Hon Poto Williams is the Labour Member of Parliament for Christchurch East, where she lives. Poto became the MP for Christchurch East at a By-Election in November 2013. She is now the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and is the Associate Minister for Social Development, Immigration, and Greater Christchurch Regeneration.

After gaining an MBA and Graduate Certificate in Research Methods from Manukau Institute of Technology and Southern Cross University, Poto has worked in and managing community health and community mental health services, residential disability services, working with single parent families, youth services, family violence and refuge. Working in mental health provided the opportunity to engage in strengths based, recovery focussed and client centred work, which has guided her practice ever since.

As the Minister of the Community and Voluntary sector, she understands the importance of forging constructive relationships with the sector and passionately believes the sector is an integral part of the Government’s agenda with the Wellbeing Budget.

Poto is the very proud mother of Terai, grandmother of Bodhi and a member of a very large extended family in NZ, Australia and the Cook Islands.