Jenny Salesa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Honourable
Jenny Salesa
MP
Jenny Salesa, 2017.jpg
Salesa in 2017
Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 November 2020
Preceded byRuth Dyson
7th Minister for Building and Construction
In office
26 October 2017 – 6 November 2020
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byNick Smith
Succeeded byPoto Williams
Minister for Ethnic Communities
In office
26 October 2017 – 6 November 2020
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byJudith Collins
Succeeded byPriyanca Radhakrishnan
65th Minister of Customs
In office
27 June 2019 – 6 November 2020
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byKris Faafoi
Succeeded byMeka Whaitiri
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Panmure-Ōtāhuhu
Manukau East (2014–2020)
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 September 2014
Preceded byRoss Robertson
Majority18,626
Personal details
Born1968 (age 52–53)
Tonga
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)Damon Salesa
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
ProfessionPublic servant

Jennifer Teresia Salesa (née Latu, born 1968)[1] 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.

Biography[]

Early life and career[]

She is of Tongan heritage and is married to university academic Damon Salesa.[2] Prior to entering Parliament Salesa had worked in the public sector, and overseas in the United States.[3]

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.[4][5] Salesa won the seat with 68.0% of the vote and a large majority amounting to 50.9%.[6]

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.[7] She was appointed Minister for Building and Construction and Minister of Ethnic Communities, and Associate Minister of Education, Health, and Housing and Urban Development.[8]

At the 9th New Zealand Youth Parliament, Salesa's Youth MP, Shaneel Lal founded the movement to end gay and gender conversion therapy in New Zealand.[9]

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.[10][11]

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.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] She was officially appointed an Assistant Speaker on 26 November.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Labour to select candidate for Manukau East | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz.
  5. ^ Roberts, Sarah (28 February 2014). "Labour picks Manukau East candidate" – via Stuff.co.nz.
  6. ^ "Official Count Results – Manukau East (2014)". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Who's in? Who's out?". Radio NZ. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  9. ^ Johnson, Courtney (3 September 2019). "Meet the Youth MP outing New Zealand politics for failing minorities". Medium. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Winners and losers – PM reveals first substantive Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  11. ^ Small, Zane (27 June 2019). "Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle: Phil Twyford's Housing portfolio split into three". Newshub. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Panmure-Ōtāhuhu – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  13. ^ Cooke, Henry; Coughlan, Thomas (2 November 2020). "Cabinet reshuffle: The winners and losers from Jacinda Ardern's new lineup". Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Daily progress for Thursday, 26 November 2020". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
New electorate
 Member of Parliament for Panmure-Ōtāhuhu
2020–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Manukau East
2014–2020 		Succeeded by
Electorate abolished
Political offices
Preceded by
Nick Smith
 Minister for Building and Construction
2017–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Judith Collins
 Minister for Ethnic Communities
2017–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Kris Faafoi
 Minister of Customs
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Meka Whaitiri
Retrieved from ""