Two Ministers lose portfolios

1 News reports:

Melissa Lee has been relieved of the role of Media and Communications Minister, while Penny Simmonds has also lost her disabilities portfolio.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has explained the change saying due to significant challenges in each portfolio they should be held by senior Cabinet ministers.

It follows controversies and pressure in both ministers’ portfolios in recent months.

Paul Goldsmith with take over from Lee, and Louise Upston will take over for Simmonds.

“It has become clear in recent months that there are significant challenges in the media sector. Similarly, we have discovered major financial issues with programmes run by the Ministry of Disabled People,” Luxon said in a statement.

“I have come to the view it is important to have senior Cabinet Ministers considering these issues.”

This is a level of performance management we have not seen before. To have Ministers lose portfolios after just six months for sub-par management.

This will send a (good) chill up other Ministers they they need to perform at a very high level, otherwise they may also lose challenging portfolios, or worse.

Makes a change from the last Government when woeful Ministers were kept on for years and year and years. Not saying that these two Ministers are woeful – far from it. Just that Luxon is holding a much much higher level of performance expectation than other PMs.