Chlöe Swarbrick
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Chlöe Charlotte Swarbrick (born 26 June 1994) is a New Zealand politician. Following a high-profile but unsuccessful run for the
2016 Auckland mayoral election An election was held for the Mayor of Auckland in September and October 2016, closing on 8 October, as part of the 2016 Auckland local government elections. Phil Goff was elected. Background Len Brown, previously the Mayor of Manukau City, ...
, she became a parliamentary candidate for the
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (), commonly known as Green or the Greens, is a Green politics, green List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand. Like many green parties around the world, it has four pillar ...
, standing in the
2017 New Zealand general election The 2017 New Zealand general election took place on Saturday 23 September 2017 to determine the membership of the 52nd New Zealand Parliament. The 51st New Zealand Parliament, previous parliament was elected on 20 September 2014 and was official ...
, and was elected as a member of the New Zealand Parliament at the age of 23. In the 2020 election, Swarbrick was elected as the Member of Parliament for Auckland Central, becoming the second Green Party MP ever to win an
electorate Electorate may refer to: * The people who are eligible to vote in an election, especially their number e.g. the term ''size of (the) electorate'' * The dominion of a prince-elector in the Holy Roman Empire until 1806 * An electoral district ...
seat, and the first without a tacit endorsement from a major party leader. She retained Auckland Central in the 2023 election. In March 2024, she was elected co-leader of the Green Party. Swarbrick is Green Party Spokesperson for Mental Health, Drug Law Reform, Revenue, Climate Change, and Finance.


Early life

Swarbrick was born in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
in 1994 and went to Royal Oak Intermediate and
Epsom Girls' Grammar School Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has a roll of 2,200 as of 2025, making it one of the largest schools in New Zeala ...
. Her parents separated when she was young and she lived with her mother in the UK for six months and then with her father for 18 months in Papua New Guinea. She said her father taught her how to formulate an argument while practising her first speech at age seven. During high school, she spent a week at a time with each parent. She entered the
University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...
at age 17, and in 2016 graduated with a
Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
and a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in
Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
. She says she did not want to be a lawyer but wanted to learn more about the
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...
and the legal system.


Career

In 2012, Swarbrick opened her first business, a New Zealand-made fashion label called The Lucid Collective, with Alex Bartley Catt. Around the same time, she began working in the newsroom at the
student radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
station
95bFM 95bFM is a New Zealand college radio, student radio station. It operates in Auckland on a Schedule 7 (educational purposes) semi-commercial licence. The station is based in the Student Union Building at the University of Auckland, is owned by ...
as a news writer and newsreader, before becoming a producer and eventually host of ''The Wire''. In April 2016, she resigned from her position as a regular host. In 2014, Swarbrick wrote her first piece for ''What's Good'' magazine. She became the editor, and an owner. Later that year, The Lucid Collective held a
New Zealand Fashion Week New Zealand Fashion Week, also known as NZ Fashion Week or NZFW, is an annual Fashion Week held in New Zealand. History New Zealand Fashion Week held its first show on 23 October 2001, opened by the prime minister at the time, Helen Clark. It ...
side-show at the
Gow Langsford Gallery Gow Langsford Gallery is a commercial art gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. The gallery was established in 1987 by John Gow and Gary Langsford. Gow Langsford represents many significant New Zealand and international artists, including Max Gim ...
and participated in the "Youthquake" exhibition at the New Zealand Fashion Museum. The label went on to be stocked across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, before Swarbrick and Bartley Catt closed the business. Swarbrick launched The Goods, an offshoot of ''What's Good'', in late 2015. The project opened a pop-up store in St Kevin's Arcade on
Karangahape Road Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) is one of the main streets in the Auckland CBD, central business district (CBD) of Auckland, New Zealand. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area – and subsequent flig ...
. Swarbrick won a New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Award. In 2016, Swarbrick and Bartley Catt started a digital consultancy and artist management agency called TIPS. The pair also opened a cafe and gallery, Olly, now listed permanently closed, next to the Crystal Palace Theatre in
Mount Eden Mount Eden is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Z ...
. In May 2019, Swarbrick received the Jane Goodall Trailblazer Award. The award recognises individuals who have demonstrated dedication to the prosperity of animals, people, or the planet through their work. In 2020, Swarbrick was named to ''Fortune'' magazine's '
40 Under 40 ''Fortune'' magazine's 40 Under 40 is a list of individuals the publication considers to be the most influential young leaders for the year. The list has existed in two phases: From 1999 to 2003, the list was presented purely as a numeric rankin ...
' listing under the "Government and Politics" category. In August 2020, a short documentary film named ''Ok Chlöe'' was released about the background of Swarbrick and her political career.


Political career

Swarbrick ran in the 2016 Auckland mayoral election, coming in third place, with 29,098 votes—almost 160,000 votes behind the winner,
Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand retired politician and former diplomat. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, le ...
. In 2016 as a mayoral candidate, she gave a speech at a human blockade (organised by Auckland Peace Action) that briefly interrupted a New Zealand Defence Industry Association Forum. Swarbrick said she entered the mayoral race as a form of protest after interviewing "uninspiring" potential candidates while working as a journalist for bFM and discovering that only 34% of the electorate had voted at the previous mayoral election. Swarbrick gained significant media attention largely due to her age. After losing the mayoral race, she joined the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
. Soon after joining the Green Party, Swarbrick announced she would challenge sitting Green MP
Denise Roche Denise Maree Roche (born 9 July 1963) is a New Zealand politician. She was a member of the Waiheke Local Board and the New Zealand House of Representatives, where she represented the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2011 to 2017. Early ...
as the party's candidate in the Auckland Central electorate for the 2017 general election. Her challenge was unsuccessful, as the local branch selected Denise Roche to stand in the seat again. Swarbrick was selected instead to stand for the
Maungakiekie Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill is a volcanic peak and Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountain) in Auckland, New Zealand. It is an important place culturally and archeologically for both Māori and . The suburb around the base of the hill is also c ...
electorate, and placed 7th on the
party list An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can c ...
. At age 23, she was the youngest politician to enter Parliament in New Zealand since
Marilyn Waring Dame Marilyn Joy Waring (born 7 October 1952) is a New Zealand public policy scholar, international development consultant, former politician, environmentalist, feminist and a principal founder of feminist economics. In 1975, aged 23, she bec ...
in 1975.


First term, 2017–2020


Election access

After the 2017 general election, Swarbrick lodged the Election Access Fund Bill (a
member's bill A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
originally drafted by
Mojo Mathers Mojo Celeste Mathers (née Minrod, born 23 November 1966) is a New Zealand politician and a former Member of Parliament (New Zealand), Member of Parliament (MP) for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, Green Party. She became known through ...
) in the member's ballot and in February 2018 this bill was drawn from the ballot. This piece of legislation aims to "establish an Election Access Fund to be administered by the Electoral Commission and used by any disabled candidate to cover disability-related costs of standing in a general election, by not-for-profit bodies to cover costs of making election education events and materials accessible, and by registered political parties to support access needs of any members to allow them to participate within the party." The Bill passed its first reading in May 2018 with unanimous support. It passed its second reading in December 2019, and its third reading in March 2020. The unanimous passing of the Bill is particularly significant, as it is the first Green Party Bill to achieve this.


Drug reform

Swarbrick also inherited the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis and Other Matters) Amendment Bill from fellow Green Party MP
Julie Anne Genter Julie Anne Genter (; born 17 December 1979) is an American-born New Zealand politician who is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Genter was elected to each Parliament from 2011 to 2023 ...
. Swarbrick gained endorsements from former Prime Minister
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
and
Grey Power Grey Power (or Greypower) was an Australian political party and lobby group, first registered in 1983. At the federal elections of 1984 and 1987 it ran candidates, but on both occasions these candidates (who included former Liberal cabinet minis ...
for this piece of legislation. This Bill was however voted down in January 2018. Swarbrick has since negotiated changes to David Clark's Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act including the inclusion of local native strains of cannabis in New Zealand and a guarantee that the medicinal cannabis regulations this bill empowers be made public and functioning within a year. She is also a staunch campaigner for the legalisation of recreational cannabis. Swarbrick took on the Green Party's Drug Law Reform portfolio in January 2018. In response to New Zealand's synthetics crisis and more than 50 associated deaths, Swarbrick launched a campaign for an end to the criminalisation of drug users and addicts. Within the government's Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, Swarbrick negotiated a formalisation of police discretion that requires police 'should not' prosecute unless it is in the public interest and the user would benefit from a therapeutic approach. During 2018, Swarbrick worked with other MPs across parliament to form a Cross-Party Group on Drug Harm Reduction, she repeatedly called on the
New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party (), often shortened to National () or the Nats, is a Centre-right politics, centre-right List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand that is the current senior ruling party. It is one ...
to join this group. In response to a call from National MP Matt Doocey for cross-party work on mental health, Swarbrick proposed creating a group merging the Cross-Party Group on Drug Harm Reduction and a mental health group, in August 2019, this group, the Cross-Party Group on Mental Health and Addictions was launched, with members from every party in Parliament. From the starting point of a parliament disagreeing on how to implement medicinal cannabis, Swarbrick worked to establish a medicinal cannabis regulatory regime allowing local cannabis strains to be registered in New Zealand and removing barriers to legal and high-value careers for people with former cannabis convictions. In 2018, Swarbrick launched the political podcast ''Authorised By'' with
Kiri Allan Kiritapu Lyndsay Allan (, ; born 1984) is a New Zealand lawyer and former politician. She was a member of Parliament (MP) in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023, representing the Labour Party in the East Coast electorat ...
. Following the release of the preliminary results for the
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendums in New Zealand, referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 New Zealand general election, 2020 general election and a 2020 New Zealand euthanasia referen ...
(in which 51.17% voted against the proposed legalisation of cannabis), Swarbrick vowed to continue the fight for decriminalising cannabis. She criticised the "Say Nope to Dope" campaign for allegedly spreading misinformation and called on her fellow MPs to support drug reform.


Mental health

Swarbrick fought to secure and retain security for community mental health services. In particular, she obtained extensions to funding for Te Whare Mahana Trust in Golden Bay and Te Kuwatawata in the Gisborne region. Swarbrick also worked to establish and expand the Piki pilot programme, which provides young people aged 18–25 with free mental health support.


Climate emergency

In May 2019 Swarbrick attempted to obtain unanimous leave to pass a motion to declare a climate change emergency. This was unsuccessful due to the National Party's opposition to it.


Fossil fuel divestment

In March 2020, Swarbrick has advocated for a mandate requiring public funds to divest from
fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologica ...
. She secured a public briefing into ACC, which has nearly $1 billion invested into fossil fuels. Swarbrick has publicly challenged the Minister of Finance to use his discretion under the Crown Entities Act to take "action to prevent a climate crisis". Her Member's Bill which directs the Government to shift away from fossil fuel investment, currently sits in the ballot.


"OK boomer"

In November 2019 Swarbrick responded to then opposition spokesperson for climate change
Todd Muller Todd Michael Muller (; born 23 December 1968) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 22 May to 14 July 2020. Muller entered Parliament at the 2014 gen ...
with the phrase "
OK boomer "OK boomer" or "okay boomer" is a catchphrase and internet meme used to dismiss or mock attitudes typically associated with baby boomers – people born in the two decades following World War II. The phrase first drew widespread attention due to a ...
" after he interrupted her speech on climate change. Swarbrick was commenting on the Zero Carbon bill, which aims to reduce net carbon emissions in New Zealand to zero by 2050, when she used the phrase. Although there was little reaction to her comment in Parliament, her two-word throwaway remark became a talking point in media around the world. Writing in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', she said: "My 'OK boomer' comment in parliament was off-the-cuff, albeit symbolic of the collective exhaustion of multiple generations."


Education work

During New Zealand's COVID-19 response, the government released a tertiary support package. This package was considered unhelpful by students and student associations. In addition, several university halls of residence continued to charge students who left their accommodation during the nation-wide lockdown, to isolate elsewhere. Swarbrick maintained her support of students and called for universities to "do the right thing" and stop these charges. Her attention to the issue has seen some universities delay these charges. Other universities have completely waived fees for unused accommodation. Swarbrick's advocacy on behalf of students exposed a deeply underregulated sector. Swarbrick worked to obtain cross-party support to launch an Inquiry into student accommodation. Submissions for this opened on 4 June 2020.


Second term, 2020–2023


2020 general election

During the
2020 New Zealand general election The 2020 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 17 October 2020 to determine the composition of the 53rd New Zealand Parliament. Voters elected 120 members to the New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives, 72 fro ...
, Swarbrick contested and won the Auckland Central electorate, which had previously been held by retiring National MP
Nikki Kaye Nicola Laura Kaye (11 February 1980 – 23 November 2024) was a New Zealand politician who served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 22 May 2020 to 14 July 2020. Kaye served as the me ...
. Swarbrick won Auckland Central with 12,631 votes, with Labour's Helen White coming second at 11,563 and National's Emma Mellow coming third at 9775. She became the second Green MP to have won an electorate in 21 years after former Greens Co-leader
Jeanette Fitzsimons Jeanette Mary Fitzsimons (née Gaston; 17 January 1945 – 5 March 2020) was a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. She was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and was a Member of Parliament from ...
won
Coromandel Coromandel may refer to: Places India *Coromandel Coast, India ** Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements **Dutch Coromandel * Coromandel, KGF, Karnataka, India New Zealand *Coromandel, New Zealand, a town on the Coromandel Peninsula *Cor ...
in 1999, and the second minor party MP since the introduction of MMP in 1996 to win a general electorate seat without a tacit endorsement from a major party leader, after
Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), ...
in
Tauranga Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
and later Northland.


Alcohol advertising

In mid-May 2021, Swarbrick proposed a bill that would give local councils the ability to regulate alcohol sales, trading hours, locations, and abolish appeals against local authorities' alcohol regulation policies. The second part of the legislation would also ban alcohol advertising and sponsorship from sports. On 30 June 2022, Swarbrick's Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Harm Minimisation) Amendment Bill was pulled from the member's bill ballot. Six local regional councils including the
Auckland Council Auckland Council () is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that also has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is a unitary authority, according to t ...
,
Hamilton City Council Hamilton City Council is the governing body of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Since 21 November 1960, Council has met at Hamilton City Hall at 71 Main Street West. The current council consists of the mayor In many countries, a may ...
, and
Christchurch City Council The Christchurch City Council (CCC) is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Christchurch is Phil Ma ...
have expressed support for Swarbrick's member's bill. On 5 April 2023, Swarbrick's Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Harm Minimisation) Bill was defeated at its first reading by a margin of 89 to 30 votes. While the Labour Party allowed its MPs a conscience vote on the legislation, the National and ACT parties bloc voted in opposition to the Bill. Ultimately, 17 Labour MPs including the outgoing
Jacinda Ardern Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician and activist who was the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was ...
joined the Greens and
Te Pāti Māori (), also known as the Māori Party, is a left-wing political party in New Zealand advocating Māori people, Māori rights. With the exception of a handful of New Zealand electorates#Electorates in the 53rd Parliament, general electorates, co ...
in voting for the bill. Opposition to the bill centred on concerns about government overreach, its potential economic impact on businesses and the loss of funding from the alcohol industry for sports clubs. During the reading, fellow Green MP
Elizabeth Kerekere Elizabeth Anne Kerekere (born ) is a New Zealand politician and LGBTQ activist and scholar. She was elected a member of parliament for the Green Party in 2020, but resigned from the Greens on 5 May 2023, following allegations of bullying within ...
accidentally sent a text message to the group chat for Green MPs and staff allegedly calling Swarbrick a "crybaby." Party co-leaders Shaw and Davidson condemned Kerekere's message for going against Green Party values and launched an investigation the following day.


Third term, 2023–present

During the
2023 New Zealand general election The 2023 New Zealand general election was held on 14 October 2023 to determine the composition of the 54th New Zealand Parliament, 54th Parliament of New Zealand. Voters elected 122 members to the unicameral New Zealand House of Representatives ...
, Swarbrick was re-elected as the Member of the Auckland Central electorate by a margin of 3,896 votes, defeating the National Party's candidate Mahesh Muralidhar. On 29 November 2023, Swarbrick assumed the Green Party's associate climate change (adaptation), tertiary education and skills, revenue, mental health, drug law reform and Auckland Issues portfolios. On 13 December 2023, Swarbrick accused Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon Christopher Mark Luxon (; born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023 and as leader of the National Party since 2021. He previously served ...
of lying about not weakening New Zealand's actions on climate change during a parliamentary debate. After ACT party leader
David Seymour David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its ...
raised a point of order,
Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...
Gerry Brownlee Gerard Anthony Brownlee (born 4 February 1956) is a New Zealand politician and the 32nd speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He was first elected as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Ilam (New Zealand elec ...
told her to apologise to Luxon. Swarbrick refused to apologise, stating that she was criticising the Government's policy rather than accusing him of lying; which would have constituted a breach of parliamentary rules. Under parliamentary rules, Swarbrick could have been referred to Parliament's Privileges Committee for discipline. On 21 December, Swarbrick apologised to Parliament for her remarks directed at Luxon following advice from the Clerks of the House. After James Shaw announced in late January 2024 that he would be retiring from politics and resigning as co-leader, Swarbrick declared on 2 February 2024 that she would be running in the 2024 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election to replace him. On 10 March, Swarbrick was confirmed as co-leader of the Green Party. She received 169 votes from delegates while her rival Alex Foulkes received none. During her acceptance speech, Swarbrick affirmed the party's commitment to the environment and the
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...
. She also announced her goal of forming the first Green government and described herself as a "well-researched radical." Swarbrick also criticised the incumbent National-led coalition government, claiming they were beholden to oil, gas and mining lobbyists seeking to destroy the environment. In December 2024, Swarbrick submitted a member's bill calling on the New Zealand government to impose sanctions against Israel in response to the ongoing
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. By 19 March 2025, the bill had attracted the support of the Greens, Labour and
Te Pāti Māori (), also known as the Māori Party, is a left-wing political party in New Zealand advocating Māori people, Māori rights. With the exception of a handful of New Zealand electorates#Electorates in the 53rd Parliament, general electorates, co ...
. To pass into law, the bill needed the support of at least six government MPs. On 1 May 2025, Swarbrick unveiled the Greens' alternative budget as an alternative to the upcoming
2025 New Zealand budget Budget 2025 () is the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2025/26 presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, on 22 May 2025. This is the second budget passed by the Sixth National Government; they ...
, which proposed investing $8 billion over the next four years in various green policies including creating a Ministry of Green Works and supporting sustainable infrastructure. Swarbick said that the Ministry would create about 40,000 jobs. Other key policies have included a new
wealth tax A wealth tax (also called a capital tax or equity tax) is a tax on an entity's holdings of assets or an entity's net worth. This includes the total value of personal assets, including cash, bank deposits, real estate, assets in insurance and ...
, higher corporate taxes, a private jet tax, higher mining royalties and income tax rates. In response, the ACT party described the Green Budget as a "reckless attack on family farming" while Prime Minister Luxon described the alternative budget as "clown show economics." On 18 May, Swarbrick defended the Green Budget as "realistic" during an interview with
TVNZ Television New Zealand (, "Te Reo Tātaki" meaning "The Leading Voice"), more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a New Zealand state-owned media company and Crown entity. The company operates a television network, streaming service, and news se ...
journalist
Jack Tame Jack Renfrey Tame (born March 1987) is a New Zealand television and radio journalist and presenter. He is the host of TVNZ’s political show Q+A, and a presenter at ''Newstalk ZB''. Early life Tame was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the s ...
, saying that it had been "independently costed."


Personal life

On the topic of her sexuality, Swarbrick has said she "likes people", refusing to give a label. She says she did not
come out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
of the closet because she was never in the closet, echoing a sentiment expressed by Scottish MP
Mhairi Black Mhairi Black (; born 12 September 1994) is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons from 2022 to 2024, and as a Member of Parliament ( ...
. In January 2020, it was reported that Swarbrick had been engaged to Nadine Walker for several months, but that they had remained private about their relationship. Swarbrick has referred to herself as queer in the past. Swarbrick has been a vegetarian since the age of 14. Swarbrick has
dyscalculia Dyscalculia () is a learning disability resulting in difficulty learning or comprehending arithmetic, such as difficulty in understanding numbers, numeracy, learning how to manipulate numbers, performing mathematical calculations, and learning f ...
and a history of depression and anxiety. Swarbrick sees a psychologist weekly and is on anti-depressants. In September 2021, Swarbrick revealed that she received an adult diagnosis of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...
.


Public image


''OK Chlöe''

''OK Chlöe'' is a short documentary film directed by Charlotte Evans and produced by Letisha Tate-Dunning. The film premiered online as part of the seventh season of "Loading Docs". The documentary is about the political career of Swarbrick. The title ''OK Chlöe'' is based on the saying "
OK Boomer "OK boomer" or "okay boomer" is a catchphrase and internet meme used to dismiss or mock attitudes typically associated with baby boomers – people born in the two decades following World War II. The phrase first drew widespread attention due to a ...
", which is a phrase that Swarbrick said during a parliamentary speech in reply to a heckle from a National Party MP. The reply became
viral The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). It may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...
. The film is about the full story of Swarbrick as she goes into details about both her personal life and professional life as a politician. She talks about her work in legalising cannabis leading into the
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendums in New Zealand, referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 New Zealand general election, 2020 general election and a 2020 New Zealand euthanasia referen ...
. It talks about how she feels being in the New Zealand Parliament, saying "Parliament is a toxic culture that chews people up and spits them out. You become inhuman and disconnected from the people you purport to represent." The film also talks about her background, from her personal life with her being adopted, struggles with mental health and coming out as bisexual, to her running for Auckland Mayor. After the release of the documentary, John Campbell questioned Chloe on some of the statements said on the documentary. ''OK Chlöe'' was partly
crowdfunded Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance, to fund projects "without standard financial ...
on Boosted.org.nz with a goal of $2,500, but reached $6,270 with 82 donors. Loading Docs received $195,342 of NZ On Air funding to produce 8 documentaries, which included OK Chlöe.


''Being Chloe''

In December 2021,
NZ On Air NZ On Air (NZOA; ), formally the Broadcasting Commission, is an Crown entity, autonomous Crown entity and commission of the New Zealand Government responsible for providing funding for broadcasting and creative works. The commission operates l ...
and the
New Zealand Film Commission The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC; ) is a New Zealand government agency formed to assist with creating and promoting New Zealand films. It was established under the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978 (as amended in 1981, 1985, 1988, 1994 a ...
allocated NZ$200,000 and NZ$20,000 to a feature-length documentary focusing on the political career of Swarbrick called ''Being Chloe''. The documentary's producer is Letisha Tate-Dunning and would be filmed over the next two years. In mid-May 2022, the ACT party leader
David Seymour David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its ...
and National Party leader
Christopher Luxon Christopher Mark Luxon (; born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023 and as leader of the National Party since 2021. He previously served ...
criticised NZ On Air's decision to fund the documentary, claiming that it compromised the government funding agency's independence. In response to criticism, Swarbrick and Broadcasting Minister
Kris Faafoi Kristopher John Faafoi (born 23 June 1976) is a former New Zealand television journalist and Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the Mana electorate from 2010 until 2020, when he became a list MP. Faafoi held a numbe ...
defended NZ On Air's decision to fund ''Being Chloe''. Tate-Dunning also claimed that neither Swarbrick, the Green Party or NZ On Air had any editorial control over the documentary, which she stated would focus on Swarbrick balancing her political career with her priorities.


Views and positions


Housing

In mid-October 2020, Swarbrick made remarks suggesting that it could be a conflict of interest for MPs who own multiple houses to be making decisions that affect the housing market.


Homelessness

In July 2022, Swarbrick urged the
Auckland Council Auckland Council () is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that also has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is a unitary authority, according to t ...
to consider establishing a homeless hotline for homeless individuals following the death of a 72-year-old woman who had been staying in her car in
Remuera Remuera is an affluent suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located four kilometres southeast of the city centre. Remuera is characterised by many large houses, often Edwardian era, Edwardian or mid 20th century. A prime example of a "leafy ...
.


Israel and Palestine

Swarbrick supports
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, and has expressed sympathy for the Palestinians suffering from oppression from the Israelis. On 11 May 2021, she and 16 other New Zealand Members of Parliament donned
keffiyeh The keffiyeh (), also regionally known as a hattah (), ghutrah (), or shemagh (), is a traditional headdress worn by men from parts of the Middle East. It is fashioned from a square scarf, and is usually made of cotton. The keffiyeh is commonly ...
to mark World Keffiyeh Day. In early November 2023, Swarbrick attracted criticism from ACT leader
David Seymour David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its ...
, Israel Institute of New Zealand spokesperson David Cumin, and New Zealand Jewish Council leader Juliet Moses for chanting the slogan " from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" during a Palestine solidarity rally held in response to the
2023 Israel-Hamas war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. In response to criticism, Swarbrick apologised to those who took offense at her use of the phrase; however, she also defended its use by Jewish and Palestinian peace activists, and stated that it was
antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
to conflate the actions of the Israeli government with the Jewish people. Swarbrick was accompanied by
Ricardo Menéndez March Ricardo Menéndez March (born ) is a New Zealand activist and politician who, since 2020, is a Member of Parliament for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand in the House of Representatives. Early life and career Menéndez March moved to N ...
,
Steve Abel Stephen George Bremner Abel is a New Zealand politician, environmental activist and musician who is involved with Greenpeace. Since 2023 he has served as a list member of parliament for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Activism Abel ...
, and
Darleen Tana Darleen Sheree Tana Hoff-Neilsen is a New Zealand environmental scientist, businessperson, and former politician. Tana was elected to represent the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand as a Member of Parliament in the 2023 New Zealand general el ...
, who chanted the phrase and called for "Palestine to be free". Caretaker Prime Minister
Chris Hipkins Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand politician who has served as leader of the New Zealand Labour Party since January 2023 and leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), leader of the Opposition since November 2023. H ...
, and fellow Labour MPs
Phil Twyford Philip Stoner Twyford (born 4 May 1963) is a politician from New Zealand and a member of the New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2008. He is the Labour Party MP for Te Atatū (New Zealand electorate), ...
and
Duncan Webb Duncan Alexander Webb (born 1967) is a former law professor in New Zealand and now a politician. He was elected as a Member the New Zealand House of Representatives for Christchurch Central, representing the Labour Party, in the 2017 general ...
described the phrase as a "loaded statement which they would not use". Alternative Jewish Voices co-founder Marilyn Garson stated "the phrase was not a threat, but a call from the disempowered, dispossessed and oppressed for the regime of power to change." Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt expressed concern about the implications of the phrase for social cohesion. During an interview with
TVNZ Television New Zealand (, "Te Reo Tātaki" meaning "The Leading Voice"), more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a New Zealand state-owned media company and Crown entity. The company operates a television network, streaming service, and news se ...
journalist
Jack Tame Jack Renfrey Tame (born March 1987) is a New Zealand television and radio journalist and presenter. He is the host of TVNZ’s political show Q+A, and a presenter at ''Newstalk ZB''. Early life Tame was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the s ...
in February 2024, Swarbrick acknowledged that a local Jewish school called Kadimah School had criticised her use of the phrase "From the river to the sea" but defended her use of the phrase as an expression of freedom.


Notes


References


External links


Excerpt of Chlöe Swarbrick's Maiden Speech to Parliament
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