Helen White
MP
Helen White in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Mount Albert
Assumed office
14 October 2023
Preceded byJacinda Ardern
Majority18
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
In office
17 October 2020 – 14 October 2023
Personal details
Born1967 or 1968 (age 55–56)[1]
Political partyLabour
Children3
ProfessionLawyer
Websitewww.labour.org.nz/helenwhite

Helen Ione White (born 1967 or 1968) is a New Zealand politician. In 2020 she became a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.[2] In 2023, she was chosen by Labour to contest the Mount Albert electorate, previously held by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. White won the seat, holding it for Labour, but by a significantly reduced margin of 18 votes.

Early life and career

White and her family originally lived in Kawerau before moving to Auckland in 1971 where the school she attended was 98% Polynesian students.[3] She grew up in Freemans Bay, Auckland and became a barrister, specialising in employment law. She lives in Auckland and has three children.[4]

Early in her legal career, White worked with the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union for a period alongside future Labour leader Andrew Little.[5]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd List 48 Labour
2023–present 54th Mount Albert 47 Labour

In 2009 White attempted to gain the Labour nomination in the Mount Albert by-election to replace former Prime Minister Helen Clark, but lost to David Shearer.[6] Eight years later in February 2017, White won the Labour Party nomination to stand in Auckland Central at the general election in 2017, winning preference over other contestant Shanan Halbert.[4] White was ranked 40 on Labour's party list.[7]

First term, 2020–2023

Despite not being elected to parliament in 2017, White was selected to stand in Auckland Central again in 2020.[8] White received some criticism after mocking her electorate opponent, the Green Party's Chlöe Swarbrick, as a celebrity candidate and describing herself as the serious candidate,[9] despite the fact that Swarbrick held a seat in Parliament (as a List MP) while White did not. A Newshub poll conducted in September 2020 had White with a large lead over her main competitors 42.3 to 26.6 for National's Emma Mellow and 24.2 for Swarbrick.[10] By October the race had tightened. White remained in the lead but dropped to 35 percent to Mellow's 30 and Swarbrick's 26.[11] White did not win the Auckland Central seat, losing to Swarbrick by 1068 votes, but was allocated a seat in Parliament via Labour's party list.[12][13]

In her first term as an MP, White was a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, the Regulations Review Committee, and the Transport and Infrastructure Committee.[14]

In February 2023, Labour leader and prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced she would leave Parliament, and in March 2023 the Labour Party selected White as its replacement candidate for the Mount Albert electorate in the 2023 New Zealand general election.[15]

Second term, 2023–present

In October 2023, White held the electorate for Labour, but by a reduced margin of 20 votes following the release on final results on 3 November. In 2020, Ardern had won the electorate by more than 21,000 votes.[16][17] [18] After the National Party's candidate Melissa Lee sought a judicial recount, White's margin dropped to 18 votes.[19][20]

In late November 2023, White was appointed as spokesperson for community and voluntary sector, small business and manufacturing, and associate justice in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Compare the candidates for Auckland Central — NZ Election 2020". Your complete guide to NZ Election 2020 — Policy.
  2. ^ "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". Newstalk ZB. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  3. ^ Smith, Anneke (2 October 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Helen White, Emma Mellow and Chlöe Swarbrick in a three-way race for Auckland Central". Radio NZ. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Helen White Labour's 2017 candidate for Auckland Central" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  5. ^ Elliot, John. "Impressive new Labour candidate for Auckland Central". Ponsonby News. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  6. ^ Young, Audrey (27 April 2009). "Goff thinks fresh face has winning edge". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  7. ^ "Revised Labour Party List for the 2017 Election". Scoop.co.nz. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Labour selects lawyer Helen White as Auckland Central candidate". The New Zealand Herald. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  9. ^ Palmer, Scott (26 July 2020). "Chlöe Swarbrick defends herself from Labour's Auckland Central candidate Helen White". Newshub. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  10. ^ Satherley, Dan (19 September 2020). "Auckland Central poll puts Labour's Helen White way out in front". Newshub. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  11. ^ Manch, Thomas (4 October 2020). "Auckland Central electorate race tightens in new poll". Stuff. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Election Results – Auckland Central". Electoral Commission. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  13. ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  14. ^ "White, Helen – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Labour picks candidate to stand for Jacinda Ardern's seat". Radio New Zealand. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Labour's Mt Albert margin shrinks to 18 votes after recount". Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via 1 News.
  17. ^ "Applications for recounts in three electorates formally lodged". NZ Herald. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  18. ^ Wade, Amelia (8 November 2023). "Election 2023: Leaked internal Labour feedback from Mt Albert shows Chris Hipkins on 'chuck' list". Newshub. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  19. ^ Desmarais, Felix (15 November 2023). "Labour's Mt Albert margin shrinks to 18 votes after recount". 1 News. TVNZ. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Mt Albert - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins reveals new shadow Cabinet". Radio New Zealand. 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
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