Shane Jones: podcast appearances and interviews

Shane Geoffrey Jones, born on September 3, 1959, is a New Zealand politician and a member of New Zealand First. He has served as a Member of Parliament in the New Zealand House of Representatives and is currently the Associate Energy Minister. Jones has held various ministerial roles throughout his career, including Minister for Regional Economic Development, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Resources. His political journey began in 2005 when he was elected as a list MP for the Labour Party. During the first term of the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, he served as Minister for Building and Construction. After Labour's defeat in the 2008 election, Jones continued his parliamentary career as a senior opposition MP and sought the Labour Party leadership in 2013, though he was unsuccessful. He briefly left parliament for a diplomatic role in 2014 before returning to politics as a New Zealand First MP in 2017. During the coalition government from 2017 to 2020, he held ministerial portfolios related to regional economic development and forestry. In the 2023 general election, Jones was re-elected for a fifth non-consecutive term and is serving in the current government as Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Resources.