Poto Williams

The Honourable
Poto Williams
MP
Williams in 2020
14th Minister of Conservation
In office
14 June 2022 – 1 February 2023
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Chris Hipkins
Preceded byKiri Allan
Succeeded byWillow-Jean Prime
8th Minister for Building and Construction
In office
6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byJenny Salesa
Succeeded byMegan Woods
40th Minister of Police
In office
6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byStuart Nash
Succeeded byChris Hipkins
9th Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
In office
3 July 2019 – 6 November 2020
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byPeeni Henare
Succeeded byPriyanca Radhakrishnan
Assistant Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
In office
8 November 2017 – 3 July 2019
Preceded byLindsay Tisch
Succeeded byRuth Dyson
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Christchurch East
In office
28 January 2014 – 14 October 2023
Preceded byLianne Dalziel
Succeeded byReuben Davidson
Majority17,336
Personal details
Born (1962-01-07) 7 January 1962 (age 62)
Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
Alma materSouthern Cross University

Munokoa Poto Williams MP (born 7 January 1962) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and a member of Parliament. She was elected in a 2013 by-election and served as Minister of Conservation and Minister for Disability Issues in the Sixth Labour Government.

Early life and education

Williams is of Cook Island descent.[1] Her parents, Nahora and Marion Williams, migrated to New Zealand in the 1950s.[2] She was born in Wellington and grew up in Auckland, where she attended Beresford Street School and Auckland Girls' Grammar.[3] Williams graduated from Southern Cross University in Australia with an MBA.[4]

Professional career

Williams has a background working on family and sexual violence issues.[5][3] She has worked for the Ministry of Education, BirthRight, Healthcare NZ and disability agencies.[3] She has served as a member of the Community Child Protection Review Panel, was involved in the Waitakere Community Law Service and Community Waitakere, and was part of the Living Wage Campaign and the LIFEWISE Big Sleepout.[6]

She moved from Auckland to Christchurch's suburb of New Brighton in January 2013 to take up a position as regional manager of the St John of God Hauora Trust but resigned from that role to run for Parliament later that year.[7][8]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2013–2014 50th Christchurch East Labour
2014–2017 51st Christchurch East 28 Labour
2017–2020 52nd Christchurch East 25 Labour
2020–2023 53rd Christchurch East 21 Labour

Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel resigned in October 2013 to contest the Christchurch mayoralty, triggering a by-election.[9] Williams won selection as Labour's candidate over five other candidates including future Christchurch city councillor Deon Swiggs and James Caygill (son of former Labour Finance Minister David Caygill).[10] She convincingly defeated National's candidate Matt Doocey, securing 61 per cent of the vote.[11][12] On 28 January 2014, Williams was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives for the first time.[13] After Alfred Ngaro, she is the second Cook Islander to be a New Zealand MP.

Williams held her electorate over National candidate Jo Hayes by 4,073 votes in the 2014 general election.[14] She defeated Hayes again in 2017, by 7,480 votes,[15] and new National candidate Lincoln Platt in 2020 by 17,336 votes.[16]

Opposition, 2013–2017

In her first year as an MP, Williams was appointed to the Health Committee and was Labour's associate spokesperson for social development, the community and voluntary sector, and housing (Christchurch).[17]

After the election she nominated Andrew Little to succeed David Cunliffe as Labour leader.[18] In the 2014–2017 term, Williams served on the Health and Social Services committees and was Labour's spokesperson on disability issues and the community and voluntary sector.[17] She became Labour's junior whip when Jacinda Ardern became leader in September 2017.[17]

Sixth Labour Government, 2017–2023

On 19 October 2017, a Labour-led coalition government was formed with support from New Zealand First and the Green parties.[19][20] Williams was nominated and elected an Assistant Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. The National Party challenged her nomination for the office because Williams had not been sworn in as a member of Parliament for that term yet. Speaker Trevor Mallard dismissed the challenges because it is not a requirement for members of Parliament to be sworn in to be nominated as a presiding officer.[21]

Following a cabinet reshuffle in late June 2019, Williams was appointed as a minister outside Cabinet, becoming Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector as well as an Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Social Development and Immigration.[22][23][24] When Labour was returned to government in the 2020 general election, she was transferred into the roles of Minister of Police and Minister for Building and Construction and also became an associate minister in the children and public housing portfolios.[25]

Williams' appointment as police minister came as a surprise to some commentators as she was seen to be a contrast with her predecessor, Stuart Nash.[26] Through 2022, Williams was under pressure in the role as a surge of gang activity caused conflict between the Tribesmen and Killer Beez gangs in Auckland.[27] Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged that "focus" in the police portfolio had been lost[28][29] and, in a reshuffle on 13 June 2022, reassigned Willilams to be Minister of Conservation and Minister for Disability Issues.[30]

On 13 December 2022, Williams announced that she would not be contesting the 2023 New Zealand general election and would step down at the end of the 2020–2023 term. While describing her job as an MP and Cabinet as an "extraordinary and amazing privilege," Williams stated that the Christchurch East electorate needed "someone with fresh eyes and fresh energy."[31][32] On 10 February 2023, Williams was granted retention of the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.[33]

Political positions

In May 2017, Williams suggested removing the presumption of innocence afforded to alleged perpetrators of sexual assault.[34] She voted in favour of the Abortion Legislation Bill in March 2020[35] and against the End of Life Choice Bill in December 2019.[36]

References

  1. ^ Rashneel Kumar (3 November 2020). "NZ MP Cook Islander at heart". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  2. ^ Williams, Poto (18 June 2015). "Williams, Poto: Maiden statements". Hansard. New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Chch East candidate: Poto Williams". Stuff. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  4. ^ Hutching, Chris. "New bloods vie for Christchurch East". National Business Review. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  5. ^ "'Caught in the headlights': The downfall of Poto Williams as police minister". Otago Daily Times Online News. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Poto Williams selected as Labour Christchurch East Candidate | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Labour picks community worker for Chch East". Radio New Zealand. 21 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  8. ^ Conway, Glenn (28 September 2013). "Unknown, but undaunted". The Press. p. A15.
  9. ^ Conway, Glenn (17 September 2013). "Dalziel officially resigns from Parliament". Stuff. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Labour selects Christchurch East candidate – Story – Politics – 3 News". 21 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  11. ^ Bayer, Kurt (30 November 2013). "Poto Williams wins Christchurch East by-election". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Chch by-election an easy Labour win". The Press. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  13. ^ (28 January 2014) 696 NZPD 1.
  14. ^ "Official Count Results – Christchurch East". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Christchurch East – Official Result 2017 election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Christchurch East – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  17. ^ a b c "Williams, Poto – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Nanaia Mahuta to contest Labour leadership". The New Zealand Herald. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  19. ^ Chapman, Grant (19 October 2017). "Full video: NZ First leader Winston Peters announces next Government". Newshub. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  20. ^ Hurley, Emma (19 October 2017). "An 'historic moment' for the Green Party – James Shaw". Newshub. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Read Hansard Reports". Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  22. ^ Devlin, Collette (27 June 2019). "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle – the ups and downs". Stuff. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  23. ^ Small, Zane (27 June 2019). "Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle: Phil Twyford's Housing portfolio split into three". Newshub. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Winners and losers – PM reveals first substantive Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Ministerial List for Announcement on Monday" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Week in politics: Police Minister under fire as National ramps up law and order campaign". RNZ. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  27. ^ "Christopher Luxon urges Poto Williams to be removed as Police Minister". Radio New Zealand. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  28. ^ Manch, Thomas (13 June 2022). "Labour's new Cabinet – who's in, who's out, as Trevor Mallard and Kris Faafoi resign". Stuff. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  29. ^ Weekes, John (13 June 2022). "Cabinet reshuffle: Jacinda Ardern announces shake-up – Trevor Mallard, Kris Faafoi depart; Poto Williams replaced as Police Minister". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Jacinda Ardern reveals changes to minister line-up". Newshub. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  31. ^ Lee, Irra (13 December 2022). "Six Labour MPs including David Clark to retire at election". 1News. TVNZ. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  32. ^ Ensor, Jamie (12 December 2022). "Labour MP retirements: Poto Williams, David Clark, Paul Eagle among those resigning". Newshub. Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  33. ^ "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  34. ^ Wall, Tony (30 April 2017). "Police are telling rape victims their hands are tied if the accused denies it". Stuff. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Vote – New Zealand Parliament (Abortion Legislation Bill)". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  36. ^ "Vote – New Zealand Parliament (End of Life Choice Bill)". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Christchurch East
2013–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
New title Minister for Disability Issues
2022–2023 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Conservation
2022–2023 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Building and Construction
2020–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Police
2020–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
2019–2020 		Succeeded by

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