Luxon will this afternoon unveil changes to his line-up in a reshuffle that is understood to contain two or three big changes and which will see one minister lose their ministerial post, making room for someone new to get a post outside Cabinet.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Health Minister Dr Shane Reti Photo / Mark Mitchell
The focus of Luxon’s changes is expected to be in the health and economic areas.
Luxon has made it clear he sees the problematic health sector as one of the government’s biggest challenges. While Reti has a background in health, there has long been speculation he would be replaced by someone with sharper political management skills as the health sector faced major deficits and governance issues.
Reti is expected to remain in Cabinet with different portfolios but will slide down the Cabinet rankings to reflect the loss of health. He is currently ranked at fourth in Cabinet.
Health is expected to go to Brown who currently holds the transport, local government and energy portfolios. Brown would lose some of his current portfolios to free him up to focus on health.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Chris Bishop, Infrastructure Minister, could pick up a portfolio as a result or Simon Watts, another trusted by Luxon.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis is tipped to be given a wider economic growth portfolio as well as finance as Luxon tries to sharpen the focus on the economy.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Her public service portfolio is expected to be given to another minister. That could be Judith Collins, Luxon’s most experienced minister, who knows the public sector well. Collins also already has responsibility for the digitising government programme.
The reshuffle is of National ministers only and does not impact on coalition partners NZ First and Act.
It is Luxon’s first major reshuffle since forming his government in December 2023.
He has previously only made some small-scale changes where a minister was not performing. It is understood it will not include significant changes to Cabinet rankings.
The minister set to lose a place is not a current Cabinet minister. Luxon has previously had to switch portfolio responsibilities of some of the ministers outside Cabinet because of mistakes – including Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds over mishandling of disability funding. Andrew Bayly has also come under fire for his behaviour to a worker at a winery last year.
Lee, Ethnic Affairs and Economic Development Minister, was stripped of the broadcasting portfolio and demoted after struggling to respond to the difficulties faced by the media – including the closure of Newshub and cuts at TVNZ.
Lee’s economic development role is likely to be absorbed into the wider economic growth portfolio which is expected to be picked up by Willis.
Among the National first term MPs, James Meager and Katie Nimon are considered front runners for ministerial posts.
Claire Trevett is the NZ Herald’s political editor. She started at the NZ Herald in 2003 and joined the Press Gallery team in 2007. She is a life member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
