Six-month report card for the cabinet

When the Labour caucus re-elects David Parker to the Cabinet next Tuesday, as requested by Prime Minister Helen Clark, his formerly huge workload is expected to be lightened considerably.

He will almost certainly not regain the post of Attorney-General from Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen. But there are also question marks over whether he will lose Transport, too.

But as the Government's third term, six-month report card by political editor Audrey Young suggests, there are several under-worked ministers who could handle more.

Michael Cullen
Recovering. 6.
Inexplicably carried his bad mood from last year's "chewing gum Budget" past the election win. Mood worsened after having to defend his Dunedin proteges Benson-Pope and Parker from scandal. Has lightened up since a Listener article forced the PM to say how valued he is. Loving the challenge of sorting out Maharey and Mallard's tertiary tangles.

Helen Clark
Firing. 7 out of 10.
After a stressful start to the term - election spending, David Benson-Pope, David Parker - turned a corner after discovering the golden letter that exonerated Parker. Now as perky and as focused as ever and back in perpetual campaign mode. Managing the relationship with Winston Peters well.

Jim Anderton
Behaving. 6.
Farmer Jim is as happy as a pig in muck in his new Agriculture portfolio. So enamoured has he become with his farming buddies that he was willing to take a public knock-back in order to be seen to be putting their anti-microchipping-farm-dogs case to the Cabinet.

Steve Maharey
Improving. 7.
No tertiary disasters this time around. Did not take his eye off NZQA through the exam season and neatly avoided Bill English's bullets. Broadcasting has been the biggest headache. High expectations of new chairman John Anderson.

Phil Goff
Excelling. 9.
No trainer wheels needed here. No outward disappointment at losing Foreign Affairs to Peters (as a potential Labour leader, he may need Peters one day). Putting grunt into Trade and Defence. Keeps his oar in at the sharp end of nuclear issues. On target to succeed Clark.

Annette King
Cruising. 7.
Drastically underworked with Police and State Services. Could easily handle more, such as Transport, if Clark wanted to lighten Parker's workload when he comes back to Cabinet next week.

Trevor Mallard
Positioning. 6.
Delighted to inherit Anderton's Economic Development empire. A good job for someone with an eye to take over Finance when Cullen goes. (And lots of overseas trips too - in India at present.) Capably leading the cost-cutting razor gang but still suffers foot in mouth - saying some Kiwi Commonwealth Games athletes lacked mental toughness.

Pete Hodgson
Straining. 4.
Has made heavy work of his new, complex Health portfolio and the new, clever National spokesman, Tony Ryall. Too bogged down in explaining detail rather than big picture stuff.

Parekura Horomia
Fading. 5.
The 20-stone invisible man. But in Horomia's case that is probably a good thing. At least he is keeping out of trouble.

Mark Burton
Dithering. 2.
No one knows what he is doing in Justice, not his colleagues, not his department, possibly not even himself. No wonder Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor has been trying to find his own answers to the prison population problem. Taking over an area Goff kept revved up for six years has left him spluttering in his shadow.

Ruth Dyson
So-so-ing. 5.
Nothing terribly bad. Nothing terribly good. Has talent. Where is it?

Chris Carter
Thriving. 7.
Never far from trouble but has handled it well - and evenly. Won environmentalists' hearts over Whangamata marina, then lost them over Solid Energy's snails. Handled the Housing Corporation hushed-up whistle-blower fiasco quickly and confidently.

Rick Barker
Ambling. 6.
Has acquired the George Hawkins Memorial set of portfolios: Internal Affairs, Civil Defence and Veterans Affairs; plus Courts. Highly skilled at photo opportunities.

David Benson-Pope
Resurfacing. 3.
Made a complete pig's ear of tennis ball inquiry and the second batch of teacher allegations arising from Investigate magazine. Too soon to tell whether he has been permanently damaged.

Lianne Dalziel
Rebuilding. 6.
Hopelessly underworked with only Commerce, Women's Affairs and Small Business. Slowly rehabilitating her Cabinet career with the emphasis on slow. Working on special Clark regulations reduction project.

Damien O'Connor
Shining. 8.
Responding well to enormous pressure in Corrections after inheriting a disaster area and facing invigorated National spokesman Simon Power. High expectations he will make tough decisions that have eluded previous ministers.

David Cunliffe
Accelerating. 8.
A well-paced and rising career. Hasn't put a foot wrong yet in Immigration or Communications. Expect to see and hear more of him in the next six months as he continues work on the immigration review, and on broadband.

David Parker
Surviving. 6.
What were Clark and Cullen were thinking when they gave a new minister so much: Attorney-General, Energy, Climate Change and Transport. Was doing reasonably before allegations of Company Office infringements. Will lose Attorney-General and possibly Transport - worry about performance in House.

Jim Sutton
Exiting. 5.
Still on track for a managed departure from Trade Negotiations and from Parliament. Date unknown 

Nanaia Mahuta
Learning. 6.
Given small bundle of portfolios to test the new minister, including Customs and Associate Local Government. May have disappointed farmers over her obstinate refusal to amend the microchipping law for farm dogs, but she has passed the test so far. 

Clayton Cosgrove
Beavering. 7.
Quietly and efficiently cleaning up the discredited building sector. A mini-Mallard in the making: Effective minister, effective knee-capper. New minister rated highly enough to be put on Mallard's razor-gang, otherwise known as the Ministerial Expenditure Review Group.