Power shift shows up in committees

Labour's power over Parliament's select committees has been diluted.

It is set to get majorities over National on only one of the core committees.

Parliament has 13 committees dealing with various subject areas and five specialist committees for issues such as parliamentary privilege.

Of the 13 subject committees, Labour has a majority on only one - transport and industrial relations.

Labour's and National's numbers are tied on the other 12, according to a list obtained by the Herald which goes before Parliament's business committee this morning for approval.

Parliament is set to debate the committees this afternoon.

The ties mean minor-party MPs - where a committee has them - have the balance of power. The commerce, primary production, and government administration committees are all tied and have no minor-party MPs.

The allocations reflect the make-up of Parliament - with a resurgent National boasting 48 MPs, up from 27 in the last House - and the size of the Executive, which has 27 Labour MPs.

Meanwhile, Labour MPs are to get sought-after chairmanships of eight of the 13 committees, National is set to get three and the Greens and NZ First will get one each.

In the last Parliament Labour chaired nine of the committees, and National, Greens, United Future and NZ First one each.

The Weekend Herald reported that new Labour list MP Shane Jones will be nominated to chair the powerful finance and expenditure committee. National's John Key has been nominated as his deputy.

Green MP Sue Kedgley is set to become health committee chairwoman and NZ First MP Brian Donnelly the education and science committee chairman.

Labour's Dianne Yates is set to gain the chair of the foreign affairs, defence and trade committee with National's Murray McCully as deputy.

Labour's Dave Hereora is nominated as chairman of the Maori affairs committee with Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples his deputy.

National MP Katherine Rich is set to become commerce committee chairwoman and fellow National MP Pansy Wong will get the government administration committee job.

In another move, National's Simon Power is set to be chairman of the privileges committee, with Labour's Michael Cullen as his deputy.

Parliament's workhorses

Proposed chairpeople and deputies.

Finance and expenditure: Shane Jones (L), John Key (N).

Law and order: Martin Gallagher (L), Ron Mark (NZF).

Maori affairs: Dave Hereora (L), Pita Sharples (MP).

Social services: Georgina Beyer (L), Judith Collins (N).

Foreign affairs, defence and trade: Dianne Yates (L), Murray McCully (N).

Transport and industrial relations: Mark Gosche ( L), Maurice Williamson (N).

Local government and environment: Steve Chadwick (L), John Carter (N).

Justice and electoral law: Lynne Pillay (L), Chris Finlayson (N).

Commerce: Katherine Rich (N), Gordon Copeland (UF).

Government administration: Pansy Wong (N), Ross Robertson (L).

Primary production: David Carter (N), Ashraf Choudhary (L).

Health: Sue Kedgley (G), Maryan Street (L).

Education and science: Brian Donnelly (NZF), Moana Mackey (L).

Specialist committees

Standing orders: Margaret Wilson (L), Clem Simich (N).

Privileges: Simon Power (N), Michael Cullen (L).

Regulation review: Richard Worth (N), Marian Hobbs (L).

Key: L = Labour, N = National, G = Greens, NZF = New Zealand First, MP = Maori Party, UF = United Future.