1. Shane Reti was first elected at the 2014 general election as the Member of Parliament for the Whangarei electorate.
48 Facts About Shane Reti
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Shane Reti is a member of the New Zealand National Party and served as its deputy leader from 10 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 including a period of five days as interim leader following the ousting of Judith Collins.
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Shane Reti previously held the role of Minister of Health from 2023 to 2025.
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Shane Reti was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Minidoka County High School in Rupert, Idaho, United States.
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Shane Reti 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.
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Shane Reti was awarded a Diploma in Dermatological Science by the University of Wales, Cardiff in 1991.
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Shane Reti served in the Territorial Force from 1983 to 1987.
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Shane Reti played badminton for Waikato between 1978 and 1982.
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In 2007 Shane Reti was awarded a NZ Harkness Fellowship to Harvard Medical School and moved to Massachusetts to work at Harvard University.
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Shane Reti remained in Boston for six years and claims to have resisted offers by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School to extend his stay.
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Shane Reti has continued to be a practising doctor during his time in parliament.
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In 2019 Shane Reti was one of a team who administered the meningococcal vaccine at Hikurangi primary school after the local community raised money to buy the vaccine.
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In 2021 industry publication New Zealand Doctor indicated that having a doctor high up is important to the profession, announcing "Shane Reti is the first GP, and first medical practitioner, to become leader of the National Party".
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Early in 2014, Shane Reti won the National Party nomination in the safe Whangarei electorate against sitting list MP Paul Foster-Bell for the 2014 election.
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Wright claimed that Shane Reti rang her and told her to keep quiet until after the by-election or get nothing.
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Shane Reti responded that he was attempting to help the group.
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Shane Reti was later appointed as the party's spokesperson for data and cybersecurity and for disability issues.
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In January 2019, Shane Reti was designated as National's spokesperson for tertiary education, skills, and employment.
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Between 25 March and 26 May 2020, Shane Reti was a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considered the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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On 15 July 2020, Judith Collins, the new Leader of the Opposition, announced that Shane Reti was to be promoted to Spokesperson for Health for National.
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Shane Reti returned to Parliament on the National Party list.
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In mid November 2021, Shane Reti briefly served as interim leader of the National Party after Judith Collins lost a vote of no confidence.
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Shane Reti did not have a pre-existing relationship with Musk but reasoned that "I guess Elon Musk can only say no and if you don't ask you don't know".
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In mid-March 2022, Shane Reti was moved up from fifth to fourth place during a reshuffle of Luxon's shadow cabinet.
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In mid-July 2023,1News reported that Shane Reti accompanied Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics as an observer on weekend shifts for nearly three months.
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Shane Reti defended his actions, stating that he complied with St John's and Wellington Free Ambulance's policies and procedures.
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On 28 November Shane Reti, in his capacity as Health Minister, defended the Government's plans to scrap the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act 2022, which reduced the number of retailers allowed to sell tobacco to 600 and banned anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes.
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Shane Reti argued that vaping would be the primary way to reduce smoking under the new Government.
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Shane Reti defended the Government's plans to dissolve Te Aka Whai Ora, stating that decision-making should be devolved at the hapu rather than centralised in Wellington.
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Shane Reti had benefitted from the programme while studying to be a doctor at University of Auckland.
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On 19 December, Shane Reti appointed Ken Whelan as a Crown observer to Te Whatu Ora, citing ongoing challenges that the public health service was facing following the previous Labour Government's 2022 health reforms.
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In late June 2024, Shane Reti announcing that the Government would be investing NZ$604 million over the next four years in boosting Pharmac funding for 54 new medicines including 26 cancer treatments.
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Shane Reti reiterated that this funding would allow the Government to fulfill its 2023 election promise of funding 13 cancer drugs.
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On 10 September 2024, Shane Reti instructed Hawke's Bay health services to stop prioritising young Maori and Pasifika youths for free doctor and nurse visits on the basis of their ethnicity.
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On 8 October 2024, Shane Reti announced that the Government would allocated an extra NZ$6 million to improve wait times and patient care and services at Palmerston North Hospital.
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On 19 January 2025, Christopher Luxon announced during a cabinet reshuffle that Shane Reti would be relinquishing the Health portfolio, which would be given to Simeon Brown instead.
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Shane Reti was appointed as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology and given the new Universities portfolio.
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Shane Reti was demoted from fourth to ninth place in the Cabinet ranking.
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Shane Reti authored a private members bill in 2018 that would have extended access to medical, but not recreational, marijuana.
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Shane Reti voted against the End of Life Choice Act 2019.
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In mid-November 2020, Shane Reti supported National Party leader Judith Collins' earlier remarks about obesity being a matter of personal responsibility.
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Shane Reti authored a private members bill to allow unfunded cancer medication to be administered in public hospitals.
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Shane Reti is a supporter of fluoridation, having self-sponsored work to implement it in Northland but did not support removing fluoridation decisions from the local DHB.
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Shane Reti was one of only eight MPs to vote against the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022.
45.
The then-leader of the National Party Judith Collins instructed all National MPs to vote against the bill at its first reading, and as party deputy leader Shane Reti defended the party's position and sought to add an exemption to the bill for parents regarding bill.
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National's leadership changed to Christopher Luxon who allowed his MPs to vote according to their conscience; Shane Reti voted against the bill at its second reading, and at its third and final reading.
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Shane Reti has three adult children: two daughters and one son.
48.
Shane Reti was raised a Mormon but no longer attends church.