Dr Shane Reti is now National's most senior Māori MP after Simon Bridges and Paula Bennett were rolled as leaders and demoted down the list.
After his selection as the new leader, Todd Muller came under fire for the lack of diversity in his shadow Cabinet line-up with no Māori MPs - or people of any other ethnicity - on the front bench.
Dr Reti was promoted to number 13 in the caucus this week, the position formerly held by Bennett before she announced her resignation.
But despite moving up the list, there are still no Māori on the front bench.
Appearing on Newshub Nation on Saturday, Dr Reti said he thought this was "good enough".
"We look across, past the front bench, right through to the shadow Cabinet, of which I'm very privileged to be part of and Simon Bridges is part of as well and then right through the whole caucus," he told Newshub Nation reporter Conor Whitten.
"So I think there is representation from Māori, that New Zealanders can look at the National Party and see themselves."
Whitten pointed out that National has just swapped one Māori MP for another and the party is no more diverse than it was last week. However Dr Reti disagreed, pointing Bridges has also advanced up the rankings.
"We've brought Simon Bridges and all his experience into the shadow Cabinet," he told Whitten.
Dr Reti has been given the Associate Drug Reform role to go with Tertiary, Skills and Employment, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, and Associate Health.
He was questioned why, when he was was a practising GP for 17 years, he hasn't been taken over National's Health spokesperson role from Michael Woodhouse.
"Michael Woodhouse and I - and the rest actually, Matt Doocey and Maggie Barry - tag-team the Health portfolio so no I think we're very effective in that space," he replied.
