Megan Woods

Unconfirmed: Chris Hipkins​ ... Hipkins is one of the Labour MPs with the most experience in cabinet, entering parliament in 2008. The education and police ...

She is also the Minister of Local Government, and the Associate Minister for Māori Development. [also out](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131015640/jacinda-ardern-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-be-new-zealands-next-prime-minister). Robertson has been a member of parliament since 2008, and was appointed deputy prime minister in 2020 by the Labour Government. [ ruled himself out](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131015640/jacinda-ardern-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-be-new-zealands-next-prime-minister). [Labour Party’s Minister of Justice.](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130534545/hate-speech-change-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters) The education and police minister became [hold the Foreign Affairs portfolio](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128961967/nanaia-mahuta-speaks-with-chinas-foreign-minister-about-pacific-xinjiang-and-the-taiwan-strait). [charge of the country’s housing portfolio](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/130503861/heres-how-megan-woods-38-billion-housing-fund-has-been-spent-so-far), [moving from chief party whip to ministerial position outside of Cabinet](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128950128/labours-new-cabinet--whos-in-whos-out-as-trevor-mallard-and-kris-faafoi-resign) as Minister of Emergency Management and an associate local government minister last year. [ruled himself out of the race](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131015640/jacinda-ardern-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-be-new-zealands-next-prime-minister) pretty much as she resigned on Thursday. [known for his Covid-19 response leadership](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300565843/covid19-chris-hipkins-encourages-masks-in-schools-amid-criticism-from-experts) during the height of the pandemic, and vowed that youth crime would be his [first focus in his role as police minister.](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128959142/new-police-minister-chris-hipkins-says-youth-crime-will-be-his-first-focus) [shock resignation on Thursday](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300787810/live-she-faced-unprecedented-hatred-and-vitriol-helen-clark-on-arderns-resignation), there is only one question on the country’s lips: [who will Labour choose to be the next prime minister?](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131015640/jacinda-ardern-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-be-new-zealands-next-prime-minister)