Prime Minister announces portfolio allocations
14 August 2002 Media Statement
Prime Minister announces portfolio allocations
Prime Minister Helen Clark today
announced the allocation of portfolios to ministers and the
appointment of ministers and under-secretaries outside
Cabinet.
Helen Clark said that apart from the re-allocation of portfolios previously held by the three retiring Alliance ministers, changes were relatively minor.
“It is my intention to take a fresh look at portfolio allocations further into this term of government.”
Portfolio reallocations of note include:
-
Conservation, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs to Chris
Carter.
- ACC and Women’s Affairs to Ruth Dyson, who also
keeps her existing disability-related responsibilities.
-
Statistics, Land Information, and Youth Affairs to John
Tamihere.
- Responsibility for driving the government’s
drug and youth suicide strategies will be with Jim Anderton
as Associate Minister of Health.
- Broadcasting is added
to Steve Maharey’s responsibilities.
- Forestry is added
to Jim’s Sutton’s responsibilities.
- Courts is added to
Margaret Wilson’s responsibilities.
- Commerce, Associate
Justice, and responsibility for the Law Commission are added
to Lianne Dalziel’s responsibilities.
- Veterans’ Affairs
is added to George Hawkins’ responsibilities.
- Transport
replaces Commerce in Paul Swain’s responsibilities.
-
Disarmament and Arms Control and Associate Foreign Affairs
(Official Development Assistance) are added to Marian Hobbs’
responsibilities, along with a responsibility for Urban
Affairs which builds on work being undertaken in the
Environment portfolio.
- Corrections replaces Transport
in Mark Gosche’s responsibilities. He also becomes Minister
for Racing.
- Consumer Affairs and Associate Commerce
(intellectual property and copyright-related issues) are
added to Judith Tizard’s responsibilities.
- Tariana
Turia becomes Minister for the Community and Voluntary
Sector, and retains a range of associate ministerial
portfolios.
- Rick Barker becomes Minister of Customs and
an associate to the Minister of Social Services and
Employment and the Minister of Justice.
- Dover Samuels
will be an associate to the Minister for Economic, Industry
and Regional Development and the Minister of Tourism.
-
Harry Duynhoven will be an associate to the Minister of
Transport with particular responsibility for Civil Aviation
and maritime safety, and will be Associate Minister of
Energy.
- Damien O’Connor will be an associate in
Agriculture, Rural Affairs, Health and Immigration.
Two
new parliamentary under-secretaries have been
appointed:
- Phillip Field who will work with the
Ministers of Pacific Island Affairs, Social Services and
Employment, and Justice.
- Mita Ririnui who will work
with the Ministers for Treaty Negotiations, Corrections, and
Conservation.
The new executive totals 28 in size, representing 23.33 per cent of the Parliament. This compares favourably with the 27 appointed to the last pre-MMP Parliament, representing 27.27 per cent of that Parliament.
Helen Clark said she was also designating
three Members of Parliament as Parliamentary Private
Secretaries to Ministers. These are non-executive positions
and carry no extra remuneration. The PPSs will assist their
Ministers on portfolio, administrative, and representational
issues.
- Tim Barnett will be PPS to the Minister of
Justice on human rights issues, and the Minister for the
Community and Voluntary Sector.
- David Cunliffe will be
PPS to the Minister of Finance and of Revenue, and the
Minister of Commerce.
- Nanaia Mahuta will be PPS to the
Minister of Education and the Minister of Local
Government.
ENDS