Safe battleground

Mana

General electorate

—

days to election day

What it takes to flip this seat

Barbara Edmonds won by 7,324 votes in 2023. 3,662 voters switching to a challenger would have flipped Mana.

In the news

Coverage naming Mana or Barbara, from our tracked feeds.

The roster

The defender's record, and who's confirmed to challenge them in 2026.

Won Mana by a majority of 7,324 in 2023, making it a safe seat.

Barbara Rachael Fati Palepa Edmonds is a New Zealand politician. She was elected as the Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mana, representing the Labour Party, in 2020. She served as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister of Revenue and Minister for Economic Development in the final year of the Sixth Labour Government.

Full MP profile

What Barbara has prioritised this term

Official roles, sourced from parliament.nz.

Spokesperson roles

Finance and Economy
Savings and Investment

Select committees

Finance and Expenditure

Legislative activity this term

From Parliament's official bills record, as at 28 August 2026.

Members' bill in the ballot (1)

Parliamentary Budget Officer Bill

Written questions to Ministers this term

What is this, and why does it matter to you?

Any MP can put a written question to a Minister, demanding information on the record. The Minister must reply, usually within days. It costs nothing and needs no debate, which makes it the main day-to-day tool MPs use to hold the government to account between bills. It matters most for opposition MPs, who can't pass laws but can still force information into the open. Which Ministers an MP questions most, below, is a numbers-based picture of what they watch on your behalf, and it's worth comparing against what they say they prioritise.

7,068written questions asked since the 2023 election

Where it's gone, by Minister

Associate Minister of Finance

1215

Minister of Finance

1113

Minister for Infrastructure

Battlegrounds map 2026 election

2023 result and margin: Electoral Commission. 2026 candidates are added only once officially confirmed — never assumed.

Read 5 recent questions & replies, in Barbara’s and the Minister’s own words

To the Minister of Finance · 2026-08-18

"What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 10 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?"

Reply not yet due or not yet published.

To the Minister of Finance · 2026-08-18

"What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?"

Reply not yet due or not yet published.

To the Associate Minister of Finance · 2026-08-18

"What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?"

Reply not yet due or not yet published.

To the Minister of Finance · 2026-08-10

"What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 3 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?"

Reply: The Treasury publishes a monthly list of titles and dates of advice to Ministers, by the middle of the month after the advice is provided. I refer the member to that list, which can be found here: https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/budgets/titles-advice-ministers. It is my view that the application of additional resources to answer this and similar questions now is not a good use of taxpayer funds and therefore not in the public interest.

To the Minister of Finance · 2026-08-10

"What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 3 August 2026, by title and date?"

Reply: With the exception of Cabinet Appointments and Honours (APH) papers and minutes, all Cabinet and Cabinet committee papers and minutes must be proactively released and published online within 30 business days of final decisions being taken by Cabinet, unless there is good reason not to publish all or part of the material, or to delay the release beyond 30 business days. It is my view that the application of additional resources to answer this and similar questions now is not a good use of taxpaye…