Politics

National Party leader Judith Collins reveals caucus reshuffle

15:41 pm on 11 November 2020

National Party leader Judith Collins is unveiling her new shadow cabinet as the party picks up the pieces after its crushing election defeat.

Watch the announcement here:

Shane Reti was yesterday announced as the deputy leader of the National Party.

Last week Gerry Brownlee announced he was stepping down as deputy leader.

Collins says the party's new line-up reflects a wealth of talent and experience.

"New Zealand's economic recovery will be at the forefront of everything we do ... we have a shadow cabinet brimming with business experience," she says.

"We'll be focused on being a positive opposition as long as that's not counterproductive. Where we can be positive we will be... I expect that we'll be professional, that we'lll bring a professionalism to opposition."

Collins was reconfirmed as party leader on Tuesday, with no challengers - something she said was "an enormous privilege".

Reti, who as spokesperson for children will oversee the party's stance on Oranga Tamariki and child poverty reduction, says he's very interested in both, holding the government to account and coming up with constructive ideas about how we can do better.

Paul Goldmsith has lost his finance role and rocketed down the rankings from 3 to 12.

Collins has split the finance portfolio - Andrew Bayly will be shadow Treasurer and Michael Woodhouse will be the shadow Finance Minister. Bayly is ranked higher than Woodhouse at number 3. Woodhouse has gone up the rank to number 4.

She says splitting Finance and Treasurer is very close to the Australian experience, that Woodhouse and Bayly are "quite joined at the hip" and get on very well and will be a powerhouse.

Woodhouse and Bayly can be seen jostling one another's hips as she says this.

They will have different responsibilities, Collins says.

"We're about to go into really serious economic times ... it is so important that this is a serious portfolio."

"We're not focused on who's senior or who's what, but Andrew does have the number three ranking and Michael does have the number four ranking."

Woodhouse will also take the Transport portfolio and become the shadow leader of the House.

Bayly also nabs revenue, infrastructure and statistics.

Louise Upston has been ranked at number 5 and will be social development and employment, social investment, whānau ora and land information spokesperson.

She says the country need to be focusing on how we can get New Zealanders standing on their own two feet.

"The government's talked big on creation of jobs and I will absolutely with every one of my colleagues focus on holding them to account."

Former leaders Simon Bridges and Todd Muller have both moved down the rankings.

Muller, ranked at number 19, will be in charge of trade and export growth while Bridges at number seven takes on justice, water, Pike River re-entry and Māori-Crown relations.

Collins says Simon is the right person for the Crown-Māori relations role, he will have a lot of work ahead of him.

"The National Party, this is not about cauterising or anything like that, this is about the best team for the job ... people have seen what happens when there is disunity, a lot of people lose their jobs."

National's list:

  • 1. Judith Collins: Leader; spokesperson for national security and intelligence; Pacific peoples; technology, manufacturing and artificial intelligence
  • 2. Shane Reti: health; children including Oranga Tamariki and child poverty reduction
  • 3. Andrew Bayly: shadow treasurer; revenue; infrastructure; statistics
  • 4. Michael Woodhouse: finance; transport; deputy shadow leader of the house
  • 5. Louise Upston: Social development and employment; social investment; Whānau Ora; land information
  • 6. Todd McClay: economic development; small business; consumer affairs; tourism, associate Pacific peoples
  • 7. Simon Bridges: justice; water; Pike River re-entry; Māori-Crown relations
  • 8. Chris Bishop: Covid-19 response; shadow leader of the House
  • 9. Melissa Lee: broadcasting and digital media; digital economy; communications; ethnic communities
  • 10. Scott Simpson: environment, workplace relations, RMA environment
  • 11. David Bennett: agriculture, horticulture, biosecurity
  • 12. Paul Goldsmith: education
  • 13. Mark Mitchell: public service, SOE, sport and recreation
  • 14. Barbara Kuriger: energy and resources; rural communities; food safety, associate transport
  • 15. Gerry Brownlee: foreign Affairs; NZSIS and GCSB; associate finance
  • 16. Nicola Willis: RMA housing; housing and urban development including social; associate economic development
  • 17. Stewart Smith: climate change and viticulture
  • 18. Jacqui Dean: conservation; assistant speaker of the house
  • 19. Todd Muller: trade and export growth,
  • 20. Simeon Brown: police, corrections, SFO; youth
  • 21. Matt Doocey: chief whip; mental health; associate social development and employment; associate health
  • 22. Maureen Pugh: junior whip; community and voluntary sector; emergency management
  • 23. Nick Smith: research and science; electoral reform
  • 24. Chris Penk: shadow attorney-general; defence; courts; veterans
  • 25. Simon O'Connor: customs; arts, culture and heritage; associate foreign affairs
  • 26. Erica Stanford: immigration; early childhood education
  • 27. Ian McKelvie: seniors; forestry; racing; disability issues
  • 28. Tim van de Molen: oceans and fisheries; animal welfare; building and construction
  • 29. Nicola Grigg: women; associate trade; associate arts, culture and heritage
  • 30. Christopher Luxon: local government; iwi development; associate transport
  • 31. Joseph Mooney: Treaty negotiations; associate defence; associate tourism
  • 32. Penny Simmonds: tertiary education; associate agriculture; associate disability issues
  • 33. Simon Watts: ACC; associate health