Ministerial reshuffle

Bill English has announced a minor reshuffle due to the retirements of Murray McCully and Hekia Parata.

• Nikki Kaye becomes Education Minister (from Parata)
• Gerry Brownlee becomes Foreign Minister (from McCully)
• Mark Mitchell becomes Defence Minister (from Brownlee) and moves inside Cabinet
• Nathan Guy becomes Civil Defence Minister (from Brownlee)
• Simon Bridges becomes Leader of the House (from Brownlee)
• Nicky Wagner becomes Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration (from Brownlee)
• Amy Adams takes some house building (from N Smith)
• Tim Macindoe made Minister of Customs and Associate Education and Associate Transport
• Scott Simpson made Minister of Statistics and Associate Environment and Associate Immigration

Looks to be all pretty sensible. Huge kudos to Nikki Kaye for taking on such a huge portfolio at such a relatively youthful age. Also a big vote of confidence in Mark Mitchell in giving him Defence,