KEY POINTS:
New Education Minister Chris Carter did not ask for the portfolio that has sent him on to the Cabinet's front bench - preferring instead to save the whales.
Mr Carter said he had told the Prime Minister he was happy to keep the portfolios he had, in particular Conservation, which he has held for five years.
"I was very keen to keep it. I thought, 'Who's going to deal with those Japanese whalers over Christmas?"'
Helen Clark ignored his plea, as Mr Carter, 55, found out last week.
He now says he's pleased to have the education job because of its importance to the Government - and he has profited by getting a front-bench post.
The position was abandoned by Steve Maharey, who will leave Parliament before the next election to become Vice-Chancellor at Massey University.
The teacher unions have welcomed the appointment, partly because Mr Carter taught in primary, secondary and special education for 20 years before entering Parliament in 1993.
His partner, Peter Kaiser, is a primary school principal in Auckland and many of their friends are teachers.
The teaching background - and two children aged 12 and 18 - have ensured he has stayed in touch with the education sector. Post Primary Teachers Association president Robin Duff is hoping Mr Carter will bring some of his Minister of Conservation skills into his new job.
"His conservation battle to save the whales is important, because in education he'll need to see if he can save another endangered species - teachers."
This is the first issue Mr Carter lists among his priorities, saying the shortage of teachers, especially in primary schools, is ongoing.
Labour's commitment in the 2005 election manifesto was to reduce class sizes to one teacher for every 15 students. It is at present about one to 18.
Other priorities were information technology in schools, teacher-salary negotiations, operational funding of schools and looking into the negotiation and consultation involved in setting school decile rankings.
He said he had already asked Ministry of Education officials to report on the possibility of providing transitional funding to schools whose deciles had increased with little warning, leaving them with less funding.
He is not afraid of the rigours the notoriously bumpy education portfolio might bring, noting the Department of Conservation had its own critics - among them recreational hunters and fishers, farmers and anyone supporting the Whangamata Marina, which he exercised his veto to stop, although the High Court later reversed his decision.
But he admits to being a bit nervous about the elevation to the front bench.
"A lot of responsibility rests on your shoulders in such a role, to be a very competent performer."
