| Cabinet Name: | Shadow Cabinet of Simon Bridges |
| Cabinet Type: | Shadow Cabinet |
| Jurisdiction: | New Zealand |
| Flag: | Flag of New Zealand.svg |
| Flag Border: | true |
| Incumbent: | 27 February 2018 – 22 May 2020 |
| Date Formed: | 27 February 2018 |
| Date Dissolved: | 22 May 2020 |
| Government Head Title: | Leader of the Opposition |
| Government Head: | Simon Bridges |
| Other Government Minister Title: | Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
| Other Government Minister: | Paula Bennett |
| State Head Title: | Monarch |
| State Head: | Elizabeth II |
| Election(S): | 27 February 2018 22 May 2020 |
| Previous: | Second Shadow Cabinet of Bill English |
| Successor: | Shadow Cabinet of Todd Muller |
The Shadow Cabinet of Simon Bridges was the official Opposition in the 52nd New Zealand Parliament between 11 March 2018 and 22 May 2020. It comprised all members of the New Zealand National Party, which was the largest party not a member of the Government.
Simon Bridges was elected Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition on 27 February 2020 and announced his first shadow cabinet two weeks later.[1] The portfolio allocations were amended six times during the term as a number of National members of Parliament either resigned or announced their intention not to contest the 2020 general election.
Following Bridges' defeat by Todd Muller in the May 2020 National Party leadership election and the formation of Muller's shadow Cabinet,[2] the Bridges shadow Cabinet ceased to exist.
Bridges followed his predecessor Bill English's lead by naming each of National's 56 members of Parliament to at least one spokesperson or associate spokesperson role. Like English, Bridges took no portfolios other than national security and intelligence, which is traditionally held by the Leader of the Opposition. His deputy, Paula Bennett, was given responsibility for social investment and social services; tertiary education, skills and employment; and women.
Commentators noticed that the initial portfolio allocations and caucus rankings rewarded Bridges' rivals for the leadership.[3] Former justice minister Amy Adams, who had placed second in the leadership election, was named finance spokesperson and was ranked third. Judith Collins, who finished third, was placed at fourth rank, and received the housing portfolio, which she had asked for. Previous aspirants to the leadership, Jonathan Coleman and Mark Mitchell were also ranked highly, in sixth and seventh position respectively. Bridges' allies Todd McClay and Jami-Lee Ross were placed fifth and eighth respectively. Ross was the highest-ranked National MP who did not serve as a minister in the previous National-led government. The front bench was completed economic and regional development spokesperson Paul Goldsmith and education spokesperson Nikki Kaye. Melissa Lee and Sarah Dowie were the other two non-ministers to gain promotion to the top twenty.
Bridges had promised "generational change" on his ascension to the leadership.[4] The front bench line up in particular was praised for including a high proportion of women MPs.[5] Bridges and Bennett were, notably, the first National leadership team both to be of Māori descent.[6] Bridges also placed several former ministers in lower positions than they had held in the English shadow Cabinet. Former senior minister Gerry Brownlee lost the foreign affairs portfolio to McClay, while former finance minister Steven Joyce resigned from Parliament when he was not offered the finance portfolio.[7] Former conservation minister Maggie Barry (who had openly supported Amy Adams' leadership bid) and customs minister Nicky Wagner were also demoted. The twelve new MPs elected in the 2017 general election were listed last, alphabetically by surname. Whānau Ora spokesperson Jo Hayes was the lowest ranked returning MP.
Portfolio allocations were amended six times throughout Bridges' tenure as leader to accommodate the departures or planned retirements of members. The first change was made two weeks after the formation of the shadow Cabinet, on 26 March, with the resignation of Jonathan Coleman. Coleman had been the spokesperson for health and sport and recreation, portfolios he had held ministerial warrants for in the previous government. Michael Woodhouse, a former hospital chief executive, gained health. Education spokesperson Nikki Kaye picked up sport and recreation. Woodhouse's portfolio of workplace relations and safety was added to the responsibilities of environment spokesperson Scott Simpson.[8]
In October 2018, a series of events that involved the leaking of Bridges' travel expenses saw transport and infrastructure spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross stand down from his portfolios while undertaking personal leave before resigning from the National Party. Judith Collins and Paul Goldsmith picked up Ross's portfolios.[9] The third resignation, in January 2019, was of former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson.[10] [11] His shadow Attorney-General portfolio went to Amy Adams and a new drug reform portfolio, responding to the Government's decision to hold a referendum on legalising the sale, use, possession and production of cannabis in 2020, was assigned to Paula Bennett.
In June 2019, finance spokesperson Amy Adams and Wairarapa MP Alastair Scott announced they would not seek re-election to Parliament at the 2020 general election. Along with the retirement of list MP and Māori development spokesperson Nuk Korako in mid-May, this triggered a broad reshuffle.[12] Paul Goldsmith was promoted to be the third-ranked MP, holding the finance portfolio. Goldsmith's economic and regional development portfolios were split between Todd McClay and Chris Bishop, who was promoted to the second bench and also gained the transport portfolio. Jo Hayes was promoted to be spokesperson for Māori development and Treaty of Waitangi negotiations, but retained a low ranking. Tim Macindoe became Shadow Attorney-General and Gerry Brownlee returned as foreign affairs spokesperson.
Agriculture spokesperson Nathan Guy announced his intention to retire at the next election in July 2019. He was replaced by Bridges' eventual successor to the leadership, Todd Muller, whose climate change portfolio was passed to Simpson.[13] The sixth and final reshuffle, in February 2020, featured minor redistributions of portfolios following announcements that Maggie Barry (on 5 November 2019), Nicky Wagner, Sarah Dowie and David Carter (all on 11 February 2020, although Carter had previously indicated his intentions on 17 October 2018[14]) would retire at the next election.[15]
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