, as associate housing minister, she launched consultation on retirement village policies.[26] With finance minister Grant Robertson, Edmonds announced a new tax on multinational companies that provide digital services in New Zealand.[27]

Second term, 2023–present

After being re-selected as Labour's Mana candidate for the 2023 general election,[28] she won an election night majority of 7,324 votes over the National Party candidate Frances Hughes.[29]

On 30 November, she became spokesperson for economic development, infrastructure and associate finance in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[30] On 5 December 2023, Edmonds was granted retention of the title The Honourable, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.[31]

References

  1. ↑ "Compare the candidates for Mana — Barbara Edmonds". NZ Election 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Speech – New Zealand Parliament".
  3. ↑ "Samoan woman lawyer eyes seat in Beehive". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Husb, Dale (28 November 2020). "Barbara Edmonds: Sacrifice and success". E-Tangata. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Katarina (30 October 2020). "Tackling poverty in Mana: New MP Barbara Edmonds brings her lived experience to bear". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Barbara Edmonds on swatting away National Party recruit attempts". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Barbara Edmonds: Reclaiming my Gagana Samoa is one step in a lifelong journey". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Raela, Johnson (8 June 2020). "Samoan mother of eight has Parliament in her sights". Tagata Pasifika. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Labour picks lawyers for Manurewa and Mana – National picks farmer in Wairarapa". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Board of Trustees". Mana College. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Barbara Edmonds- Labour Party Candidate for Mana". Pacific Media Network. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Labour announces list for 2020 Election". Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Mana – Official Results". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "Barbara Edmonds". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. ↑ "Edmonds, Barbara – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Witton, Bridie (13 June 2022). "PM Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle puts focus on combatting crime". Stuff. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Christopher Luxon on Three Waters and carbon farming". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Audrey Young: Best of the bunch - the top 10 new MPs". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Prime Minister Chris Hipkins reveals Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  20. ↑ "Government announces cyclone recovery taskforce, $50m support package, new ministerial role". RNZ. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "PM's Cabinet reshuffle; new roles added to Green List; Covid settings to stay". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  22. ↑ Coughlan, Thomas (25 July 2023). "Election 2023: David Parker thinks he still has a revenue responsibility, Grant Robertson and Chris Hipkins less sure". NZ Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  23. ↑ "Hipkins reveals who gets Kiri Allan's ministerial posts". 1 News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "Multi-million dollar fire station upgrades now complete". 1 News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  25. ↑ New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (14 August 2023). "New Zealand's first all-female trade delegation". Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  26. ↑ "Government proposes changes to law governing retirement villages". RNZ. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  27. ↑ "Government unveils digital services tax aimed at multinationals". RNZ. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  28. ↑ Wong, Justin (18 December 2022). "Barbara Edmonds to stand for re-election as Mana MP". Stuff. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  29. ↑ "Mana - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  30. ↑ "Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins reveals new shadow Cabinet". Radio New Zealand. 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  31. ↑ "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
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