Jenny Salesa was first elected as MP for Manukau East, and after its abolition in 2020 won the replacement electorate of Panmure-Otahuhu.
10 Facts About Jenny Salesa
2.
Jenny Salesa served as a Cabinet Minister in the Sixth Labour Government as Minister for Building and Construction, Minister of Customs and Minister for Ethnic Communities from 2017 until 6 November 2020.
3.
Jenny Salesa is of Tongan heritage and is married to university academic Damon Salesa.
4.
Jenny Salesa replaced long serving MP Ross Robertson in the Manukau East seat when he retired at the 2014 election.
5.
Jenny Salesa was successful in gaining the Labour party nomination for the seat, ahead of Auckland Councillor Efeso Collins.
6.
In mid-October 2017, Jenny Salesa was elected as a Cabinet Minister by the Labour Party caucus following Labour's formation of a government with New Zealand First and the Greens.
7.
Jenny Salesa was appointed Minister for Building and Construction and Minister of Ethnic Communities, and Associate Minister of Education, Health, and Housing and Urban Development.
8.
In late June 2019, Jenny Salesa was made Minister of Customs following a cabinet reshuffle, replacing Kris Faafoi who assumed the portfolio of Associate Minister for public housing.
9.
Jenny Salesa was instead nominated for the role of Assistant Speaker.
10.
On 9 November 2020, Jenny Salesa was granted retention of the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.