Keralite Priyanca sworn in New Zealand minister
thiruvananthapuram — Keralite Priyanca Radhakrishnan on Monday became the first Indian to be sworn in as a minister in New Zealand as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled her new cabinet.
The 41-year-old took charge as Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector.
Priyanca, born in Chennai and brought up in Singapore, has her roots at Paravur, Kochi, where her grandfather was a medical professional as well as a communist.
A two-time MP from Auckland, she reached New Zealand to pursue her higher studies, following which she became a Kiwi national hailing from Christchurch. Since 2004 she has been in active politics with the Labour Party.
She shot into prominence and became a household name in Kerala during last Onam when she came live with Ardern to extend her greetings on the occasion.
Priyanca enjoys Malayalam songs and says her most admired singer is none other than popular Keralite playback singer K.J. Yesudas.
Priyanca has spent her work life advocating on behalf of people whose voices are often unheard — women survivors of domestic violence, and migrant workers who have been exploited.
WELLINGTON — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled what she called an ‘incredibly diverse’ cabinet on Monday that includes New Zealand’s first openly gay deputy prime minister and a foreign minister with a Maori facial tattoo.
The centre-left leader revamped her ministerial line-up in the wake of a landslide election victory, saying her second-term priorities were responding to Covid-19 and promoting economic recovery.
Ardern appointed Grant Robertson as deputy prime minister, making him the first openly gay person to hold the role.
Women and the Maori community are also strongly represented in the 20-member cabinet, including new Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who has a moko kauae — a traditional female Maori tattoo on the chin.
While expressing pride at her cabinet’s diversity, Ardern also said appointments were made on merit.
“It is both a cabinet with huge merit and talent, which also happens to be incredibly diverse,” the 40-year-old said. “I think it’s an important point to make — these are individuals who have been promoted for what they bring to the cabinet, they also reflect the New Zealand that elected them.”
Robertson, 49, has long acted as Ardern’s right-hand man — he controlled the government’s purse strings as finance minister during her first term and was chief strategist of her election campaign.
The deputy’s role — which he will hold along with the finance and infrastructure portfolios — formalises his position and will see him become acting prime minister when Ardern is overseas.