Shane Reti | |
|---|---|
.png) Reti in 2023 | |
| 15thMinister for Pacific Peoples | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Barbara Edmonds |
| 29thMinister of Science, Innovation and Technology | |
| Assumed office 24 January 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Judith Collins |
| 34thMinister of Statistics | |
| Assumed office 24 January 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Andrew Bayly |
| Minister of Universities | |
| Assumed office 24 January 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| 44thMinister of Health | |
| In office 27 November 2023 – 24 January 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Ayesha Verrall |
| Succeeded by | Simeon Brown |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forWhangārei | |
| Assumed office 14 October 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Emily Henderson |
| In office 20 September 2014 – 17 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Phil Heatley |
| Succeeded by | Emily Henderson |
| 18thDeputy Leader of the National Party | |
| In office 10 November 2020 – 30 November 2021 | |
| Leader | Judith Collins |
| Preceded by | Gerry Brownlee |
| Succeeded by | Nicola Willis |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 10 November 2020 – 30 November 2021 | |
| Leader | Judith Collins |
| Preceded by | Gerry Brownlee |
| Succeeded by | Nicola Willis |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forNational Partylist | |
| In office 17 October 2020 – 14 October 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Shane Raymond Reti (1963-06-05)5 June 1963 (age 62) Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Party | National Party |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Whangārei |
| Profession |
|
| Website | https://shanereti.national.org.nz |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  New Zealand |
| Branch/service | New Zealand Army |
| Years of service | 1983–1987 |
| Unit | Territorial Force |
Shane Raymond RetiQSM MP (born 5 June 1963) is a New Zealand politician and a member of theNew Zealand House of Representatives, and aCabinet Minister with the roles ofMinister for Pacific Peoples,Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology, Minister of Universities andMinister of Statistics. He was first elected at the2014 general election as theMember of Parliament (MP) for theWhangārei electorate. He is a member of theNew Zealand National Party and served as its deputy leader from 10 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 including a period of five days as interim leader following the ousting ofJudith Collins. He previously held the role ofMinister of Health from 2023 to 2025.[1]
Born inHamilton in 1963,[2] Reti is ofMāori descent, and has tribal affiliations toNgāpuhi,Ngāti Hine,Ngāti Wai,Te Kapotai andNgāti Maniapoto.[3][4][5] He was educated atHamilton Boys' High School andMinidoka County High School inRupert, Idaho,[6] United States. He then studied at theUniversity of Waikato from 1981 to 1982 and theUniversity of Auckland between 1982 and 1987 and in 1989, graduating from the latter with a Bachelor of Human Biology in 1985,MB ChB in 1987 and a Diploma in Obstetrics in 1989. He was also awarded a Diploma in Dermatological Science by theUniversity of Wales, Cardiff in 1991.[2]
Reti served in theTerritorial Force from 1983 to 1987.[2] He playedbadminton for Waikato between 1978 and 1982.[2]
Reti worked as ageneral practitioner for 17 years.[7][8] For seven years and three consecutive terms he served as a member of theNorthland District Health Board.[8] In the2006 New Year Honours he was awarded aQueen's Service Medal for public services.[9]
In 2007 Reti was awarded a NZHarkness Fellowship to Harvard Medical School and moved toMassachusetts to work atHarvard University.[8][10] Reti remained inBoston for six years and claims to have resisted offers byBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center andHarvard Medical School to extend his stay.[8]
Reti has continued to be a practising doctor during his time in parliament. In 2019 Reti was one of a team who administered the meningococcal vaccine at Hikurangi primary school after the local community raised money to buy the vaccine.[11] In 2021 Reti travelled Northland administering COVID-19 vaccinations.[12] In 2021 industry publicationNew Zealand Doctor indicated that having a doctor high up is important to the profession, announcing "Shane Reti is the first GP, and first medical practitioner, to become leader of the National Party".[13]
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2017 | 51st | Whangārei | 60 | National | |
| 2017–2020 | 52nd | Whangārei | 45 | National | |
| 2020–2023 | 53rd | List | 5 | National | |
| 2023–present | 54th | Whangārei | 4 | National | |
Early in 2014, Reti won the National Party nomination in the safeWhangārei electorate against sitting list MPPaul Foster-Bell for the2014 election.[10] At the2014 election, he had a large margin over Labour's Kelly Ellis.[10]
During theNorthland by-election, Reti was accused of bullying Alex Wright of the Pipiwai Titoki Advocacy group, a group campaigning to seal the "dusty and dangerous foresty roads" in Northland. Wright claimed that Reti rang her and told her to keep quiet until after the by-election or get nothing. Reti responded that he was attempting to help the group.[14]
During the2017 election, Reti was re-elected in Whangārei, defeatingLabour candidate Tony John Savage by a margin of 10,967 votes.[15]
Following the formation of theLabour-led coalition government, Reti became National's Associate Spokesperson for Health and Deputy Chaiperson of the Health Select Committee. He was later appointed as the party's spokesperson for data and cybersecurity and for disability issues.[16] In January 2019, Reti was designated as National's spokesperson for tertiary education, skills, and employment.[17][18] Between 25 March and 26 May 2020, Reti was a member of theEpidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considered the government's response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[19] On 2 July, Reti was promoted to number 13 on the National Party's list ranking withinTodd Muller's shadow cabinet and also given the associate drug reform portfolio.[20][21] On 15 July 2020,Judith Collins, the newLeader of the Opposition, announced that Reti was to be promoted to Spokesperson for Health for National.[22][23][24]
During the2020 New Zealand general election held on 17 October, preliminary results had Reti ahead of Labour candidateEmily Henderson in the Whangārei electorate by 162 votes.[25] Following the publication of official results on 6 November, he lost the seat to Henderson by 431 votes.[26] He returned to Parliament on the National Party list.[27]
On 10 November, Reti was unanimously elected as the deputy leader of the National Party during a party caucus meeting.[28][29]
In mid November 2021, Reti briefly served as interim leader of the National Party after Judith Collins lost avote of no confidence.[30][31] On 30 November, he was succeeded byChristopher Luxon, who became the party's new leader and the newLeader of the Opposition.[32]
On 17 January 2022, Reti successfully petitionedSpaceX CEOElon Musk to provide Starlink satellite technology to Tonga after theHunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai tsunami.[33] Tonga lost internet connectivity to the world after the underwater cables were ruptured during the eruption and resulting tsunami. Reti did not have a pre-existing relationship with Musk but reasoned that "I guess Elon Musk can only say no and if you don't ask you don't know".[33] In response Musk's SpaceX set up a free high-speed internet service for the affected remote islands, to remain until they could be reconnected by cable. In acknowledging the 50 VSAT terminals provided free of charge the Tongan Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, said "It is rather paradoxical for a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami to bring to our shores the latest in satellite and communications technology".[34]
In March 2022, the New Zealand Herald removed an opinion piece Reti had written. In it, he claimed that self-harm had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic; other journalists using the same data found the opposite, and a data journalist for the Herald called the graphs in the article "poor and misleading".[35]
In mid-March 2022, Reti was moved up from fifth to fourth place during a reshuffle ofLuxon's shadow cabinet.[36]
In mid-July 2023,1News reported that Reti accompaniedHato Hone St John andWellington Free Ambulance paramedics as an observer on weekend shifts for nearly three months. According to Reti, New Zealand health workers were overworked and emergency departments were under-staffed and over-resourced. Reti defended his actions, stating that he complied with St John's and Wellington Free Ambulance's policies and procedures.[37] In response to concerns about privacy and patient consent, St John's and Wellington Free Ambulance developed a new agreement on managing ambulance observers.[38]
During the2023 New Zealand general election, Reti won the Whangārei electorate by a margin of 11,424 votes and defeated Labour candidateAngie Warren-Clark.[39]
Following the formation of theNational-led coalition government in late November 2023, Reti was appointed asMinister of Health andMinister for Pacific Peoples.[40] On 28 November Reti, in his capacity as Health Minister, defended the Government's plans to scrap theSmokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, which reduced the number of retailers allowed to sell tobacco to 600 and banned anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes. Reti argued thatvaping would be the primary way to reduce smoking under the new Government. He also defended the Government's plans to dissolveTe Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), stating that decision-making should be devolved at thehapū (sub-tribe level) rather than centralised in Wellington.[41] Reti and the Government drew criticism fromTongan community leader Pakilau Manase Lua, the New Zealand Council of Medical Colleges chair Dr Samantha Murton, and Labour health spokespersonAyesha Verrall over their plans to repeal Smokefree legislation, scrap the Māori Health Authority, and review the role of theTreaty of Waitangi in New Zealand law.[42][43]
On 15 December,Waatea News reported that Reti and Associate Health MinisterMatt Doocey had several initial meetings with Te Aka Whai Ora's chief executive Riana Manuel. While Reti confirmed that the Government would proceed with its plans to dissolve the organisation, he reaffirmed the Government's commitment to continue working with iwi-Māori partnership boards on the health needs of the Māori community including mental health.[44] On 18 December,Radio New Zealand reported that Reti was tasked with reviewing theUniversity of Auckland's Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme (MAPAS), anaffirmative action programme seeking to boost the number of Māori andPasifika medical graduates. Reti had benefitted from the programme while studying to be a doctor at University of Auckland.[45]
On 19 December, Reti appointed Ken Whelan as a Crown observer toTe Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), citing ongoing challenges that the public health service was facing following the previous Labour Government's 2022 health reforms.[46] On 21 December Reti announced that the Government would invest in a NZ$50 million package over the two next years to help Māori health providers boost low immunisation rates within the Māori community.[47]
In late June 2024, Reti announcing that the Government would be investing NZ$604 million over the next four years in boostingPharmac funding for 54 new medicines including 26 cancer treatments. He reiterated that this funding would allow the Government to fulfill its 2023 election promise of funding 13 cancer drugs.[48] The Government had been unable to include the 13 new cancer drugs as part of the2024 New Zealand budget due to a NZ$1.77 billion funding "cliff" inPharmac's budget left by theprevious Labour Government.[49]
On 10 September 2024, Reti instructedHawke's Bay health services to stop prioritising young Māori andPasifika youths for free doctor and nurse visits on the basis of their ethnicity.[50] Later that week, the Cabinet Office issued a new directive that public services should be delivered based on "need" rather than "race," fulfilling a coalition agreement secured by ACT and NZ First.[51]
On 8 October 2024, Reti announced that the Government would allocated an extra NZ$6 million to improve wait times and patient care and services atPalmerston North Hospital.[52]
On 19 January 2025,Christopher Luxon announced during acabinet reshuffle that Reti would be relinquishing the Health portfolio, which would be given toSimeon Brown instead. He was also appointed asMinister of Science, Innovation and Technology,Minister of Statistics, and given the new Universities portfolio. Reti was also demoted from fourth to ninth place in the Cabinet ranking.[53][54]
On 18 June 2025 Reti, as Statistics Minister, announced that the Government would replace thefive-yearly census in 2030 with a combination of administrative data from other government agencies and smaller annual surveys that a sample of the population will complete. He confirmed that there would be no census in 2028, with the 2023 census being the final one. Reti said that the traditional census was "no longer financially viable", stating "despite the unsustainable and escalating costs, successive censuses have been beset with issues or failed to meet expectations."[55] While actingStatistics New Zealand chief and Government Statistician Mary Craig welcomed the scrapping of the traditional census,University of Waikato Institute for Population Research senior research fellow Dr Jesse Whitehead and New Zealand Institute of Economic Research economist Bill Kaye expressed concern that discontinuing the five-year census would impact data equity and have an adverse impact on "marginalised" communities includingMāori,Pasifika,LGBTQ, the disabled and ethnic communities.[56][57]
In 2024 Reti suggested the possibility of cancelling the construction of a new inpatient building in Dunedin, back tracking on an election promise made a year earlier.[58] This announcement triggered a protest of 35,000 people on the streets of Dunedin, one of the largest protests in New Zealand history.[59] Shortly after Reti was removed as Minister of Health, the government recommitted to the construction of a new inpatient building.[60]
Reti authored a private members bill in 2018 that would have extended access tomedical, but not recreational,marijuana.[61]
Reti voted against theEnd of Life Choice Act 2019.[62]
Reti voted against theAbortion Legislation Act 2020.[63]
When asked for his comments on the overturning ofRoe v Wade in the United States, and whether similar changes could take place in New Zealand, Reti stated "That would always be a decision for caucus, and so I'm not going to offer a position here now, but we are mindful in watching what happens with Roe vs Wade".[64]
In mid-November 2020, Reti supported National Party leader Judith Collins' earlier remarks aboutobesity being a matter of personal responsibility. Reti said that National had a "good obesity framework" and that people could be trusted to make the right choice with the "right information." While acknowledging that socio-economic and genetics were factors in obesity, he added there were other reasons including medical factors for putting on weight.[65]
Reti authored a private members bill[66] to allow unfunded cancer medication to be administered in public hospitals.[67] Under the bill patients would continue to pay the cost of unfunded medicines, but not for the administration of them. The bill was drawn from the ballot in 2021.
Reti is a supporter offluoridation, having self-sponsored work to implement it in Northland[68] but did not support removing fluoridation decisions from the local DHB.[69]
Reti was one of only eight MPs to vote against theConversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022. The then-leader of the National Party Judith Collins instructed all National MPs to vote against the bill at its first reading, and as party deputy leader Reti defended the party's position and sought to add an exemption to the bill for parents regarding bill. National's leadership changed to Christopher Luxon who allowed his MPs to vote according to their conscience; Reti voted against the bill at its second reading, and at its third and final reading.[70][71][72][73] Reti said he abhors conversion therapy but "What is not clear in the bill is the protection of reasonable parents having reasonable conversations with their children."[74]
Reti has three adult children: two daughters and one son.[75] Reti was raised aMormon but no longer attends church.[76]
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Whangarei 2014–2020 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the National Party 2020–2021 | Succeeded by |
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