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| Jacinda Ardern pn234 |
Last night's TV1 News had the Government "throwing more resources" at housing. It mentioned problems but no successes, even though the PM said there was "good progress on long term issues". and more houses built than any time since the 1990s. It continued to not mention that National had sold State housing, making things worse. It said the reshuffle meeting time was "deliberately set for 3:30" so MPs could not answer questions — implying the time was unfair, yet there was plenty of time to answer questions or make statements, as Simon Bridges showed during his almost nightly appearance. The NZ Herald had Jacinda Ardern "stripping" Phil Twyford of the Housing ministry, when Jacinda said the job was too big for one person and praised him for a "remarkable job". It wrote of "winners and losers", demeaning the reshuffle as if it was a game or lottery.
These are the main features of the reshuffle. To learn more, listen to the full announcement .
A team of three ministers will deal with housing: Megan Woods, Minister of Housing, Kris Faafoi, Public Housing, and Phil Twyford will deal with Urban Development. He has also picked up the Economic Development portfolio.Nanaia Mahuta is associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing).
Jacinda Ardern said the new housing Ministers were not an admission that Twyford had failed, but that it was a job for more than one minister.
She said a lot had gone right in housing, such as state housing, but many things had gone wrong and that was why other ministers had been brought in. She defended Twyford and said he had pursued an "extensive housing agenda".
"What has been less reported that as a government we are now delivering the largest house building programme since the 1970s," she said. "That is all down to the work of minister Twyford."
Mr Faafoi is now also Digital Services Minister and will relinquish his Civil Defence, Customs and associate Immigration portfolios.
Grant Robertson becomes Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, Jenny Salesa becomes Minister of Customs, Peeni Henare becomes Minister of Civil Defence and a small number of associate delegations change.
Ruth Dyson will be nominated for the role of Assistant Speaker.
Michael Wood becomes the Senior Government Whip and gives up his roles as Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities and Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.
Poto Williams will become a Minister outside Cabinet.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan becomes the Parliamentary Private Secretary for Ethnic Affairs.
Willow Jean Prime becomes Parliamentary Private Secretary for Local Government.
Ardern said she was disappointed about the number of women in cabinet.
"Making sure we improve those numbers is important to me."
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