After the December reshuffle, the New Zealand government includes, for the first time, a Minister for Social Investment. In Hon Amy Adams, the Investment Approach now has a prominent seat at the cabinet table - she is ranked 6th in Prime Minister English's administration.
We look forward to hearing from the Minister how the government will continue to develop the Investment Approach. What will it do to improve New Zealanders’ lives? And how will it help deliver better public outcomes at lower costs?
About the speaker
Amy Adams was first elected to Parliament as the MP for Selwyn in 2008 and was re-elected by the voters of Selwyn in the following three elections.
Amy was educated at Rangitoto College in Auckland, moved to Canterbury in 1988 and has been a proud Cantabrian ever since.
Amy studied law at Canterbury University, graduating with first class honours in 1992. Before entering politics, she was a partner with Mortlock McCormack Law in Christchurch, specialising in commercial and property law.
In her first parliamentary term, Amy served as Chairperson of both the Finance and Expenditure and Electoral Legislation select committees. She was also a member of the Justice and Electoral and Regulations Review Committees.
Following her re-election in 2011, Amy joined Cabinet as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery. In April 2012, Amy took over from Nick Smith as the Minister for the Environment and relinquished the Internal Affairs portfolio.
Amy regained the seat of Selwyn in September 2014, receiving the largest majority in the country and joined National’s front bench as the new Minister of Justice, Minister for Courts, Minister of Broadcasting and Minister for Communications. Following the portfolio reshuffle in December 2016, Amy retained the Justice and Courts portfolios and was also made Minister of Social Housing, Minister Responsible for Social Investment, Associate Finance Minister and Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand.
With a change of Government following the 2017 election and a subsequent reshuffle in March 2018, Amy was elevated to be ranked number 3 in the caucus and was named National’s finance spokesperson.
Amy lives in West Melton with her husband Don, who is a sheep and crop farmer. They have two children.
Amy is a keen follower of, and occasional participant in, sport, and is a member of the Parliamentary netball team.
Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. For more information about being a member please visit our Membership page.