Shadow Cabinet of Simon Bridges
Shadow Cabinet ofNew Zealand
27 February 2018 –22 May 2020
Date formed	27 February 2018
Date dissolved	22 May 2020
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Leader of the Opposition	Simon Bridges
DeputyLeader of the New Zealand National Party and DeputyLeader of the Opposition	Paula Bennett
Member party	New Zealand National Party
Status in legislature	Official Opposition
History
Elections	27 February 2018 22 May 2020
Legislature term	52nd New Zealand Parliament
Predecessor	Second Shadow Cabinet of Bill English
Successor	Shadow Cabinet of Todd Muller

TheShadow Cabinet of Simon Bridges was theofficial Opposition in the52nd New Zealand Parliament between 11 March 2018 and 22 May 2020. It comprised all members of theNew Zealand National Party, which was the largest party not a member of the Government.

Simon Bridges was electedLeader of the National Party andLeader of the Opposition on 27 February 2020 and announced his first shadow cabinet two weeks later.^[1] The portfolio allocations were amended six times during the term as a number of National members of Parliament either resigned or announced their intention not to contest the2020 general election.

Following Bridges' defeat byTodd Muller in theMay 2020 National Party leadership election and the formation ofMuller's shadow Cabinet,^[2] the Bridges shadow Cabinet ceased to exist.

Bridges followed his predecessorBill English's lead by naming each of National's 56 members of Parliament to at least one spokesperson or associate spokesperson role. Like English, Bridges took no portfolios other than national security and intelligence, which is traditionally held by the Leader of the Opposition. His deputy,Paula Bennett, was given responsibility for social investment and social services; tertiary education, skills and employment; and women.

Commentators noticed that the initial portfolio allocations and caucus rankings rewarded Bridges' rivals for the leadership.^[3] Formerjustice ministerAmy Adams, who had placed second in the leadership election, was named finance spokesperson and was ranked third.Judith Collins, who finished third, was placed at fourth rank, and received the housing portfolio, which she had asked for.^[3] Previous aspirants to the leadership,Jonathan Coleman andMark Mitchell were also ranked highly, in sixth and seventh position respectively. Bridges' alliesTodd McClay andJami-Lee Ross were placed fifth and eighth respectively. Ross was the highest-ranked National MP who did not serve as a minister in theprevious National-led government. The front bench was completed economic and regional development spokespersonPaul Goldsmith and education spokespersonNikki Kaye.Melissa Lee andSarah Dowie were the other two non-ministers to gain promotion to the top twenty.

Bridges had promised "generational change" on his ascension to the leadership.^[4] The front bench line up in particular was praised for including a high proportion of women MPs.^[3][5] Bridges and Bennett were, notably, the first National leadership team both to be of Māori descent.^[6] Bridges also placed several former ministers in lower positions than they had held in theEnglish shadow Cabinet. Former senior ministerGerry Brownlee lost the foreign affairs portfolio to McClay,^[3] while formerfinance ministerSteven Joyce resigned from Parliament when he was not offered the finance portfolio.^[7] Formerconservation ministerMaggie Barry (who had openly supported Amy Adams' leadership bid) andcustoms ministerNicky Wagner were also demoted. The twelve new MPs elected in the2017 general election were listed last, alphabetically by surname. Whānau Ora spokespersonJo Hayes was the lowest ranked returning MP.

Portfolio allocations were amended six times throughout Bridges' tenure as leader to accommodate the departures or planned retirements of members. The first change was made two weeks after the formation of the shadow Cabinet, on 26 March, with the resignation ofJonathan Coleman. Coleman had been the spokesperson for health and sport and recreation, portfolios he had held ministerial warrants for in the previous government.Michael Woodhouse, a former hospital chief executive, gained health. Education spokespersonNikki Kaye picked up sport and recreation. Woodhouse's portfolio of workplace relations and safety was added to the responsibilities of environment spokespersonScott Simpson.^[8]

In October 2018, a series of events that involved the leaking of Bridges' travel expenses saw transport and infrastructure spokespersonJami-Lee Ross stand down from his portfolios while undertaking personal leave before resigning from the National Party.Judith Collins andPaul Goldsmith picked up Ross's portfolios.^[9] The third resignation, in January 2019, was of formerAttorney-GeneralChris Finlayson.^[10][11] His shadow Attorney-General portfolio went to Amy Adams and a new drug reform portfolio, responding to the Government's decision to hold areferendum on legalising the sale, use, possession and production of cannabis in 2020, was assigned toPaula Bennett.

In June 2019, finance spokesperson Amy Adams and Wairarapa MPAlastair Scott announced they would not seek re-election to Parliament at the2020 general election. Along with the retirement of list MP and Māori development spokespersonNuk Korako in mid-May, this triggered a broad reshuffle.^[12] Paul Goldsmith was promoted to be the third-ranked MP, holding the finance portfolio. Goldsmith's economic and regional development portfolios were split between Todd McClay and Chris Bishop, who was promoted to the second bench and also gained the transport portfolio. Jo Hayes was promoted to be spokesperson for Māori development and Treaty of Waitangi negotiations, but retained a low ranking.Tim Macindoe became Shadow Attorney-General and Gerry Brownlee returned as foreign affairs spokesperson.

Agriculture spokespersonNathan Guy announced his intention to retire at the next election in July 2019. He was replaced by Bridges' eventual successor to the leadership,Todd Muller, whose climate change portfolio was passed to Simpson.^[13] The sixth and final reshuffle, in February 2020, featured minor redistributions of portfolios following announcements that Maggie Barry (on 5 November 2019), Nicky Wagner, Sarah Dowie and David Carter (all on 11 February 2020, although Carter had previously indicated his intentions on 17 October 2018^[14]) would retire at the next election.^[15]

At the point of its disestablishment, the Bridges Shadow Cabinet consisted of the following spokespersons.^[15]

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