Who's in, who's out? Labour announces Cabinet, ministerial line up

Name: Jacinda Ardern talks to the media after first caucus as Prime Minister in waiting
Uploaded: 2015-10-20T15:02:01+13:00
Description: Ardern - 'Labour remains a party that at its core is based on making sure we defend the rights of workers in New Zealand'.

NZ Herald

20 Oct, 2017 02:57 AM2 mins to read

Ardern - 'Labour remains a party that at its core is based on making sure we defend the rights of workers in New Zealand'.

Prime Minister in waiting Jacinda Ardern has announced 16 ministers inside Cabinet and five ministers outside Cabinet to serve in the next Government - elected by caucus.

Inside Cabinet will be:

Jacinda Ardern, David Clark, Clare Curran, Kelvin Davis, Chris Hipkins, Iain Lees-Galloway, Andrew Little, Nanaia Mahuta, Stuart Nash, Damien O'Connor, David Parker, Grant Robertson, Jenny Salesa, Carmel Sepuloni, Phil Twyford and Megan Woods.

Outside Cabinet will be:

Kris Faafoi, Peeni Henare, Willie Jackson, Aupito Willian Sio, Meka Whaitiri.

Ardern said she could look at changing portfolios, and that was something she would consider in coming days.

She will announce the portfolios of ministers next week.

Ardern said there was immense interest in both economic development and regional economic development.

"I want to spend a bit of time making sure I get alignment" in those portfolios.

Asked about Labour's 100-day plan, she said it will "broadly" stay the same.

Transport was another portfolio that could be split, but she again said it was something she would look at in coming days.

"We are retaining our policy on the tax cuts and our policy on the families package. That means dumping National's plans and replacing it with Labour's package that was substantially more generous " to lower income families.

She said her personal view on cannabis use was that people should not be imprisoned for cannabis use. She was looking for a "workable" solution, and the current "justice-based" approach wasn't working. It was a conversation that needed to be had with the rest of New Zealand.

Ardern said she had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and will speak to UK Prime Minister Theresa May tonight.

The call with Turnball was "warm and friendly". She hoped to go to Australia "sooner rather than later", but making the Government official was more important at the moment.

She had not received a call from US President Donald Trump, but would take it if it arised.

She said she wanted everything lined up so ministers can be sworn in on Thursday.