Shane Reti

Born in Hamilton in 1963, Reti is of Māori descent, and has tribal affiliations to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kura. He was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Minidoka County High School in Idaho, United States. He then studied at the University of Waikato from 1981 to 1982 and the University of Auckland between 1982 and 1987 and in 1989, graduating from the latter with a Bachelor of Human Biology in 1985, MB ChB in 1987 and a Diploma in Obstetrics in 1989. He was also awarded a Diploma in Dermatological Science by the University of Wales, Cardiff in 1991.

Reti served in the Territorial Force from 1983 to 1987.[1] He played badminton for Waikato between 1978 and 1982.[1]

Reti has three adult children: two daughters and one son.[2]

He was a general practitioner for 17 years.[3][4] For seven years, he was a member of the Northland District Health Board.[4] In the 2006 New Year Honours, he was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for public services.[5]

In 2007, he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and moved to Massachusetts to work at Harvard University.[4][6] Reti remained in Boston for six years and resisted offers by Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and Harvard Medical School to extend his stay.[4]

Early in 2014, Reti won the National Party nomination in the safe Whangarei electorate against sitting list MP Paul Foster-Bell for the 2014 election.[6] At the 2014 election, he had a large margin over Labour's Kelly Ellis.[6]

During the Northland by-election, Reti was accused of bullying Alex Wright of the Pipiwai Titoki Advocacy group, a group campaigning to seal the "dusty and dangerous foresty roads" in Northland. Wright claimed that Reti rang her and told her to keep quiet until after the by-election or get nothing. Reti responded that he was attempting to help the group.[7]

During the 2017 election, Shane Reti was re-elected in Whangarei, defeating Labour candidate Tony John Savage by a margin of 10,967 votes.[8] Following the formation of the Labour-led coalition government, Reti became National's Associate Spokesperson for Health and Deputy Chaiperson of the Health Select Committee. He was later appointed as the party's spokesperson for "data and cybersecurity" and "disability issues."[9] In January 2019, Reti was designated as National's spokesperson for "tertiary education, skills, and employment."[10][11]

Since 25 March 2020, Reti has been a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considers the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]