Goff’s reshuffle
Phil Goff has announced:
Nanaia Mahuta and Charles Chauvel move to Front Bench seats while Grant Robertson moves to the second row.
Chauvel was a no brainer. On performance I still maintain Robertson would be ahead of Mahuta for the front bench, but I guess it would ruffle too many feathers to put a new MP there so quickly. Mahuta has been a competent opposition MP, but not one I would have thought screamed front bench.
- Charles Chauvel picks up Environment and drops Energy.
- David Parker picks up Economic Development and drops Conservation.
- Darren Hughes picks up Infrastructure.
- Maryan Street picks up Foreign Affairs and drops Tertiary Education.
- Stuart Nash picks up Forestry from Mita Ririnui.
- Grant Robertson picks up Tertiary Education.
- Nanaia Mahuta picks up Energy and Associate Law and Order.
- Chris Carter picks up Conservation.
Chauvel to environment is logical and what I predicted. He is one of the few MPs who understand the complexities of the ETS etc.
Giving Parker economic development also sound. When Cunliffe becomes leader, Parker is the likely replacement for him in finance.
Not sure how Darren will go with infrastructure, as he made little impact against Steven Joyce on transport. Darren’s strengths is more in the House.
Street makes some sense for Foreign Affairs as she had was covering Trade. Some risk that she will push the party’s foreign stance to the left, but on trade she has been quite moderate.
Nash is under-used so giving him forestry makes sense.
Robertson in tertiary education is very interesting as it will play him against Steven Joyce. Grant is a former NZUSA president so knows the sector well.
Somewhat puzzled by energy and associate law and order to Nanaia Mahuta as they don’t seem to be areas of interest previously. But a chance for her to prove her front bench ranking.
Carter has been given Conservation, which is easy for him as a former minister.
However you’d be a bit pissed off if you were Shane Jones and Mita Ririnui. Carter has arguably been by far the worst trougher, and is totally unrepentant. Yet he only goes back to the second row, and gets given a major portfolio. Jones and Ririnui have no portfolios at all, and are on the back row.
As I understand it, a fuller reshuffle will happen in November.