Shane Jones

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Shane Jones
Shane Jones at a forum in 2007
Member of the 48th New Zealand Parliament for (List MP - position 27)
Minister for Building and Construction
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 October 2007
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Clayton Cosgrove

Born	September 3, 1959 (1959-09-03) (age 48) Awanui, Tai Tokerau, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Ngareta
Children	seven
Residence	Mangonui; Wellington
Alma mater	Auckland University Victoria University University of Western Australia Harvard University

Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician. He stood in the 2005 elections for the Labour Party, being ranked twenty-seventh on its party list. This is the highest position given by Labour to someone who was not already a member of Parliament. He took his seat in the new parliament after the Labour Party won 50 seats in New Zealand's 120 seat parliament.

Jones held a number of senior roles in the public sector, being best known for his work as chairman of the Waitangi Fisheries Commission. He also worked for the Ministry for the Environment and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Jones is Māori, of Te Aupōuri and Ngai Takoto descent, as well as having Dalmatian ancestry.^[1]^[2] He has a BA and an MPA, and was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to study at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

After his entry into the parliament, after 2005 Election, Jones became Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. He has often been speculated by the media and amongst his colleagues as the future leader of the Labour Party.^[2]

In the Cabinet re-shuffle on 31 October 2007, Jones was made a Cabinet Minister with the portfolios of Building and Construction, and was made an Associate Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Immigration and Trade.