Jenny Salesa

Jennifer Teresia Salesa (née Latu) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as a Member of Parliament since 2014. She was first elected as MP for Manukau East, and after its abolition in 2020 won the replacement electorate of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu. She served as a Cabinet Minister in the Sixth Labour Government as Minister for Building and Construction, Minister of Customs (from 2019) and Minister for Ethnic Communities from 2017 until 6 November 2020.

The Honourable Jenny Salesa MP
Salesa in 2017
Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 November 2020
Preceded by	Ruth Dyson
7th Minister for Building and Construction
In office 26 October 2017 – 6 November 2020
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Nick Smith
Succeeded by	Poto Williams
Minister for Ethnic Communities
In office 26 October 2017 – 6 November 2020
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Judith Collins
Succeeded by	Priyanca Radhakrishnan
65th Minister of Customs
In office 27 June 2019 – 6 November 2020
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Kris Faafoi
Succeeded by	Meka Whaitiri
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Panmure-Ōtāhuhu
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 October 2020
Preceded by	New electorate
Majority	18,626
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Manukau East
In office 20 September 2014 – 17 October 2020
Preceded by	Ross Robertson
Succeeded by	Electorate abolished
Personal details
Born	Tonga
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Damon Salesa
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Profession	Public servant

Biography

Early life and career

She is of Tongan heritage and is married to university academic Damon Salesa.[1] Prior to entering Parliament Salesa had worked in the public sector, and overseas in the United States.[2]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
2014–2017	51st	Manukau East	31	Labour
2017–2020	52nd	Manukau East	19	Labour
2020–present	53rd	Panmure-Ōtāhuhu	13	Labour

Salesa replaced long serving MP Ross Robertson in the Manukau East seat when he retired at the 2014 election. She was successful in gaining the Labour party nomination for the seat, ahead of Auckland Councillor Efeso Collins.[3][4] Salesa won the seat with 68.0% of the vote and a large majority amounting to 50.9%.[5]

In mid-October 2017, Salesa was elected as a Cabinet Minister by the Labour Party caucus following Labour's formation of a government with New Zealand First and the Greens.[6] She was appointed Minister for Building and Construction and Minister of Ethnic Communities, and Associate Minister of Education, Health, and Housing and Urban Development.[7]

In late June 2019, Salesa was made Minister of Customs following a cabinet reshuffle, replacing Kris Faafoi who assumed the portfolio of Associate Minister for public housing.[8][9]

During the 2020 New Zealand general election, Salesa contested the Panmure-Ōtāhuhu electorate, defeating National Party candidate Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi by a final margin of 18,626 votes.[10]

When the new Cabinet was announced following the election, Salesa lost all her ministerial positions. She was instead nominated for the role of Assistant Speaker.[11] On 9 November 2020, Salesa was granted retention of the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.[12] She was officially appointed an Assistant Speaker on 26 November.[13]

References

1. "Jenny Salesa to stand for Labour in Manukau East". Pacific Guardians. 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
2. "Jenny Salesa named as Labour candidate for the Manukau East electorate". newstalkzb.co.nz. 22 February 2014. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
3. "Labour to select candidate for Manukau East – Scoop News".
4. Roberts, Sarah (28 February 2014). "Labour picks Manukau East candidate" – via Stuff.co.nz.
5. "Official Count Results – Manukau East (2014)". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
6. "Who's in? Who's out?". Radio NZ. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
7. "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
8. "Winners and losers – PM reveals first substantive Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
9. Small, Zane (27 June 2019). "Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle: Phil Twyford's Housing portfolio split into three". Newshub. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
10. "Panmure-Ōtāhuhu – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
11. Cooke, Henry; Coughlan, Thomas (2 November 2020). "Cabinet reshuffle: The winners and losers from Jacinda Ardern's new lineup". Retrieved 6 November 2020.
12. "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
13. "Daily progress for Thursday, 26 November 2020". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 25 November 2020.