The wilderness of opposition can be a gift, or it can be a curse.   

For former ministers, the drop from the lofty heights of the 6th 7th, or 8th floors of the Beehive can be a long way to fall.   

One day you’re surrounded by staff at your every beck and call and the power of a Crown ministry at your disposal.   

The next, you’re in a shoebox office on the other side of Parliament – struggling to get a call back from the reporters who used to hang off you’re every word.   

To say it’s an adjustment is an understatement.   

But it’s not all bad news.   

In Government, the spotlight tends to be on a handful of select ministers – making it hard to stand out and make a name for yourself.   

In opposition, the opportunities are bountiful for those ambitious enough to take them.   

Over the coming years, there will be those within Labour’s caucus who will seize this opportunity – setting themselves up for plum ministerial positions next time the party is in Government.   

Labour has a handful of former ministers – Ayesha Verrall, Ginny Andersen and Kieran McAnulty – who will pick up the mantle at the top of the party’s pecking order as the deck chairs inevitably shift over the coming years.  

All three have already proven themselves Labour’s MVPs early in this term.    

But the party also has some lesser-known, up-and-coming heavy hitters.  

Barbara Edmonds  

Edmonds is seen by Labour’s hierarchy as its future of finance. She was a minister in the twilight of the previous Government, holding responsibility for Economic Development, Internal Affairs, and Pacific Peoples. But it was her Revenue responsibilities which set her up for success.   

Before becoming an MP in 2020 she was a tax lawyer and had worked under then-Revenue Minister Judith Collins – so she’s worked in fast-paced and dynamic work environments.  

She’s yet to strike any major blows in the House – but major blows are not expected yet. Grant Robertson is not expected to remain an MP until the next election, and Edmonds is Labour’s finance spokesperson-in-waiting. Going against Nicola Willis will be a challenge, but in that challenge comes a remarkable opportunity to step up.   

Tangi Utikere  

Outside the great city of Palmerston North, the name Tangi Utikere is not likely to ring a bell for most. He was on the city’s council for 10 years before becoming deputy mayor in 2016 – a role he held until he was elected to Parliament in 2020.   

Last year, he retained that seat against the blue wave and was rewarded with the shadow transport portfolio. Transport is a big deal in opposition. It’s a big, meaty responsibility, with opportunities to score big hits on the Government at any given time. He’s been a regular feature of Question Time, grilling Transport Minister Simeon Brown on his roading and infrastructure plans and has found his feet in the role impressively quickly.  

A word of warning to the Palmy native: underestimate Brown at your peril; he was once in your shoes and he's the poster child of opposition politics done perfectly.   

Arena Williams    

Williams’ first foray into politics set her up well for how much of a blood sport it can be. In 2020, she sought the nomination for the safe Labour seat of Manurewa – only to have her nomination challenged by now-former MP Louisa Wall. Such internal scraps are rarely made public, but Williams found herself at the centre of a nasty battle.   

Four years on, and she’s found her feet in opposition. But her star has shone most brightly behind the scenes. Not at Question Time, or in front of the press; but in the dimly lit select committee rooms and during the often-mundane committee of the whole House debates late on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.   

As the Government was ramming through bill after bill in urgency at the end of last year, Williams was often there in staunch opposition; debating areas of the bills she saw as flawed and in need of major amendment.   

Her lines of questioning to KiwiRail bosses over its role in Auckland’s overheated train track omnishambles this week were also impressive. Labour’s top brass would do well to reward her in its next reshuffle.   

Camilla Belich  

Belich was often there alongside Williams during those late nights in the House and is also one to watch this term. Her background as an employment lawyer makes her perfectly suited as Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson. And very few portfolios are more quintessentially Labour Party than this one. She’ll have the opportunity to make a name for herself, as she goes to war with the Government over it repealing fair pay agreements and myriad policies that Labour’s base sees as an attack on workers.  

Rachel Brooking   

Rachel Brooking is a nerd - and she’ll be the first to admit it. Not many people would admit to being obsessed with the RMA but Brooking knows that 900-page piece of 30-year-old legislation like the back of her hand. That will come in handy as the Government looks to, yet again, reform this law. Expect to see a lot of Brooking as that work continues to progress.   

But she’ll need more than a love affair with a boring law to stand out in Labour’s crowd, and her big break is unlikely to come from her food safety portfolio. Maybe she’ll have more luck with taking on the Minister of Space...