 Shanks has three children.Shanks joined the New Zealand National Party in 2001 as a member of the Karori branch and was a member of the party's executive committee for the electorate until 2004, when she joined the Ohariu-Belmont branch.Shanks sought the National party's nomination as their candidate for the Ohariu-Belmont electorate at the 2005 general election in 2004.