Jenny Salesa

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]

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]