Labour MP and former principal Jan Tinetti admits she’s feeling a “little bit of grief” after losing the education portfolio in Labour’s recent caucus reshuffle.

Tinetti was one of several experienced Labour MPs moved from portfolios they’d held either as a minister or for some time as an Opposition MP in what party leader Chris Hipkins described as a caucus “refresh” intended to diversify the skills of his MPs.

Alongside Tinetti losing education to Willow-Jean Prime, deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni lost social development so she could focus on the Auckland issues portfolio, which had been held by former Northcote MP Shanan Halbert. Kieran McAnulty dropped local government for the new portfolio of infrastructure and public investment.

Tinetti, who had not attended Hipkins’ reshuffle announcement in Auckland last week, today told reporters she was sad to relinquish education.

“It’s 39 years since I first became involved in the schooling sector, and that’s a long time, so there’s a little bit of grief involved in that but at the same time, I’m incredibly excited around the new challenges.”

She dismissed suggestions the decision reflected her poor performance as the former minister or now in opposition.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins announced his caucus reshuffle in Auckland last week. Photo / Dean Purcell

Tinetti and other MPs had had discussions with Hipkins late last year about portfolio allocation, during which Hipkins had indicated a refresh was coming and as such, Tinetti suspected education would be taken off her.

“I said that I’m going to be quite upfront about the fact that I’m quite sad to lose it, I never once asked for it because [they are] decisions that get made at a different level.”

At the time, she had asked to retain the early childhood education portfolio. She did so, alongside child poverty reduction. Tinetti was also given the social investment and workplace relations portfolios.

Tinetti suggested it was unlikely she would return to education, even if Labour returned to government.

“It might be something that is off the table because I might be looking at different areas in the portfolios that I’m building up at this stage.”

Halbert said he was naturally “disappointed” to lose the Auckland portfolio after the work he had done to grow Labour’s presence in the city after a drastic drop in support from Aucklanders in the 2023 election.

However, he noted he remained the party’s Auckland caucus chairman and said Sepuloni leading the portfolio would “add teeth” to Labour’s approach to winning back Auckland.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.