Shane Reti

Shane Raymond Reti QSM MP (born 5 June 1963) is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2014 general election as a representative of the New Zealand National Party.

Shane Reti QSM MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Whangarei
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 September 2014
Preceded by	Phil Heatley
Personal details
Born	Shane Raymond Reti (1963-06-05) 5 June 1963 Hamilton, New Zealand
Political party	National Party
Website	https://shanereti.national.org.nz

Early life and family

Born in Hamilton in 1963, Reti is of Māori descent, and has tribal affiliations to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kura. He was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Minidoka County High School in Idaho, United States. He then studied at the University of Waikato from 1981 to 1982 and the University 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 the University of Wales, Cardiff in 1991.

Reti served in the Territorial Force from 1983 to 1987.[1] He played badminton for Waikato between 1978 and 1982.[1]

Reti has three adult children: two daughters and one son.[2]

Professional career

He was a general practitioner for 17 years.[3][4] For seven years, he was a member of the Northland District Health Board.[4] In the 2006 New Year Honours, he was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for public services.[5]

In 2007, he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and moved to Massachusetts to work at Harvard University.[4][6] Reti remained in Boston for six years and resisted offers by Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and Harvard Medical School to extend his stay.[4]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
2014–2017	51st	Whangarei	60	National
2017–present	52nd	Whangarei	45	National

Fifth National Government, 2014–2017

Early in 2014, Reti won the National Party nomination in the safe Whangarei electorate against sitting list MP Paul Foster-Bell for the 2014 election.[6] At the 2014 election, he had a large margin over Labour's Kelly Ellis.[6]

During the Northland 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.[7]

Sixth Labour Government, 2017–present

During the 2017 election, Reti was re-elected in Whangarei, defeating Labour candidate Tony John Savage by a margin of 10,967 votes.[8] Following the formation of the Labour-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 "disability issues."[9] In January 2019, Reti was designated as National's spokesperson for "tertiary education, skills, and employment."[10][11]

Between 25 March and 26 May 2020, Reti was a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considered the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] On 2 July, Reti was promoted to number 13 on the National Party's list ranking within Todd Muller's shadow cabinet and also given the associate drug reform portfolio.[13][14]

On 15 July, Judith Collins, the new Leader of the Opposition, announced that Reti was to be promoted to Spokesperson for Health for National.[15][16][17]

References

1. Taylor, Alister, ed. (2001). New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001. Auckland: Alister Taylor Publishers. ISSN 1172-9813.
2. "MPs hidden talents". Stuff. 15 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
3. "Dr Shane Reti picked as National's candidate for Whangarei electorate". The New Zealand Herald. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
4. Dinsdale, Mike (27 January 2014). "Trio put hands up to represent National". The Northern Advocate. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
5. "New Year honours list 2006". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2005. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
6. "Election 2014: Shane Reti wins Whangarei". The New Zealand Herald. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
7. "Dusty road group claim bullying". Radio New Zealand. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
8. "Whangarei – Official Result 2017". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
9. "Dr Shane Reti". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
10. "Bennett named drug reform spokesperson in shadow cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
11. Coughlan, Thomas (22 January 2019). "Bridges begins year with a reshuffle". Newsroom. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
12. "Epidemic response". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
13. Cooke, Henry (2 July 2020). "National reshuffle: Simon Bridges gets foreign affairs role, but not a high ranking". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
14. Cheng, Derek (2 July 2020). "National's Todd Muller's first reshuffle – winners and losers revealed". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
15. Deguara, Brittney (15 July 2020). "'Just Shane, a Māori boy from Northland': Who is National's new health spokesman?". Stuff. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020.
16. Walls, Jason (15 July 2020). "Election 2020: New National leader Judith Collins demotes Woodhouse, makes Shane Reti new health spokesman". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
17. Houlahan, Mike (16 July 2020). "Woodhouse takes medicine". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Phil Heatley	Member of Parliament for Whangarei 2014–present	Incumbent