Helen White | |
|---|---|
 Helen White in 2023 | |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forMount Albert | |
| Assumed office 14 October 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Jacinda Ardern |
| Majority | 18 |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forLabourparty list | |
| In office 17 October 2020 – 14 October 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1967 or 1968 (age 56–57)[1] |
| Political party | Labour |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Website | www |
Helen Ione White (born 1967 or 1968) is a New Zealand politician. In 2020 she became aMember of Parliament in theHouse of Representatives for theLabour Party.[2] In 2023, she was chosen by Labour to contest theMount Albert electorate, previously held by former Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern. White won the seat, holding it for Labour, but by a significantly reduced margin of 18 votes.
White and her family originally lived inKawerau before moving to Auckland in 1971, attending a school that was 98%Pasifika.[3] She grew up inFreemans 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 theEngineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union for a period alongside future Labour leaderAndrew Little.[5]
| 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 theMount Albert by-election to replace former Prime MinisterHelen Clark, but lost toDavid Shearer.[6] Eight years later in February 2017, White won the Labour Party nomination to stand inAuckland Central at the general election in2017, winning preference over other contestantShanan Halbert.[4] White was ranked 40 on Labour's party list.[7]
Despite not being elected to parliament in 2017, White was selected to stand inAuckland Central again in 2020.[8] White received some criticism after mocking her electorate opponent, theGreen Party'sChlöe Swarbrick, as a celebrity candidate and describing herself as the serious candidate,[9] despite the fact that Swarbrick held a seat in Parliament (as aList 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 forNational'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'sparty list.[12][13]
In her first term as an MP, White was a member of theFinance and Expenditure Committee, the Regulations Review Committee, and the Transport and Infrastructure Committee.[14]
In February 2023, Labour leader and prime ministerJacinda Ardern announced she would leave Parliament, and in March 2023 the Labour Party selected White as its replacement candidate for theMount Albert electorate in the2023 New Zealand general election.[15]
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 candidateMelissa 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 theShadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[21]
Following a shadowcabinet reshuffle in early March 2025, White retained the community and voluntary sector portfolio and gained the "prevention of family and sexual violence" portfolio. She lost the small business and manufacturing and associate justice portfolios.[22]
