Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins

On 7 November 2023 the Labour caucus re-elected Hipkins as leader and elected Carmel Sepuloni deputy leader after Kelvin Davis declined to remain in the role. Labour's senior and junior whips, Tangi Utikere and Camilla Belich respectively, were re-elected. Hipkins defered announcing portfolio assignments until after the incoming government was formed.[1] On 29 November it was revealed that Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall would hold the finance and health portfolios, with the remainder to be announced the following day.[2]

Many former ministers in the Hipkins-led Sixth Labour Government continued in their portfolios, but in opposition. These included Sepuloni in social development, Megan Woods in energy and resources, Willie Jackson in Māori development and broadcasting, Kieran McAnulty in local government and regional development, Ginny Andersen in police, Jan Tinetti in education and women, and Barbara Edmonds in economic development. Duncan Webb picked up the justice portfolio and David Parker became spokesperson for foreign affairs. McAnulty also secured the housing portfolio and was named Shadow Leader of the House. All 34 members of the caucus were assigned at least one portfolio but the highest-ranked member who had not previously served as a minister was senior whip Tangi Utikere, at 21, who was also assigned the transport portfolio.[3]

On 15 December 2023, Davis (spokesperson for Māori–Crown relations and Treaty of Waitangi negotiations) announced that he would retire from Parliament effective Waitangi Day on 6 February 2024.[4] On 29 January 2024, Rino Tirikatene (spokesperson for corrections and land information) announced that he would retire from Parliament that weekend.[5] The resignations of Davis and Tirikatene allowed Shanan Halbert and Tracey McLellan to reenter Parliament on the Labour Party list.[6] On 20 February 2024, Robertson (spokesperson for finance and racing) announced that he would be resigning the following month to take up the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago. Robertson's resignation allowed Glen Bennett to reenter Parliament on the Labour Party list.[7]

Hipkins addressed the three resignations in a reshuffle on the same day as Robertson's resignation. Barbara Edmonds was promoted into the finance portfolio, Damien O'Connor and Tangi Utikere took over the land information and racing portfolios, Ginny Andersen assumed the Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations portfolio, Peeni Henare the Māori–Crown Relations portfolio, Shanan Halbert the Auckland and rainbow issues portfolios, and McLellan the corrections and associate health portfolios. Bennett assumed the economic development and associate energy portfolios after reentering Parliament on 25 March 2024.[8][6]

In February 2024, Labour reversed its previous support for New Zealand entering the non-nuclear component of the AUKUS, with foreign affairs spokesperson Phil Twyford describing it as an "offensive warfighting alliance against China."[10]

In April 2024, Labour called for New Zealand to recognise Palestinian statehood. During the 2023 general election, Labour had campaigned on inviting a Palestinian representative to become an ambassador to New Zealand but had canceled it following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023.[11]