The Opposition Foreign Minister

Now that Helen and Winston have decided that you can be a Minister without being in Government, I wonder if I should apply to become a Minister. Just a quick change to the Constitution Act will do it and I could be Minister of Youth Affairs or some such.

The best quotes on this issue come from public policy professor Jonathan Boston.

He correctly points out we have a four-party coalition government, “NZ First is part of a four-party coalition government. They and United Future are part of the Government by virtue of their leaders having ministerial warrants and serving as part of the executive. End of story.”

He labelled the attempt by NZ First to sit with the opposition as making a “mockery of constitutional arrangements”.

Boston also highlights that foreign affirs is not really a portfolio where you can agree to disagree with other portfolio areas. “There are probably hardly any matters, except of the most limited sort of domestic nature, where the minister of foreign affairs does not have some responsibility to represent the Government’s policy position internationally. It could be biosecurity, defence, trade, diplomatic relations, health pandemic, ecological issues, climate change or any number of things.”