Heh, to be fair he has only been doing that stuff since July.
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Chris Hipkins was Minister for Education which is a massive portfolio, Health also massive portfolio & managing Covid response.
Anyone who actually knows what that involves was incredibly impressed ( including opposition MP's). How he manages that workload & keeping abreast across all those areas was quite literally stunning.
With no disrespect, of course wouldn't expect Joe Public to necessarily understand that, or respect that kind of powerful intellect.
Chris Bishop was just an opposition MP, a lightweight by comparison. ( one of the key plotters who undermined Bridges & engineered the disastrous Todd Muller coup.)
Thanks for that.
I am interested to hear doctor forums are scathing of David Clarke. That doesnt really surprise me even though I know local (Dunedin) medical people who have worked with him and rate him highly.
And yes I agree Ayesha Verrall probably isnt ready for the lions den.
who would be your pick?
I don't know Ayesha well, but I did go to school with her. She was OUSA president, and has been involved in Politics at some level or other since University. Every past OUSA president wants to be a Labour MP- they have three currently serving.
There are two other doctors (Gaurav Sharma and Neru Leavasa). The former is on the GP training programme, while the latter is a specialist GP.
Not that doctors necessarily make good health ministers...
Quite true but having a working knowledge about the intricacies of the health system is probably helpful.
Interestingly David Clark does not have a medical degree, he has a Bachelor Degree with Honours in Theology and a PhD. He has also been a Presbyterian Minister. So he has quite an interesting background but not one in medicine as far as I am aware.
Not a good start for the PM. Making another Captain's call last week saying the Deputy PM would be the Leader of the Labour Party, only to be undermined by Kelvin Davis who wants to stay on a Labour Deputy Leader but not Deputy PM :-):)
PM's portfolio & who's doing what
Ardern will be Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, and Arts Culture and Heritage will go to Carmel Sepuloni.
Grant Robertson has been named as deputy Prime Minister and Andrew Little as Health Minister.
After later term's KiwiBuild fiasco, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern demoted Phil Twyford - who will be a minister outside Cabinet, with the disarmament portfolio.
Ardern revealed that Robertson will also keep the Finance portfolio and to be given Infrastructure so he can oversee the roll out of the $12 billion NZ upgrade programme and the $3 billion shovel-ready fund.
Chris Hipkins will be Minister for Covid-19 Response, which will include many facets including testing, managed isolation, and border management. He will keep Education and Leader of the House.
Little will be in charge of the health sector reforms, and be assisted by Associate Health Ministers including Peeni Henare, who will also be Defence Minister.
Henare moves into Cabinet as does newcomer Ayesha Verrall, who will be Associate Health Minister, Minister for Seniors and Minister for Food Safety.
Kelvin Davis remains the party's deputy leader.
Davis revealed this morning that he didn't want the deputy prime ministership.
Davis will keep Crown Maori relations and take on Minister for Children with responsibility for Oranga Tamariki. He retains Associate Education and Corrections.
Megan Woods keeps Housing and Energy and Resources and Science and Innovation, and she picks up Associate Finance.
David Parker keeps Environment and picks up Revenue, as well as a new portfolio of Oceans and Fisheries.
Stuart Nash will have Economic and Regional Development, Tourism, and Forestry, and he will keep Small Businesses.
Damien O'Connor picks up Trade and Export Growth as well as keeping Agriculture.
Sepuloni will keep Social Development, and Employment will be rolled into this.
Nanaia Mahuta will be Foreign Affairs Minister. She is New Zealand's first female Foreign Affairs Minister.
Poto Williams will be Police Minister and move into Cabinet.
Kris Faafoi retains Immigration and Broadcasting, and also becomes Justice Minister.
Willie Jackson will be in Cabinet and have Maori Development.
Jan Tinetti will have Women and Internal Affairs and Associate Education.
Michael Wood will be Employment Relations Minister, while Kiri Allen will be Minister of Conservation.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Statistics will be David Clark's portfolios, who returns to Cabinet.
Meka Whaitiri will be a minister again, including responsibility for animal welfare.
Rino Tirikatene will be Oceans under-secretary, and Deborah Russell will be under-secretary for Revenue.
Does anyone other than Ardern have confidence in Mahuta as Minister of Foreign Affairs?
Interesting to see Little gone from Justice, which is some small relief.
As for the rightly demoted Twyford....what on earth was he doing at No.4 on the list? What dirt does he have?