First scratch: Winners and losers in the new cabinet

Robertson gets Infrastructure and Deputy PM; Twyford demoted outside Cabinet; Little gets Health; Wood gets Transport; Clark back in Cabinet; Verrall straight into Cabinet; Mahuta is Foreign Minister

Ardern dumps Twyford and elevates Mahuta

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has set up teams of ministers focused on health and the economy to drive policy in Labour’s second term, and will outline the Government’s moves to accelerate the Covid recovery in a speech on Thursday before her ministry is sworn in on Friday.

There’s a couple of surprise early elevations into Cabinet (new list MP Ayesha Verrall and second term list MP Jan Tinetti) and the biggest ever number of Māori ministers (8), including six in Cabinet. Nanaia Mahuta was given Foreign Affairs unexpectedly, while second term MP Kiri Allan was elevated into Cabinet as Conservation Minister and Emergency Management Minister.

Grant Robertson remains as the PM’s right hand man, and that role is now formalised with him becoming Deputy Prime Minister. Ardern said Labour’s Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis had asked not to get the Deputy PM role so he could focus on other areas, including Oranga Tamariki and Corrections.

Twyford gets Arms Control and Trade

The biggest loser in the list was Phil Twyford, who was demoted out of cabinet completely. He will stay as a minister outside of cabinet in the much lower-profile roles of Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control and Minister of Trade and Export Growth.

Third-term Mt Roskill MP Michael Wood, who was chair of the finance and expenditure select committee in the last Parliament, picks up Transport off Twyford and will work with Robertson, who is also Infrastructure Minister, on big projects such as various Auckland rail projects.

Twyford also lost Economic Development and Urban Development has dived from number 4 in cabinet to outside the top 20 on the Government’s rankings. Urban Development was wound into Housing, which was retained by Megan Woods.

Stuart Nash lost Police and Revenue, but picked up Economic and Regional Development, Tourism, Forestry and Small Business.

The other big areas for reshuffles were in Health, where Chris Hipkins was named Covid-19 minister, but Andrew Little becomes Health Minister. Hipkins keeps his Education, Public Service and Leader of the House roles.

The biggest ever contingent of Māori MPs were named cabinet ministers, including Davis, Willie Jackson (Māori Development), Peeni Henare (Defence), Poto Williams (Building and Construction) and Mahuta.

There was redemption for a couple of former Labour high(ish) fliers.

David Clark, who was dumped before the election as Health Minister, returned to Cabinet as the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Commerce, Minister of the Digital Economy and Communications and Minister of SOEs and Statistics.

Meka Whaitiri, who was dropped as a Minister in the last term because of bullying allegations, returns as the Minister of Customs and Veterans outside cabinet.

Ngā Mihi

Bernard