Chris Hipkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Chris Hipkins MP
Official portrait, 2022
41st Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Deputy	Carmel Sepuloni
Preceded by	Christopher Luxon
41st Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023
Monarch	Charles III
Governor-General	Cindy Kiro
Deputy	Carmel Sepuloni
Preceded by	Jacinda Ardern
Succeeded by	Christopher Luxon
18th Leader of the Labour Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 January 2023
Deputy	Kelvin Davis Carmel Sepuloni
Preceded by	Jacinda Ardern
4th Minister for National Security and Intelligence
In office 25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Jacinda Ardern
Succeeded by	Christopher Luxon
Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services
In office 25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023
Preceded by	Jacinda Ardern
Succeeded by	Christopher Luxon
Ministerial offices 2017–⁠2023 41st Minister of Police In office 14 June 2022 – 25 January 2023 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by Poto Williams Succeeded by Stuart Nash 1st Minister for COVID-19 Response In office 6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Ayesha Verrall 41st Minister of Health In office 2 July 2020 – 6 November 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by David Clark Succeeded by Andrew Little 47th Minister of Education In office 26 October 2017 – 25 January 2023 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by Nikki Kaye Succeeded by Jan Tinetti 19th Minister for the Public Service In office 26 October 2017 – 25 January 2023 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by Paula Bennett Succeeded by Andrew Little 11th Leader of the House In office 26 October 2017 – 25 January 2023 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Preceded by Simon Bridges Succeeded by Grant Robertson
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Remutaka Rimutaka (2008–2020)
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 November 2008
Preceded by	Paul Swain
Majority	8,859
Personal details
Born	Christopher John Hipkins (1978-09-05) 5 September 1978 (age 46) Hutt Valley, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jade Hipkins ​ ​ (m. 2020; separated 2022)​
Domestic partner	Toni Grace
Children	2
Residences	Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
Alma mater	Victoria University of Wellington (BA)
Nickname	Chippy

Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand politician. He has been the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party since January 2023. He also became the Leader of the Opposition in November 2023.

Before this, he was the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand from January to November 2023. He also served as the Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Education from 2017 to 2023. From 2020 to 2022, he was the Minister for Health and the COVID-19 Response. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Remutaka since 2008.

Hipkins grew up in the Hutt Valley near Wellington. At Victoria University of Wellington, he was very active in student politics. He was elected president of the VUWSA twice. In 2008, he won the election for the Labour seat of Remutaka.

After Jacinda Ardern led Labour to victory in 2017, Hipkins took on many important roles in the government. He was seen as a "fixer" because he was good at handling different responsibilities.

As Minister of Health, Hipkins was in charge of the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. This response was a big part of the 2020 election, which Labour won easily. After the election, Hipkins became the Minister for COVID-19 Response. In January 2023, he became the only candidate to become the leader of the Labour Party after Jacinda Ardern resigned. He was then appointed Prime Minister on 25 January 2023.

His time as Prime Minister started with challenges like the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. He led his party in the 2023 New Zealand general election, where Labour lost to the National Party. He then became the Opposition leader on 27 November 2023.

Early Life and Education

Christopher John Hipkins was born in the Hutt Valley on 5 September 1978. His mother is a chief researcher for the New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

Hipkins went to Waterloo Primary School and Hutt Intermediate School. He was the head boy at Hutt Valley Memorial College in 1996. He later studied at the Victoria University of Wellington. He was the student president there in 2000 and 2001.

In 1997, as a university student, Hipkins was arrested during a protest at Parliament. The judge later ruled that the protest was peaceful. The judge also said there were no reasons for the arrests.

Hipkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and criminology. He then worked as an advisor for different organizations and politicians. These included Trevor Mallard and former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Time in Opposition (2008–2017)

Becoming a Member of Parliament (2008)

Hipkins in 2011

Hipkins was chosen to run for the Labour-held seat of Rimutaka in the 2008 New Zealand general election. The previous MP, Paul Swain, was retiring. Hipkins won the seat with a small majority of 753 votes.

First Term in Parliament (2008–2011)

For his first nine years in Parliament, Labour was the Official Opposition. In his first speech, Hipkins showed his interest in education. He was Labour's spokesperson for internal affairs. He also served on several parliamentary committees.

Second Term in Parliament (2011–2014)

In the 2011 New Zealand general election, Hipkins won the Rimutaka seat again. His winning margin increased to 3,286 votes.

He was promoted to Labour's shadow Cabinet. He became the spokesperson for state services and education. He also became the Labour Party's chief whip. As education spokesperson, Hipkins spoke out against the government's plans for charter schools in New Zealand. He also opposed the closure of schools in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake.

In April 2013, Hipkins voted to support the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill. This bill made same-sex marriage in New Zealand legal.

Third Term in Parliament (2014–2017)

Hipkins won the Rimutaka seat again in the 2014 New Zealand general election. His winning margin grew to 6,664 votes. He continued as education spokesperson and also served as shadow leader of the House.

In Government (2017–2023)

Hipkins was an important member of the Sixth Labour Government. From 2017 to 2023, he was a high-ranking government minister. He was the Minister of Education, Minister for the Public Service, and Leader of the House. He was known as a "fixer". He also took on roles as Minister of Health and Minister for COVID-19 Response during the pandemic. Later, he became Minister of Police.

Fourth Term (2017–2020)

In the 2017 New Zealand general election, Hipkins won the Rimutaka electorate by a large margin of 8,609 votes. He became a Cabinet minister when Labour formed a government. He was appointed Minister for Education.

Hipkins at the NZEI strike rally outside Parliament House, 15 August 2018

As Education Minister, Hipkins supported getting rid of National Standards and charter schools. He also planned a review of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) system. By September 2018, all twelve charter schools had changed to become state-integrated and special character schools.

In December 2018, Hipkins stopped Victoria University of Wellington from changing its name. He said the university had not asked enough people for their opinions.

In February 2019, Hipkins suggested combining New Zealand's 16 polytechnics into one new organization. This was to help with money problems and fewer students. This new organization, Te Pūkenga, would also take over vocational and apprenticeship programs.

In May 2019, Hipkins announced that the government would spend NZ$95 million to train 2,400 new teachers. This was to help with the teacher shortage.

On 1 August 2019, Hipkins confirmed the plan to merge all polytechnics by April 2020. He also announced that 11 industrial training organizations would be replaced.

After David Clark resigned as Minister of Health in July 2020, Prime Minister Ardern appointed Hipkins as interim health minister. He held this role until the October 2020 general election.

Fifth Term (2020–2023)

Hipkins won his seat, now called Remutaka, in the 2020 New Zealand general election. He received 20,497 votes.

In November 2020, Hipkins kept his education role. He also became Minister for COVID-19 Response and Minister for the Public Service. As Minister of COVID-19 Response, Hipkins introduced rules for wearing face masks on public transport. He also brought in pre-departure tests for overseas travelers. He oversaw the launch of the "My Vaccine Pass" and the national vaccination rollout.

In August 2021, Hipkins made a funny mistake during a press conference. He accidentally told New Zealanders to "spread their legs" instead of "stretch their legs" when going outside.

In January 2022, Hipkins postponed the next MIQ lottery. This was because of a big increase in Omicron cases coming into New Zealand.

In June 2022, Hipkins moved from his COVID-19 response role. He replaced Poto Williams as Minister of Police.

In September 2022, Hipkins apologized to former Finance Minister Bill English. Hipkins had suggested that English had given his brothers special government contracts.

In October 2022, Hipkins announced that the government would remove many COVID-19 rules. These included lockdown and MIQ restrictions, border closures, and vaccine passes. He also confirmed that the government would investigate its COVID-19 response.

Prime Minister (2023)

Premiership of Chris Hipkins
25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023
Charles III
Cabinet	Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand
Party	New Zealand Labour Party
Appointer	Cindy Kiro
← Jacinda Ardern • Christopher Luxon →

Becoming Prime Minister

Hipkins (right) and Carmel Sepuloni (left), after being sworn in as prime minister and deputy prime minister, respectively, by the governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro, at Government House, Wellington, on 25 January 2023

On 19 January 2023, Jacinda Ardern announced she would resign as Labour Party leader. Hipkins became the only candidate to replace her. He was sworn in as Prime Minister by Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro on 25 January 2023. His deputy prime minister was Carmel Sepuloni, the first Pasifika person to hold this role.

When he became Prime Minister, Hipkins said his main goal was to help New Zealanders with the cost of living. He also said Labour would delay some new projects to focus on the economy.

Domestic Policies

On 26 January, Hipkins met with business leaders in Auckland. He promised his government would work well with businesses. He also said businesses had given feedback on issues like staff shortages.

Hipkins faced the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods almost immediately. He visited Auckland to see the damage and talk with emergency services.

After he became Prime Minister, Hipkins' popularity and Labour's support grew in opinion polls.

In February 2023, Hipkins announced that some policies would be stopped or changed. These included a proposed merger of TVNZ and RNZ, and a biofuel rule. He also confirmed that the minimum wage would increase from NZ$21.20 to NZ$22.70 an hour from 1 April 2023.

On 13 March, Hipkins announced more policy changes. These included stopping plans to lower the voting age to 16. The government also redirected NZ$2 billion to help New Zealanders with the cost of living.

On 11 April 2023, Hipkins announced that some COVID-19 rules would stay for at least two more months. These included a seven-day isolation period for positive cases and mask-wearing in hospitals.

The 2023 New Zealand budget, released on 18 May 2023, focused on helping families. It included removing NZ$5 prescription fees and extending free early childhood education. It also provided free public transport for children under 13.

International Relations

Hipkins with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak, May 2023

On 7 February, Hipkins visited Australia and met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. They discussed the Section 501 deportation policy. Albanese confirmed his government would review the policy.

Hipkins with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, May 2023

In May 2023, Hipkins attended the coronation of King Charles III. He also met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and New Zealand soldiers. Before leaving, Hipkins spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show New Zealand's support.

Hipkins meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Port Moresby in May 2023

On 22 May 2023, Hipkins visited Papua New Guinea. He met with leaders from the region and other countries. He supported stronger relations between Papua New Guinea and the United States.

Hipkins at the 2023 Vilnius NATO summit

In June 2023, Hipkins led a group to China to improve relations and trade. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They talked about relations between their countries and other global issues.

On 9 July, Hipkins and the President of the European Commission signed a free trade agreement between New Zealand and Europe.

On 8 October 2023, Hipkins strongly spoke out against Hamas' actions during the Gaza war. He said targeting civilians and taking hostages was wrong. He also stated Israel had the right to defend itself. On 19 November 2023, Hipkins called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

2023 General Election

Hipkins led the Labour Party in the 2023 New Zealand general election. During the campaign, he said Labour would not introduce a capital gains tax if re-elected.

The election results on 14 October showed Labour lost its majority. Hipkins accepted the election loss to National Party leader Christopher Luxon. Hipkins kept his Remutaka electorate seat.

In Opposition (2023–Present)

On 7 November 2023, Labour's MPs voted to keep Hipkins as party leader. On 10 November, Hipkins and Luxon agreed to extend the caretaker government. This was because of long talks between National, ACT, and New Zealand First to form a government. Hipkins continued as caretaker prime minister until 27 November, when Luxon took over.

As Leader of the Opposition, Hipkins is also the spokesperson for ministerial services and national intelligence and security in the Labour shadow cabinet.

In September 2024, a poll showed Hipkins' popularity had fallen. However, several senior Labour MPs supported his leadership. In mid-September 2024, Hipkins attended a British Labour Party conference.

On 12 November 2024, Hipkins spoke at the National Apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. He acknowledged that past governments had failed abuse victims.

On 7 March 2025, Hipkins announced changes to his shadow cabinet. He also created a new economic team.

In May 2025, Hipkins disagreed with a recommendation to suspend some Te Pāti Māori (TPM) MPs. He felt the proposed suspensions were too long. Parliament later voted to suspend the three Te Pāti Māori MPs on 5 June 2025.

Political Views

Hipkins is generally seen as a moderate politician. He focuses on practical solutions. As a student, he was an activist, but he now describes himself as more moderate. During his time as Prime Minister, he focused on "bread and butter" issues. These included fighting the rising cost of living.

Hipkins is not a monarchist. However, before the coronation of Charles III, he said he would not push for New Zealand to become a republic during his time as Prime Minister. He said that changing the head of state was not an urgent priority.

In June 2024, Hipkins said he was open to changing rules about how MPs claim housing allowances. This followed reports that some MPs were claiming allowances even though they owned property in Wellington.

Personal Life

Hipkins married Jade in 2020. They had two children together. They separated in 2022. In 2018, he took extended paternity leave when his second child was born. He was one of the first senior male cabinet ministers to do this. He later started a relationship with Toni Grace, a former staffer. This relationship became public during his election night speech in October 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Chris Hipkins para niños