Appointments
The main changes to Cabinet portfolios, announced at the end of last year, are:
- Michael Cullen will become Attorney-General in February after Margaret Wilson leaves the Cabinet, while retaining all his existing portfolios.
- Jim Anderton adds the Forestry portfolio to his responsibilities.
- Steve Maharey retains his Social Development and Employment portfolio, and becomes Minister for Research, Science and Technology, Minister for Crown Research Institutes, and Minister for Youth Affairs. He drops his responsibilities as an associate education minister.
- Jim Sutton relinquishes the portfolios of Forestry and Rural Affairs.
- Trevor Mallard is the Vote Minister for Education, with direct responsibility for tertiary, international and early childhood education. He also becomes Minister of Energy.
- Pete Hodgson remains Minister of Transport, but also becomes Minister of Commerce, Minister for Land Information and Minister of Statistics. In addition he becomes Associate Minister of Health, with a brief to focus on the longer-term funding issues in the Health portfolio, including elder care and disability services.
- Parekura Horomia becomes an associate to the Minister of State Services and the Minister of Youth Affairs, as well as retaining existing portfolios.
- Mark Burton becomes the Minister in Charge of Treaty Negotiations in February, and is an associate in the meantime.
- Paul Swain takes over the State Owned Enterprises portfolio from Mark Burton.
- Marian Hobbs relinquishes her responsibilities in education and takes on the associate justice responsibilities of David Benson-Pope and Margaret Wilson. She also becomes the Minister responsible for the Law Commission.
- Ruth Dyson relinquishes her Associate Health responsibilities.
- Chris Carter becomes the Minister of Building Issues.
- Rick Barker becomes the Minister for Small Business.
- David Benson-Pope retains his Fisheries portfolio and becomes the Minister responsible for the Education Review Office. He will also be an Associate Minister of Education, with responsibility for the compulsory sector and special education. He will retain his role as Associate Minister of the Environment to see through the Resource Management Act amendments and his Associate Minister of Justice portfolio to see through the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill.
- Damien O'Connor becomes Minister for Rural Affairs.
- David Cunliffe becomes Minister of Communications and Minister of Information Technology, and adds an associate role in State-Owned Enterprises.
- Mita Ririnui has been promoted from being a parliamentary under-secretary to being a minister outside of Cabinet.
And in the National Party:
- Katherine Rich loses her welfare portfolio and moves off the front bench into number 10 in the caucus line up;
- Judith Collins takes over the welfare role and her health spokesmanship goes to Paul Hutchison; and
- Finance spokesperson John Key moves to the front bench.
Justice Anthony Randerson is the new Chief High Court Judge.
Justice Simon France has been appointed a Judge of the High Court.
Barry Matthews is the new Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections. Wayne Donnelly is the new Chief Executive and Director of Land Transport.
Russell Marshall has been appointed as Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Commissioner of Police, Rob Robinson, has been reappointed for a further term of two years.
John King has been re-appointed as Chair of the Takeovers Panel.
Dr Geoffrey Page is the new Chair of the Testing Laboratory Registration Council (TELARC), and there are two new members: Dr Richard Janes and Nigel Cann. Colin Beyer and Cathy Quinn have been reappointed to the Securities Commission for second terms of five years.
Maori Television's new Chief Executive is Jim Mather.
Julie Rickman has been appointed as a member of the Accounting Standards Review Board. Fonterra has appointed Guy Cowan as Chief Financial Officer.
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
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