Jenny Salesa

The Honourable
Jenny Salesa
MP
The Honourable Jenny Salesa MP
	Salesa in 2017
7th Minister for Building and Construction
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Nick Smith
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
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 27 June 2019
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Kris Faafoi
Member of the New Zealand Parliament; for Manukau East
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 20 September 2014
Preceded by	Ross Robertson
Majority	13,254
Personal details
Born	Tonga
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Damon Salesa
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Profession	Public servant

Jennifer Teresia Salesa (née Latu) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party has served as Member of Parliament for Manukau East since 2014. She has served as Cabinet Minister for the Sixth Labour Government as Minister for Building and Construction, Minister of Customs and Minister for Ethnic Communities since 2017.

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
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 margin of 13,541 votes based on preliminary results.^[10]

References

^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "Labour to select candidate for Manukau East – Scoop News".
^ Roberts, Sarah (28 February 2014). "Labour picks Manukau East candidate" – via Stuff.co.nz.
^ "Official Count Results – Manukau East (2014)". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
^ "Who's in? Who's out?". Radio NZ. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
^ "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ "Winners and losers – PM reveals first substantive Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
^ Small, Zane (27 June 2019). "Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle: Phil Twyford's Housing portfolio split into three". Newshub. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
^ "Panmure-Ōtāhuhu – Preliminary Count". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Ross Robertson	Member of Parliament for Manukau East 2014–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Nick Smith	Minister for Building and Construction 2017–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Judith Collins	Minister for Ethnic Communities 2017–present
Preceded by Kris Faafoi	Minister of Customs 2019–present

[PG201402-1] "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 – Preliminary Count". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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