PERSON: Chris Hipkins

Government of New Zealand

Prime Minister

Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 41st prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the New Zealand Labour Party since 2023. He has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Remutaka since the 2008 election.

Hipkins served in opposition as Labour’s education spokesperson. In the current Sixth Labour Government, Hipkins has served as minister of education, police, the public service, and leader of the House. He became a prominent figure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand, taking on the roles of minister of health from July to November 2020 and minister for Covid-19 response from November 2020 to June 2022.

On 21 January 2023, Hipkins became the sole candidate to succeed Jacinda Ardern as leader of the Labour Party after she announced her resignation. He became party leader after being elected unopposed on 22 January 2023, and was consequently appointed prime minister by the governor-general on 25 January 2023. He is expected to lead the Labour Party into the 2023 general election. His premiership was faced almost immediately with the 2023 North Island floods, and then by further flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle.

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