Jenny Shipley
Leader of the Opposition

13 November 2000

Cabinet reshuffle an ineffectual non-event

The Cabinet reshuffle announced by the Prime Minister today will do nothing to address the Government's real problems, Opposition leader Jenny Shipley said today.

"All that has happened is that a few people have swapped Ministerial Warrants. In fact the most interesting aspects of this reshuffle are the things which Helen Clark HASN'T done.

"No new blood has been injected into Cabinet, while Ministers who have failed to perform have been left in their jobs.

"The failure to change the Cabinet line-up is revealing. It shows Helen Clark has a very small number of Ministers she feels she can trust with the key portfolios, coupled with a short-supply of talent in the Labour-Alliance backbenches.

"Meanwhile non-performing Ministers have been left in place, as Miss Clark tries to avoid upsetting the major power blocs within Labour, notably the Maori caucus.

"With her hands effectively tied by party infighting and side-deals with the Alliance, it's little wonder this reshuffle is something of a non-event.

"As Cabinet reshuffles go this was an ineffectual effort," Jenny Shipley said.

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