Former Labour leader Andrew Little to step back into active politics, eyes Wellington Mayor's post

Andrew Little, a former tax consultant, is actively considering running for Wellington Mayor. Little took the decision to once again join the election bandwagon after leaving active politics in 2023.

Little had entered Parliament in 2011 after working as head of New Zealand’s largest union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union. A Labour Party leader from 2014 to 2017, Little also held the position of the Leader of Opposition in New Zealand Parliament.

Just seven weeks after his election, he decided to hand over the leadership to Jacinda Ardern, who went on to become the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He had held several Cabinet positions, such as Minister of Health, Justice and Immigration in the Ardern government and later under the prime ministership of Chris Hipkins.


With Little being in Parliament for only three years, Labour Party saw a revolving door of leaders like Phil Goff, David Shearer and David Cunliffe after he quit.

He was the New Zealand Health Minister during the Covid-19 years. He was assigned these positions in the 2020 elections and he oversaw the sector scrapping 20 district health boards and replacing two new entities - Health New Zealand and the Maori health Authority.

He also held senior ministerial roles such as Minister for Treaty Negotiations, Defence, the Security Intelligence Service, Justice, and Immigration.

Little faced a defamation trial in April, 2017, after a couple sued him following comments allegedly made by him in Parliament regarding a donation to the National Party.

He was also accused of the internal intern scheme which was originally organised to bring volunteers to help the party during the campaign. The news of the alleged scam had spread like wildfires in the media after some people complained about the living conditions.