Melissa Lee speaks about Christopher Luxon's decision to replace her as media and communications minister. Video / Mark Mitchell
Demoted minister Melissa Lee accepts she could have been “a little slow” to act as Media and Communications Minister when faced with a struggling media sector.
Lee, who was dropped from Cabinet by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon last week, said the challenges within the industry - which have contributed to Newshub’s closure and deep cuts at TVNZ - came too fast for the Government to react.
“What happened was that media was facing very difficult times very quickly, and it’s actually come about quite suddenly.
“Although we were actually thinking that there need to be some changes, it just came about really, really too fast and I was trying and things in government actually take time.
“Perhaps I was a little slow. What I can say is that I tried my very best.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon felt more senior ministers were needed to take over the portfolios. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Lee’s demotion was announced by Luxon as part of a surprise reshuffle last week. Lee lost the media portfolio after suffering criticism for her reaction to Newshub’s shock closure, most notably, and the progress of the paper she intended to take to Cabinet amid reports New Zealand First had delayed it.
She remained a minister with the economic development portfolio as well as ethnic communities.
Disability Issues Minister Penny Simmonds also lost that portfolio after she and the Ministry for Disabled People were criticised by the disabled community for how new limitations being placed on financial entitlements available to carers were announced. Simmonds still holds the tertiary education and environment portfolios.
Luxon argued the changes were prompted by the challenges that had arisen in both media and disability issues, saying senior ministers could better address them. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith picked up media and communications, while Social Development Minister Louise Upston took on disability issues.
Luxon last week said Lee, a former journalist, had “played back” to him her disappointment at losing the portfolio.
Today, Lee told reporters she was disappointed but supported Luxon’s call.
“The Prime Minister has actually made his decision and I’m looking to making sure that I deliver on my other portfolios.”
Last night’s 1News Verian poll showed the coalition Government was less popular with the public than the grouping of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
Asked whether she thought her demotion had contributed to the result, Lee scoffed and said she was focused on her portfolios.
“I was very focused on what I was actually doing and the media is actually facing a very different time and I tried my very best.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins thought Lee’s comments indicated she hadn’t been paying attention to changes in the sector in recent years.
“The trends in the media that we are seeing come to a head now have been evident for a very long time.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
