Jan Tinetti

Tinetti was born in Hokitika on the West Coast and grew up in Christchurch. She received her secondary school education at Villa Maria College. She then studied at the Christchurch College of Education, from where she obtained a diploma in teaching, and at the University of Canterbury, from where she graduated with a Master of Education.[3] She became a teacher and union member.[4] She then became the principal of Merivale School in Tauranga and has previously been on the national executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute.[5] She is married to David Merton, whose father Don Merton was a noted conservationist, and the couple have two children.[6] In 2019 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.[7]

Tinetti stood for Labour in the Tauranga electorate in the 2017 election and was placed 15 on Labour's party list.[8] Tinetti came second, with the incumbent—Simon Bridges—winning with a 11,252-vote margin. She entered parliament via the party list.[9]

During the 2020 general election, she contested Tauranga, coming second to Bridges with a margin of 1,856 votes on final results.[10] Tinetti was elected on the Labour party list where she was in 32nd place for the 2020 election.[11]