Luxon’s 2nd reshuffle
PM Christopher Luxon has done his second reshuffle, and it is a pretty significant one.
Changes are:
- Nicola Willis gains Economic Growth (formerly Economic Development) and loses Public Services
- Chris Bishop gains Transport and loses Sport
- Shane Reti gains Science, Stats and Universities and loses Health
- Simeon Brown gains Health and SOEs and loses Transport, Local Government, Energy and Deputy Leader of the House
- Louise Upston gains Tourism and Hospitality, Deputy Leader of the House
- Paul Goldsmith loses SOEs
- Judith Collins gains Public Services and loses Science
- Mark Mitchell gains Sport and Ethnic Communities
- Simon Watts gains Energy and Local Government
- Chris Penk gains Small Business and Manufacturing
- Andrew Bayly gains ACC and loses Stats and Small Business
- Penny Simmonds goes from Tertiary Education to Vocational Education
- Matt Doocey loses Tourism and Hospitality
- James Meager becomes a Minister outside Cabinet and gains Hunting/Fishing and Youth
- Melissa Lee leaves the Ministry
It’s tough for Shane Reti who was an incredibly knowledgable and diligent Health Minister. If Labour had not left Health in a state of crisis with a failed mega-merge then I suspect Shane would remain Minister, But the inherited problems are so great and politically challenging, the PM obviously decided he wanted a more politically dextrous Minister there.
Also tough for Melissa Lee, but nice to see James Meager be promoted as he has already showed great skills as a select committee chair.
What is also significant is Nicola Willis being given a clear mandate to focus her job on not just managing the government’s finances, but to drive an agenda of economic growth. This is important as our way out of large deficits and debt needs to be through higher economic growth.
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