Rachel Brooking

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Rachel Brooking

| honorific-suffix = MP

|image = Profile--rachelbrooking-2-390x2-UNC.jpg

|imagesize =

|caption = Brooking in 2023

|order = 13th Minister for Oceans and Fisheries

|term_start = 12 April 2023

|term_end = 27 November 2023

|predecessor = David Parker (acting)

|successor = Shane Jones

|primeminister = Chris Hipkins

|constituency_MP3 = Dunedin

|parliament3 = New Zealand

|term_start3 = 14 October 2023

|term_end3 =

|predecessor3 = David Clark

|successor3 =

|constituency_MP4 = Labour party list

|parliament4 = New Zealand

|term_start4 = 17 October 2020

|term_end4 = 14 October 2023

|predecessor4 =

|successor4 =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|10|18|df=y}}

|birth_place =

|residence =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Labour

|religion =

|relations =

|profession = Lawyer

|alma_mater = University of Otago

|spouse = Chris Jackson

|children = 3

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Rachel Jane Brooking{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20201125_039660000/event|title=Event – New Zealand Parliament|website=www.parliament.nz}} (born 18 October 1975) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament who served as the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and Minister for Food Safety in the Sixth Labour Government. She first became an MP at the 2020 New Zealand general election.{{Cite news |via=The New Zealand Herald |title=Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament |url= https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/vote-2020/election-2020-the-forty-newcomers-entering-parliament/ |date=18 October 2020 |access-date=16 November 2020 |work=Newstalk ZB |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201022040442/https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/vote-2020/election-2020-the-forty-newcomers-entering-parliament/ |archive-date=22 October 2020}} She is a lawyer by profession.

Biography

Brooking has a double degree in ecology and law from the University of Otago.

Prior to entering Parliament, Brooking worked as a lawyer.{{cite web |last1=McNeilly |first1=Hamish |title=Simon Bridges confident National can breach Labour's southern stronghold |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119684668/simon-bridges-confident-national-can-breach-labours-southern-stronghold |website=Stuff |access-date=27 July 2020 |date=20 February 2020}} She specialised in environmental, resource management and local government law, and worked for a period for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in Wellington before returning to Dunedin to practice law with Anderson Lloyd. In 2019, Brooking was appointed to a government panel charged with reviewing the Resource Management Act 1991.{{cite web |last1=Law |first1=Tina |title=Double celebration for new Labour list MP |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/123127081/election-2020-double-celebration-for-new-labour-list-mp |website=Stuff |access-date=19 October 2020 |date=18 October 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Dolor|first=Sol|date=18 September 2019|title=Senior Anderson Lloyd lawyers join environment advisory panels|url=https://www.thelawyermag.com/nz/news/general/senior-anderson-lloyd-lawyers-join-environment-advisory-panels/207923|access-date=20 October 2020|website=www.thelawyermag.com|language=en}} She was previously the chair of the Otago/Southland branch of the Resource Management Law Association.

Brooking became a student activist in 1994, her first year at university, protesting against education minister Lockwood Smith over excessively high student fees. She was elected president of the Otago University Students' Association in 1997.{{cite web |last1=Houlahan |first1=Mike |title=From student activist to Labour list MP |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/decision-2020/student-activist-labour-list-mp |website=Otago Daily Times |access-date=19 October 2020 |date=19 October 2020}} In 2010, Brooking was appointed to the board of University Book Shop (Otago) Ltd, and in 2019 to the board of Dunedin International Airport.

=Political career=

{{NZ parlbox|term=53rd

|start ={{NZ election link year|2020}}

|end=2023

|electorate=List

|party=New Zealand Labour Party

|list=46

}}

{{NZ parlbox|term=54th

|start = {{NZ election link year|2023}}

|end=present

|electorate=Dunedin

|party=New Zealand Labour Party

|list=23

}}

=First term, 2020–2023=

At the {{NZ election link|2020}} Brooking stood for Parliament for the Labour Party. She hoped to be Labour's candidate for the {{NZ electorate link|Dunedin South}} electorate, later renamed Taieri, but Labour selected Ingrid Leary instead.{{cite news |last=Houlahan |first=Mike |date=2 March 2020 |title=Labour picks Dunedin South seat candidate |work=Otago Daily Times |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/labour-picks-dunedin-south-seat-candidate |access-date=5 May 2020 }} Brooking was ranked 46 on the party list,{{cite web |title=Labour announces list for 2020 Election |url=https://www.labour.org.nz/2020-list |website=Labour |access-date=27 July 2020}} which was a high enough ranking to enter Parliament.{{cite web |title=2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates |url=https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/successful-candidates.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=5 February 2021}} In her first term, she was appointed deputy chair of the environment committee and the regulations review committee.{{Cite web |title=Brooking, Rachel – New Zealand Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/brooking-rachel/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |website=www.parliament.nz |language=en}}

The day after Dunedin MP David Clark announced on 13 December 2022 that he would retire, Brooking said she would seek the Labour candidacy for the electorate in 2023,{{Cite news|last=Houlahan |first=Mike |date=14 December 2022|title=Brooking puts name forward for seat |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/brooking-puts-name-forward-seat |access-date=4 January 2023|work=Otago Daily Times |language=en }} for which she was selected.{{Cite news|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/brooking-contest-seat-election |title=Brooking to contest seat at election |work=Otago Daily Times |date=4 March 2023 |access-date=10 March 2023 |language=en |url-access=subscription }}

On 11 April 2023, Brooking was appointed as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, and also allocated the associate environment and immigration portfolios.{{cite news |title=Rise for Brooking in Cabinet reshuffle |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/rise-brooking-cabinet-reshuffle |access-date=12 April 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=11 April 2023}} She was a minister outside cabinet.{{Cite web |title=Ministerial List {{!}} Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/ministers-and-their-portfolios/ministerial-list |access-date=6 May 2023 |website=www.dpmc.govt.nz |language=en}} Brooking was given the Food Safety portfolio following Meka Whaitiri's switch to Te Pāti Māori.{{Cite web |date=8 May 2023 |title=Hipkins reallocates Meka Whaitiri's portfolios |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/489528/hipkins-reallocates-meka-whaitiri-s-portfolios |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}

On 6 October 2023 Brooking, in her capacity as Oceans and Fisheries Minister, along with Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime announced that the Government would create six new marine reserves between Timaru and the Catlins in the lower South Island.{{cite news |title=Government announces six new South Island marine reserves |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/499457/government-announces-six-new-south-island-marine-reserves |access-date=6 October 2023 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005042306/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/499457/government-announces-six-new-south-island-marine-reserves |archive-date=5 October 2023|url-status=live}} In late June 2024, the Department of Conservation delayed plans to create these six marine reserves, citing logistical concerns.{{cite news |last1=MacLean |first1=Hamish |title=Marine reserve creation delayed |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/marine-reserve-creation-delayed |access-date=15 November 2024 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=24 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715141047/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/marine-reserve-creation-delayed |archive-date=15 July 2024}}

=Second term, 2023–present=

During the 2023 election, she won the Dunedin electorate seat, defeating National's candidate Michael Woodhouse by a margin of 7,980 votes.{{Cite web |date=3 November 2023|title=Dunedin – Official Result|url=https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-08.html |access-date=20 November 2023 |publisher=Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104114/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-08.html|archive-date=23 November 2023|url-status=live}}

In late November 2023, Brooking was given the environment, food safety, and space portfolios in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.{{cite news |title=Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins reveals new shadow Cabinet |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/503581/labour-party-leader-chris-hipkins-reveals-new-shadow-cabinet |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=30 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204120147/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/503581/labour-party-leader-chris-hipkins-reveals-new-shadow-cabinet |archive-date=4 December 2023}}

On 5 December 2023, Brooking was granted retention of the title The Honourable, in recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council.{{cite news |url=https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2023-vr5732 |title=Retention of the title "The Honourable" |date=8 December 2023 |work=New Zealand Gazette |access-date=8 December 2023}}

On 7 March 2025, Brooking gained the RMA Reform portfolio in addition to her existing portfolios.{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Russell |title=Chris Hipkins announces new Labour 'economic team', Tangi Utikere promoted |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/544048/chris-hipkins-announces-new-labour-economic-team-tangi-utikere-promoted |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=7 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307011659/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/544048/chris-hipkins-announces-new-labour-economic-team-tangi-utikere-promoted |archive-date=7 March 2025}}

Personal life

Brooking is married to Chris Jackson, a cancer specialist who was the medical director for the Cancer Society of New Zealand. They have three children. Her father {{Ill|Tom Brooking|de}} is an emeritus history professor and retired lecturer at the University of Otago.{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Chris |title=Emeritus professor's life saved by friend's CPR |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/emeritus-professors-life-saved-friends-cpr |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=23 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221001638/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/emeritus-professors-life-saved-friends-cpr|archive-date=21 February 2022|url-status=live}}