First-term MP to replace Wong

Hekia Parata campaigning for the Mana byelection with Prime Minister John Key in October. Photo / Porirua News

First-term National MP Hekia Parata has been appointed to Cabinet to replace Pansy Wong.

Prime Minister John Key announced the appointment today, three weeks after Ms Wong resigned from Cabinet over the use of her travel perks.

Ms Parata, 52, will take over Ms Wong's portfolios of ethnic affairs and women's affairs as well as several associate ministerial jobs.

The appointment is reward for Ms Parata's strong campaign in last month's Mana byelection which whittled the majority of the winning Labour candidate Kris Faafoi down to 1406 - a far closer contest than expected.

Prior to that byelection, National MPs Craig Foss and Whip Chris Tremain were considered the most likely candidates for ministerial posts. However, Mr Key was likely to also have taken into consideration the gender balance on his ministerial benches.

Announcing the appointment, Mr Key pointed to Ms Parata's career in both the public service and in business.

"Her competence and ability were highlighted by the excellent result she achieved for the National Party in the recent Mana by-election, after running an outstanding campaign."

Former Labour MP Winnie Laban secured a 6155 majority over Ms Parata in the seat in 2008.

Ms Parata will be sworn in on Wednesday. She will also be associate minister for ACC, energy and resources. Ms Parata will also take the new position of associate minister for the community and voluntary sector, which Mr Key said was created after a request from the minister Tariana Turia. There will no longer be an associate minister for disability issues.

Mr Key has not ruled out a future return for Ms Wong to ministerial ranks, but said it would not be before the 2011 election.

A Parliamentary Services investigation into Ms Wong's use of the travel perks ruled she had misused the perk only once - for a sidetrip within China in late 2008 during which some business related to her husband's hovercraft business was conducted. Ms Wong will pay back the $474.12 cost of the rebates for herself and husband Sammy Wong for that sidetrip.

The report said there was no systemic abuse of the discount after studying 13 international trips made by Pansy Wong and her husband together or separately since 2000.

Labour has continued to call for a fuller Auditor General's investigation into Mr Wong's use of the perk both domestically and internationally to ensure no other business was carried out.

From Ruatoria to the round table

A former Gisborne Girls High School student, Ms Parata went to the University of Waikato where she finished with an MA in Maori and New Zealand History.

Before entering Parliament in 2008 she held positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Prime Minister's Advisory Group, Ministry for the Environment, Housing Corporation of New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri and the State Services Commission and the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, DC.

She turned heads last month with a strong performance in the Mana by-election. Kris Faafoi held the Labour-stronghold seat, but Ms Parata came a close second with 9574 votes to his 10,980.

Ms Parata said she believed the Mana result was likely to be among Prime Minister John Key's considerations for promoting her.

"All of us come to Parliament with the view that we would like to get into the ministry, it has been relatively quick and I am absolutely humbled by the opportunity, and delighted to accept it," she told NZPA today.

"I came to Parliament with a whole lot of life experience in business and public policy. I've spent two years here on a range of select committees, and I think the campaign we ran in Mana and the result we got there, they're all in the mix I think."

Ms Parata rejected the suggestion she was promoted to put another female face around the table.

"I think that the Prime Minister has focussed on who he thinks best fits the requirements, he's clearly decided that that is me," she said.

"I come with a mix of personality traits, competencies and experience and I think it's not one thing or the other, it's the fit that's required at the time.

Ms Parata becomes Ethnic Affair's and Women's Affairs Minister. She also picks up associate minister roles for ACC, energy and resources and for the community and voluntary sector.

She said she was eager to begin work on the new portfolios, and said she felt well-equipped to take them on having had experience in a wide variety of areas in Parliament.

"The range of issues that I have had to get to grips with - the Emissions Trading Scheme select committee, Justice and Electoral, the Electoral Legislation Special committee, the Social Services committee, the Maori Affairs committee."

The National Party line on the Women's Affairs Ministry was last month called into question when Acting Women's Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu was asked about a comment she allegedly made in 2003, saying the ministry was a "historic, sexist relic" and should have been scrapped.

However, Ms Parata said she recognised the importance of the ministry.

"There have been quite a number of struggles that New Zealand women have engaged in over many years to get issues and concerns at the forefront, and I think there's always going to be a debate about which of those issues are important," she said.

"But I think there are a whole range of women's issues that are important, the ministry carries out a very important role in researching those and offering policy advice on them, and when I get my feet under the desk of the Minister of Women's Affairs I'll be very happy to discuss those in detail."