Smart appointment

The Herald reports:

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has appointed former Labour Party General Secretary Andrew Kirton to be his chief of staff. Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s chief of staff Raj Nahna has decided to leave the Beehive.

Kirton was a former staffer during the Clark government and was a campaign manager for the successful 2017 election campaign.

He is extremely well connected in Wellington. His wife, Camilla Belich is a sitting Labour list MP and is tipped as a replacement for Ardern as Labour’s Mt Albert candidate. He is also familiar with National leader Christopher Luxon, who had hired Kirton away from Labour to head up Air New Zealand’s government relations team.

Andrew is widely liked and respected as a smart political operator. It’s a good choice by Hipkins, and should lead to better political management within the Beehive, compared to previously.