Jenny Salesa

Jennifer Teresia Salesa (née Latu, born ) 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.

Early life and career She is of Tongan heritage and is married to university academic Damon Salesa. Prior to entering Parliament Salesa had worked in the public sector, and overseas in the United States.

Political career

In opposition, 2014–2017 Salesa replaced long serving MP Ross Robertson in the Manukau East seat when he retired at the election. She was successful in gaining the Labour party nomination for the seat, ahead of Auckland Councillor Efeso Collins. Salesa won the seat by a margin of 13,254 votes, beating the National Party candidate Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi.

In government, 2017–2023 During the 2017 New Zealand general election held on 23 September, Salesa retained Manukau East by 12,589 votes, beating the National Party candidate Bakshi.

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

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.

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.

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. 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. She was officially appointed an Assistant Speaker on 26 November.

In opposition, 2023–present During the 2023 New Zealand general election, Salesa retained the Panmure-Ōtāhuhu electorate by 7,970 votes, defeating National's candidate Navtej Randhawa.

In late November 2023, Salesa became spokesperson for ethnic communities and customs in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.

In mid-March 2026, Salesa lost the customs portfolio but gained the associate Pacific Peoples portfolio during a cabinet reshuffle. She also retained the ethnic communities portfolio.