Dr Ayesha Verrall is a Labour List MP, and has previously held the roles of Minister of Health and Minister of Research, Science and Innovation, as well as the Minister for COVID-19 Response and Minister for Seniors. 

Ayesha is an infectious diseases doctor. She is passionate about preventing illness so that every New Zealander can enjoy good health and live a free and full life. Ayesha is a Labour list MP from Wellington, and has previously been the Minister for Food Safety.

Ayesha grew up in Te Anau. She attended medical school at the University of Otago and worked as a junior doctor at Wellington hospital. Ayesha completed her specialist training in Singapore and researched tuberculosis in Indonesia.

In 2019 Ayesha was elected to the Capital and Coast District Health Board on a Labour ticket. She is an expert on vaccines, tuberculosis and COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic response, Ayesha was instrumental in efforts to improve New Zealand’s contact tracing.

Ayesha lives in Wellington with her partner Alice and their daughter.

Latest news and updates:

• Smoking numbers up under Costello’s watch – National’s repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation has taken New Zealand further away from achieving a Smokefree 2025 and a smokefree generation.
  
  
• 1500 Te Whatu Ora cuts will hurt New Zealanders’ health – Massive cuts across Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora demonstrate National’s willingness to risk the health of New Zealanders.
  
  
• Health NZ admits errors led to claimed deficit – Health New Zealand has exaggerated its deficit to justify job cuts. The agency revealed “accounting judgement errors” that have led to a deficit that has been used to justify wide-ranging cuts to staff and services.
  
  
• Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons – Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors.
  
  
• Labour calls for investigation into tobacco tax cut – The Government’s decision to award a $216 million tax break for Philip Morris’ heated tobacco products reeks of tobacco industry interference and needs to be thoroughly investigated.
  
  
• Tell National what their $216m tobacco tax cut could have funded instead