National leader Judith Collins with senior MPs, from left, Louise Upston, Shane Reti, Andrew Bayly and Michael Woodhouse. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National leader Judith Collins with senior MPs, from left, Louise Upston, Shane Reti, Andrew Bayly and Michael Woodhouse. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It is back to business for the National Party today with its leader Judith Collins armed with her new top team.
Collins spoke to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning - a day after she unveiled her caucus reshuffle of the party's 33 members of Parliament.
Third-term MP Andrew Bayly climbed 14 places to number 3 and was given the role of shadow treasurer.
Collins also promoted Michael Woodhouse to be her finance spokesman after Simon Bridges rejected the position - pushing him from number 4 to 7 - because of Collins' plan to split the usual finance portfolio into two roles.
She said the decision to split the role was partly because it was a big area.
"I think we're going into very difficult economic times in this country."
She said she also wanted Bayly and Woodhouse to have their own respective teams.
"They [will] actually run a team of other MPs who are reporting through and also working with them.
"It's also - rather than having a great team of 11 or 12 people to look after - they're each looking after five or six."
She said she believed in the pair and the work that they could do for the party.
Time to 'get on with the job'
She acknowledged that she had great belief in Bayly - who she said had enormous skill around the revenue tax areas, monetary policies, KiwiSaver and NZ Superfund, due to his background in investment banking.
Woodhouse was good in that role as he has political skill in the finance area, she said.
National shadow treasurer Andrew Bayly with a photograph of himself on a mountain in Antarctica which takes pride-of-place in his new office at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
She said she just wants to "get on and do the job".
Bayly, a Collins loyalist and chartered accountant, will also take on the infrastructure and statistics portfolios.
On technology, she said: "I guess I've been alerted to it by my son, who is in software development.
"It's something where I've just been fascinated and amazed just at what we're already doing in New Zealand; in terms of manufacturing around tech, social intelligence, robotics..."
There is "huge" opportunity in that sector... "It's a big industry and we could do much better".
The finance portfolio had been held by Paul Goldsmith but it is thought he lost it after the $4 billion "fiscal hole" error in National's plan during the election campaign.
He has been given education and has dropped down the rankings to number 12.
Bridges has retained justice and been given water, Pike River re-entry and Maori-Crown relations. He also lost foreign affairs which has been given back to former deputy leader Gerry Brownlee.
Brownlee – who lost his long-held Ilam seat in the election – stepped down as leader last week and said his focus would be on rebuilding National's base in Christchurch. He's dropped down the caucus rankings to number 15.
New MP and former Air NZ boss Christopher Luxon is now spokesman for local government, iwi development and associate transport.
Former National leader Todd Muller has also dropped down the list to 19 and has been given trade and export growth and internal affairs.
Collins has taken national security and intelligence, Pacific peoples as well as technology while deputy Shane Reti will retain health and will take on the children portfolio.
Mark Mitchell has been ranked number 13 and will hold the public service, SOEs and sports and recreation portfolios.
Louise Upston has held on to social development and is number 5.
