The new Clark Cabinet

Helen Bain in the SST speculates that Hawkins and Samuels will be dropped from Cabinet, and what a reshuffle may involve.

Now predicting Hawkins will be dumped is about as safe as predicting the sun will rise tomorrow. Her picks of King to Welfare and Mallard to defence sound common sense to me.

If I was Clark, here is what I would do:

Cabinet

1 Clark – PM, SIS
2 Cullen – Finance (but with a deputy he hands over to in 2007), Treaty
3 Anderton – Associate Education (Schools)
4 Maharey – Economic Development
5 Goff – Attorney-General, Education
6 King – Welfare
7 Mallard – Defence, State Services
8 Hodgson – Health, Transport
9 Horomia – Maori Affairs
10 Sutton – Foreign Affairs
11 Burton – Police
12 Swain – Labour
13 Dalziel – CYPFS
14 Hobbs – Environment
15 Dyson – ACC
16 Carter – Conservation & Local Govt
17 Benson-Pope – Justice
18 Cunliffe – Deputy Finance, Comms/IT
19 O’Connor – Immigration
20 Okeroa – Ass Maori,

Outside Cabinet

21 Chadwick – Ass Health
22 Barnett – Ass Welfare
23 Fairbrother – Ass Justice
24 Mahuta – Ass Maori

Dump

Hawkins
Barker
Tizard
Samuels
Duynhoven
Field
Ririnui

This would leave a slightly smaller executive of 24, which would allow people such as Shane Jones or Darren Hughes to be considered for promotion mid way through the term.