Kiri Allan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Kiri Allan
Allan in 2019
51st Minister of Justice
In office 14 June 2022 – 24 July 2023
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins
Preceded by	Kris Faafoi
Succeeded by	Ginny Andersen
Minister for Regional Development
In office 1 February 2023 – 24 July 2023
Prime Minister	Chris Hipkins
Preceded by	Stuart Nash (as Minister for Economic and Regional Development)
Succeeded by	Kieran McAnulty
14th Minister of Conservation
In office 6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Eugenie Sage
Succeeded by	Poto Williams
27th Minister for Emergency Management
In office 6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Peeni Henare
Succeeded by	Kieran McAnulty
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for East Coast
In office 17 October 2020 – 14 October 2023
Preceded by	Anne Tolley
Succeeded by	Dana Kirkpatrick
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Labour party list
In office 23 September 2017 – 17 October 2020
Personal details
Born	Kiritapu Lyndsay Allan 1984 (age 40–41) Te Karaka, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Natalie Coates ​ ​ (m. 2016; div. 2022)​
Children	1
Profession	Lawyer

Kiritapu Lyndsay Allan (born 1984) is a New Zealand lawyer and former politician. She was a member of Parliament (MP) in New Zealand from 2017 to 2023. She represented the Labour Party for the East Coast area.

Kiri Allan served as a minister in the New Zealand government. She worked under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and later under Chris Hipkins. Her roles included Minister for Emergency Management and Minister of Conservation. She also served as Minister of Justice. In July 2023, she decided to step down from her roles. She also chose not to run for Parliament again.

Early Life and Education

Kiri Allan was born in Te Karaka, New Zealand, in 1984. She is of Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Tūwharetoa Māori descent. Kiri was the ninth of ten children in her family. As a baby, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Gail and David Allan. This is a Māori custom called whāngai, where a child is raised by relatives.

She attended Auckland Girls' Grammar for a few years. At 16, she left high school and started working at a KFC restaurant. She also joined a union to help workers. When she was 17, she traveled south and worked picking cherries.

At age 19, Kiri went to Victoria University of Wellington. She studied law and politics there. During her studies, she worked as an intern for Prime Minister Helen Clark. This experience helped her learn about government.

Legal Career

After finishing her law degree, Kiri Allan worked as a judge's clerk. This job involves helping judges with their legal research. She then worked at a law firm called ChenPalmer for two years.

Later, she joined Kāhui Legal, a special law firm. This firm focuses on legal issues important to Māori development. She worked in Whakatāne before deciding to become a politician.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Kiri Allan first ran for Parliament in the 2017 New Zealand general election. She stood for the Labour Party in the East Coast area. She was also placed 21st on Labour's party list. This list helps people become MPs even if they don't win an electorate seat.

She had strong support from former politicians Sir Michael Cullen and Lady Anne Collins. Kiri came second in her local election. However, she still entered Parliament through the party list system. In her first speech in Parliament, she shared a poem she wrote about seeing the Beehive (New Zealand's Parliament building) when she was 17.

In her first term, Kiri Allan worked on important committees. These included the finance and spending committee. She also became a junior whip for the Labour Party. A whip helps make sure party members vote together. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined the Epidemic Response Committee. She also led Labour's group focused on rural issues.

In 2018, Kiri started a podcast called Authorised By. She hosted it with Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick. They wanted to help everyday New Zealanders understand politics better. By the end of that year, Kiri was seen as a strong new politician. Many thought she could become a minister in the future.

For the 2020 New Zealand general election, Kiri Allan was ranked 25th on Labour's party list. She ran for the East Coast seat again. The previous MP, Anne Tolley, retired, making the seat open. Labour won a large victory across the country. Kiri Allan won the East Coast seat by over 6,000 votes. This was her first time winning an electorate seat.

Minister in Government

Electoral portrait, 2020

In November 2020, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Kiri Allan would become a minister. She was appointed Minister for Conservation and Minister for Emergency Management. She also took on other roles related to arts, culture, heritage, and the environment.

Kiri Allan became well-known in early 2021. She led press conferences about tsunami threats after strong earthquakes. These events led to the biggest evacuation in New Zealand's history. People praised her clear and calm way of speaking. This was especially impressive because she had just received a serious health diagnosis that same morning. She took three months off for treatment and later recovered fully.

As Conservation Minister, Kiri Allan helped with the "Jobs for Nature" program. This program created jobs focused on protecting nature. She also announced a review of the Wildlife Act. As Minister for Emergency Management, she worked to update laws for managing emergencies. She also helped create a new public holiday for Matariki, a special Māori celebration.

In June 2022, Kiri Allan was promoted to Minister of Justice. She also joined the government's economic team. When Jacinda Ardern resigned in January 2023, Kiri Allan supported Chris Hipkins to become the new Prime Minister. Hipkins kept her as Justice Minister and gave her new roles. She became Minister for Regional Development and Associate Minister of Transport. She played a key role in helping regions recover after Cyclone Gabrielle.

As Justice Minister, Kiri Allan worked on many new laws. She led efforts to change election rules. This included making it easier for New Zealanders living overseas to vote. She also worked on allowing more people to get legal help if they couldn't afford it. She also worked on new rules about selling alcohol, hate speech, and counter-terrorism.

In mid-2023, Kiri Allan took time off from her parliamentary duties. This was due to personal challenges. On 24 July 2023, she decided to resign from all her ministerial roles. She also announced she would not seek re-election to Parliament.

In September 2023, Kiri Allan was given the title The Honourable for life. This was in recognition of her service as a government minister.

Personal Life and Health

Kiri Allan married Natalie Coates in 2016. They had a baby just before the 2017 election. Kiri often brought her baby to Parliament. Kiri and Natalie divorced in May 2022.

In April 2021, Kiri Allan announced she had been diagnosed with a serious illness. She took medical leave from Parliament for treatment. In December 2021, she announced she was healthy again. She encouraged everyone to get regular health checks.

In 2022, Kiri Allan became engaged to Māni Dunlop. However, they broke up in 2023. Kiri took time off from Parliament in June and July 2023 to deal with personal challenges. After leaving Parliament, Kiri Allan shared that she had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

After leaving Parliament, Kiri Allan announced she is writing a book. She also started her own company that helps people connect with politicians.

Images for kids

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  Allan in 2019

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  Electoral portrait, 2020