The winners and losers in Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ Cabinet reshuffle

ANALYSIS: There are new faces on the front bench, high-profile ministers have been demoted, and a “Minister of Auckland” appointed. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has recast the Cabinet for the “big job ahead of us”.

Some of the changes announced by Hipkins on Tuesday were expected. Minister Nanaia Mahuta has lost the local government portfolio, after taking the brunt of criticism for the Government’s Three Water reforms.

Overall, Hipkins has brought a newer generation of MP to the front bench, including Dr Ayesha Verrall, who entered Parliament in 2020.

Here are the winners and losers of the shake-up:

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Winners

The next generation

The new faces on Labour’s front bench are new Education Minister Jan Tinetti, Justice Minister Kiri Allan, the new Minister for Auckland Michael Wood, and Verrall, as health minister.

Some of these ministers have been strong performers for Labour so far this term. Wood has managed the transport and immigration jobs, not without some difficulty in the transport portfolio, and is viewed as competent and effective. Allan was given the justice portfolio in 2021.

Verrall has less experience in Parliament but is known for her work in infectious diseases, which proved useful for Labour in the midst of the Covid-19 response. Tinetti, a former school principal, was broadly seen as the natural successor to Hipkins in the education portfolio.

However, bringing these names to the front bench has meant an effective demotion of senior and long-serving ministers. Andrew Little, David Parker, Stuart Nash, and Damien O’Connor have all dropped in the Cabinet rankings, though these ministers – except for former health minister Little – haven’t lost substantial portfolios.

Further down the list, new Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty and new Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds have entered the 20-strong Cabinet. Edmonds was elected to the Mana electorate in 2020, and has risen quickly, running the Finance and Expenditure select committee since June 2022.

There are also four new ministers outside of Cabinet: Dr Duncan Webb, Willow-Jean Prime, Dr Deborah Russell, and Rino Tirikatene.

Ginny Andersen

Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen has proven herself as a capable backbencher, but has not previously been touted as possible Cabinet material within the party. She has been brought into Cabinet, ranked at 19, with the portfolios of digital economy and communication, seniors, and small business.

Andersen was elected in 2017 and claimed the Hutt South electorate at the 2020 election. She has chaired the Justice select committee for Labour, taking on senior National MPs eager to score political points.

Andrew Little

Little has been described elsewhere as “demoted” for his loss of the health portfolio. But this actually makes him a winner.

The former party leader is a conscientious, hard-working minister who took on the thankless task of pushing through Labour’s major reforms of the healthcare sector. And, for it, he took a major about of flak from the sector.

Freed from this burden, Little takes on minister for public service and the minister of defence. Neither are straightforward, there are industrial disputes to manage in the public sector, and the Defence Force faces a chronic labour shortage.

But, in the case of defence, it’s a job with perks. The Government has invested billions in defence assets since 2017, and new aircraft are beginning to arrive in the country. There will be great photo opportunities to be had.

‘Minister for Hardhats’ Megan Woods

Senior Minister Megan Woods has maintained her high Cabinet ranking, at fifth on the list, and has picked up the infrastructure portfolio from Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

The Wigram MP now has one of the heftiest workloads of Cabinet MPs, also being responsible for housing, energy and resource, building and construction, and associate finance.

If the Government need something built, Woods is the minister for it.

Losers

Nanaia Mahuta

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has suffered the greatest demotion amongst Cabinet ministers, losing the local government portfolio and dropping from the front bench. She is now ranked 16th in Cabinet.

As local government minister, Mahuta had been handling the contentious Three Waters reforms, which has become a lightning rod for anti-Government sentiment. In December, it appeared she was responsible for the party’s errant passing of a constitutionally “dangerous” clause in a Three Waters bill, that Labour had to hastily legislation its way out of.

“We’re going to take a close look at the Three Water reforms, [we’re] certainly leaving open the possibility of a reset there,” Hipkins said.

“We haven’t made those decisions yet. I want her to be focused on foreign affairs and that Three Waters portfolio … is going to require quite a lot of attention.

“I do expect the Minister of Foreign Affairs will out be travelling more.”

Peeni Henare

Peeni Henare has not fared well in this reshuffle, losing the defence portfolio and dropping in the Cabinet rankings. He has picked up the ACC and tourism portfolios.

Hipkins described this as a “switch in portfolios” for Henare, but it really it’s a demotion that show Hipkins lacked confidence in his handling of the big-ticket portfolio that is defence.

“There’s always a balance here. I made the decision that defence was quite well aligned with some of the national security focus that Andrew Little has had in his other roles,” Hipkins said.

“I’m absolutely confident that Peeni Henare will continue to be a very, very, integral member of that team [Cabinet].”

A ‘philosophical’ Phil Twyford

Phil Twyford, formerly a front bench minister, has now lost all ministerial portfolios.

After struggling to make the grade in the 2017 Government, in particular for bungling Labour’s hallmark Kiwibuild programme, Twyford had been a minister outside of Cabinet with responsibilities for disarmament and associate immigration.

“He was very philosophical about it. I think Phil also recognises the need for some renewal in the line up,” Hipkins said.

Twyford had not indicated to Hipkins he intended to resign at the coming election, he said.