Jenny Salesa, MP for Manukau East has been given the charge of Minister for Ethnic Communities in the newly announced cabinet line up by Prime Minister-designate Jacinda Ardern.
Prime Minister-designate Jacinda Ardern named Ms Salesa to her Cabinet last week and today released the Ministerial portfolio allocations for New Zealand’s 52nd Parliament.
“I am honoured to be appointed as a Minister in this ambitious Labour-led Government, which has the mandate to tackle New Zealand’s housing crisis, the recent years of funding cuts and neglect in health and education and to ensure that economic growth delivers for all Kiwis,” Ms Salesa said.
“It is a huge responsibility and I am excited to play a role in building a better New Zealand in which all New Zealanders will thrive.
“I am looking forward to briefings from the pertinent government departments about the key issues in my portfolios and knuckling down to work,” Ms Salesa further said.
Jenny Salesa was the first woman who was born and raised in Tonga to become a New Zealand Member of Parliament and is now the world’s first Tongan-born Cabinet Minister.
Jenny Salesa is also the first Cabinet Minister from the Manukau East electorate.
Cabinet Ministers will be sworn in tomorrow, Thursday, October, 25.