New Zealand politician
Barbara Rachael Fati Palepa Edmonds[2] is a New Zealand politician. She was elected as the Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Mana, representing the Labour Party, in 2020. She served as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister of Revenue and Minister for Economic Development in the final year of the Sixth Labour Government.
Early life and career
Edmonds was born Rachael Fati Poe, in North Shore, Auckland, to parents Selani (Fale’ula, Faleatiu) and Palepa (Safotu, Fasito’o)[3] who had immigrated from Western Samoa in 1978. Her mother died from cancer when she was four years old and Edmonds inherited her name Palepa (Barbara) on her fifth birthday.[4][5][6] Edmonds' first language is Samoan and she did not speak English fluently until she began primary school.[7]
Edmonds was educated at Carmel College and the University of Auckland. Her school was next door to North Shore Hospital where members of her family were working in the kitchen, laundry and as cleaners.[8] She married Chris Edmonds, whom she met at age 16 and with whom she shares eight children.[5][9] Edmonds was a parent elected member of the Board of Trustees of Mana College.[10]
Edmonds is a specialist tax lawyer, and before entering Parliament, worked in both the private and public sectors. In 2016, she was seconded from Inland Revenue to work as a private secretary to Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins, as National Party Ministers of Revenue.[4][11] In 2017, she was appointed as a political adviser to Labour's Stuart Nash.[4]
Political career
In August 2020, Edmonds was ranked 49th on the Labour Party's list.[12]
First term, 2020–2023
During the 2020 election, she won Mana by a large margin of 16,244, defeating National candidate Jo Hayes.[13] Following the election, she was appointed as Labour's associate whip on 2 November.[14] She was deputy chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee from 3 December 2020 to 22 June 2022, when she became chair.[15][16] As a first-term member of Parliament, Edmonds attracted praise from National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who complimented her select committee work and described her as "very, very smart [and] very, very considered."[17] In late 2022, New Zealand Herald journalist Audrey Young ranked her second highest of the 42 new MPs who entered Parliament in 2020.[18]
In a cabinet reshuffle by new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on 31 January 2023 Edmonds was promoted into Cabinet and appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister for Pacific Peoples, as well as Associate Minister of Health (Pacific Peoples) and Associate Minister of Housing.[19] She additionally became Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery on 24 February 2023, Minister for Economic Development on 12 April 2023 after the dismissal of Stuart Nash, Minister of Revenue on 24 July 2023 after the resignation of David Parker, and Associate Minister of Finance after the resignation of Kiri Allan.[20][21][22][23]
In the internal affairs portfolio, Edmonds oversaw the completion of upgrades at 26 fire stations.[24] As economic development minister, Edmonds led the first all-female trade delegation to Australia in Australia 2023, featuring 26 female business leaders.[25] Also in August 2023, as associate housing minister, she launched consultation on retirement village policies.[26] With finance minister Grant Robertson, Edmonds announced a new tax on multinational companies that provide digital services in New Zealand.[27]
Second term, 2023–present
After being re-selected as Labour's Mana candidate for the 2023 general election,[28] she won an election night majority of 7,324 votes over the National Party candidate Frances Hughes.[29]
On 30 November, she became spokesperson for economic development, infrastructure and associate finance in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[30] On 5 December 2023, Edmonds was granted retention of the title The Honourable, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.[31]
