.....Keep an eye out for Willow-Jean Prime’s new job
It looked like the Prime Minister was setting us a test, when he announced an “Update on Ministerial appointments”.
His press statement today says he has confirmed the permanent reallocation of portfolios following Meka Whaitiri’s removal as a Minister.
Kieran McAnulty becomes Lead Minister for Cyclone Recovery in the Hawke’s Bay.
Rachel Brooking becomes Minister for Food Safety.
Peeni Henare becomes Minister for Veterans.
Willow-Jean Prime becomes Associate Minister of Statistics.
Jo Luxton becomes a Minister outside of Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Minister of Customs, Associate Minister of Agriculture and Associate Minister of Education.
Due to her extensive travel commitments as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta requested her responsibilities as a Waikato regional lead for cyclone recovery be transferred. These go to Michael Wood.
Hmm. This sounded remarkably similar to appointments he announced at his post-cabinet press conference on Monday (those appointments were widely reported in mainstream media).
The transcript of the press conference says:
PM: Thank you. Finally, today, this afternoon I have confirmed the permanent reallocation of ministerial portfolios following Meka Whaitiri’s removal as a Minister.
Kieran McAnulty will become the lead Minister for Cyclone Recovery in the Hawke’s Bay, in addition to covering the Wairarapa area.
Rachel Brooking will become the new Minister for Food Safety, Peeni Henare will become the Minister for Veterans, Jo Luxton will be made a Minister outside of Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Minister of Customs and Associate Minister of Agriculture and Associate Minister of Education, and, finally, at her request, Nanaia Mahuta’s responsibilities as a regional lead for cyclone recovery will be transferred to Michael Wood.
So what’s new?
Well, Willow-Jean Prime was not mentioned during the Monday press conference.
The update can be found on the Beehive website alongside news of our boozing hours being extended during the Rugby World Cup later this year, a speech by Associate Trade and Export Growth Minister Rino Tirikatene, and changes to the laws which govern the registration of social workers.
The Minister of Social Development and Employment, Carmel Sepuloni, issued the press statement regarding social workers. She said
The Social Workers Registration Act has passed its first reading in Parliament tonight.
No it hasn’t. That act was passed 20 years ago.
But in Parliament yesterday, Priyanca Tadhakrishnan, the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, spoke on Sepuloni’s behalf to say:
I move that the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 24 August 2023…
Rachel Brooking becomes Minister for Food Safety.
Peeni Henare becomes Minister for Veterans.
Willow-Jean Prime becomes Associate Minister of Statistics.
Jo Luxton becomes a Minister outside of Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Minister of Customs, Associate Minister of Agriculture and Associate Minister of Education.
Due to her extensive travel commitments as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta requested her responsibilities as a Waikato regional lead for cyclone recovery be transferred. These go to Michael Wood.
Hmm. This sounded remarkably similar to appointments he announced at his post-cabinet press conference on Monday (those appointments were widely reported in mainstream media).
The transcript of the press conference says:
PM: Thank you. Finally, today, this afternoon I have confirmed the permanent reallocation of ministerial portfolios following Meka Whaitiri’s removal as a Minister.
Kieran McAnulty will become the lead Minister for Cyclone Recovery in the Hawke’s Bay, in addition to covering the Wairarapa area.
Rachel Brooking will become the new Minister for Food Safety, Peeni Henare will become the Minister for Veterans, Jo Luxton will be made a Minister outside of Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Minister of Customs and Associate Minister of Agriculture and Associate Minister of Education, and, finally, at her request, Nanaia Mahuta’s responsibilities as a regional lead for cyclone recovery will be transferred to Michael Wood.
So what’s new?
Well, Willow-Jean Prime was not mentioned during the Monday press conference.
The update can be found on the Beehive website alongside news of our boozing hours being extended during the Rugby World Cup later this year, a speech by Associate Trade and Export Growth Minister Rino Tirikatene, and changes to the laws which govern the registration of social workers.
The Minister of Social Development and Employment, Carmel Sepuloni, issued the press statement regarding social workers. She said
The Social Workers Registration Act has passed its first reading in Parliament tonight.
No it hasn’t. That act was passed 20 years ago.
But in Parliament yesterday, Priyanca Tadhakrishnan, the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, spoke on Sepuloni’s behalf to say:
I move that the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 24 August 2023…
Latest from the Beehive
The Prime Minister has confirmed the permanent reallocation of portfolios following Meka Whaitiri’s removal as a Minister.
The Government will amend the law to ensure licensed premises can stay open during Rugby World Cup matches later this year, ensuring a much needed boost for the hospitality sector, Justice Minister Kiri Allan has announced.
The Social Workers Registration Act has passed its first reading in Parliament tonight. It will extend the experience pathway for social worker registration by four years, to 28 February 2028.
Speech
Thank you everyone for joining us here this evening, it is a real privilege to host and address you all.
Point of Order was reminded that Willow-Jean Prime had been promoted to the Cabinet last month. This news was trumpeted to the New Zealand Herald’s audience in a report headlined:
Willow Jean Prime promotion sets a new record for Māori in Cabinet
The promotion to Cabinet of Willow-Jean Prime has set a record for Labour’s strong Māori caucus.
Prime yesterday joined colleagues Willie Jackson, Kelvin Davis, Peeni Henare, Kiritapu Allen and Nanaia Mahuta as a Cabinet Minister – taking Māori representation in Cabinet to six.
Add to that group Māori ministers Meka Whaitiri and Rino Tirikatene who sit outside of Cabinet and it is a record that will stand for a long time in politics .
Prime replaces disgraced Napier MP Stuart Nash, who got his marching orders from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins following a string of indiscretions.
That report about the promotion to Cabinet of Willow-Jean Prime – a much younger MP than Meka Whaitiri – sparks conjecture that maybe this had something to do with Whaitiri’s defection.
During the Monday press conference, Hipkins was asked if he had heard from Whaitiri yet. He hadn’t.
He said he had left her several messages whilst he was in London but he hadn’t heard back from her.
I guess, the time has kind of passed, really, in the sense that she’s made and announced her decision. Whilst I regret that, and I’m disappointed by that, ultimately it’s happened now, so I’m not sure that there would be a lot to be gained from a conversation between the two of us.
This (you might think) took care of a subsequent question. It was asked anyway: would there be any benefit in sitting down with Meka Whaitiri to just talk it out?
PM: Well, she’s got my number. She’s certainly welcome to call me anytime.
Someone among the journalists drew the PM’s attention to issues raised by Meka Whaitiri’s defection and Stuart Nash’s demotion to the back benches and asked:
…do you have concerns about people in Hawke’s Bay, their representation in Wellington, people advocating for them, particularly given what’s happened this year with all the floods — there’s been a lot of disruption to leadership roles in that region. So how are you feeling about that space?
The PM said he had absolute confidence in Kieran McAnulty’s ability to pick up that work and to provide good leadership there. The southern-most part of the Hawke’s Bay is within his electorate, he noted, so he’s already got some involvement in that work.
And I think he’s a safe pair of hands. I think he will do a very good job there.
Ultimately, I’m disappointed for the people of the Hawke’s Bay – Tai Rāwhiti region—that Meka chose to walk away from that role, because she did have an ability to effect change and to help to lead change in that area, but that’s ultimately her decision, and you know, it’s done, really: she’s made that call and now we have to move on.
Willow-Jean Prime, by the way, is MP for Northland.
She is Minister of Conservation and of Youth and the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Statistics, and Health.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
Prime yesterday joined colleagues Willie Jackson, Kelvin Davis, Peeni Henare, Kiritapu Allen and Nanaia Mahuta as a Cabinet Minister – taking Māori representation in Cabinet to six.
Add to that group Māori ministers Meka Whaitiri and Rino Tirikatene who sit outside of Cabinet and it is a record that will stand for a long time in politics .
Prime replaces disgraced Napier MP Stuart Nash, who got his marching orders from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins following a string of indiscretions.
That report about the promotion to Cabinet of Willow-Jean Prime – a much younger MP than Meka Whaitiri – sparks conjecture that maybe this had something to do with Whaitiri’s defection.
During the Monday press conference, Hipkins was asked if he had heard from Whaitiri yet. He hadn’t.
He said he had left her several messages whilst he was in London but he hadn’t heard back from her.
I guess, the time has kind of passed, really, in the sense that she’s made and announced her decision. Whilst I regret that, and I’m disappointed by that, ultimately it’s happened now, so I’m not sure that there would be a lot to be gained from a conversation between the two of us.
This (you might think) took care of a subsequent question. It was asked anyway: would there be any benefit in sitting down with Meka Whaitiri to just talk it out?
PM: Well, she’s got my number. She’s certainly welcome to call me anytime.
Someone among the journalists drew the PM’s attention to issues raised by Meka Whaitiri’s defection and Stuart Nash’s demotion to the back benches and asked:
…do you have concerns about people in Hawke’s Bay, their representation in Wellington, people advocating for them, particularly given what’s happened this year with all the floods — there’s been a lot of disruption to leadership roles in that region. So how are you feeling about that space?
The PM said he had absolute confidence in Kieran McAnulty’s ability to pick up that work and to provide good leadership there. The southern-most part of the Hawke’s Bay is within his electorate, he noted, so he’s already got some involvement in that work.
And I think he’s a safe pair of hands. I think he will do a very good job there.
Ultimately, I’m disappointed for the people of the Hawke’s Bay – Tai Rāwhiti region—that Meka chose to walk away from that role, because she did have an ability to effect change and to help to lead change in that area, but that’s ultimately her decision, and you know, it’s done, really: she’s made that call and now we have to move on.
Willow-Jean Prime, by the way, is MP for Northland.
She is Minister of Conservation and of Youth and the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Statistics, and Health.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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