Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. File photo Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Act Party leader David Seymour said “changing some of the faces in the Beehive will make no difference to the lives of New Zealanders if there aren’t new policies to go with them”
Chris Hipkins has announced his Cabinet reshuffle today.
Grant Robertson will remain Minister of Finance. Michael Wood becomes Minister for Auckland and an Associate Finance Minister.
Jan Tinetti becomes Education Minister, Dr Ayesha Verrall will become the Minister of Health, Kieran McAnulty moves into Cabinet and picks up the full Local Government portfolio.
Joining Kieran in Cabinet are new Ministers Ginny Andersen and Barbara Edmonds.
Jan Tinetti becomes Education Minister
Ginny will become the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Seniors, Associate Minister of Immigration and Associate Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.
Barbara will become the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Associate Health Minister for Pacific Peoples and Associate Minister of Housing.
There are four new Ministers outside of Cabinet; Duncan Webb, Willow-Jean Prime, Rino Tirikatene, and Dr Deborah Russell.
David Seymour said “we have the same Finance Minister.
It’s nearly a year since Labour finally admitted there is a cost of living crisis, what has the Finance Minister been focusing on until now?
He’s the same guy who will keep borrowing and spending and driving inflation despite acknowledging a cost of living crisis a year ago.”
Michael Wood becomes Minister for Auckland and an Associate Finance Minister.
Seymour said “if the policies haven’t changed, then Hipkins ‘reset’ is another triumph of spin over substance, straight from his old boss’s playbook?
If the policies are changing then which ones and why did it take so long?
“What will the Police Minister do to contain youth offenders? How is the Police Minister not in the top 10 when crime is one of the biggest issues facing New Zealand?
“People need real solutions to the cost of living crisis, to rising crime and to unite New Zealanders instead of dividing us. A nearly identical top five atop a handful of rookies aren’t going to fix those issues.”
