Winners and losers: National’s reshuffle
Politicians are obsessed with rankings. Few of them would admit this publicly, but it’s hard to imagine not paying attention to a number right beside your name.
There’s a reason most organisations don’t have quite such an obvious hierarchy.
But in politics, thanks to the way the front bench works and the need to rank party lists, numerical rankings are a key part of life.
Newly elected National leader Christopher Luxon unveiled his first reshuffle of the party’s caucus yesterday, promoting several MPs such as Erica Stanford and Simeon Brown while demoting former leader Judith Collins and MPs close to her.
He has only technically ‘‘ranked’’ 20 of his MPs (his shadow cabinet), saying the 13 MPs outside of that 20 are floating around ‘‘unranked’’ but listed in order of seniority.
Here is a look at the biggest winners, the biggest losers, and the portfolios of interest.
Biggest promotions
The biggest promotion is the one the party gave Luxon when it elected him unopposed. He’s risen 28 spots to No 1. Like other leaders before him, he’s only picking up the national security portfolio.
The second-largest rise is Erica Stanford, who jumps 18 spots from 26 to No 7. Stanford was elected in 2017 and is generally considered to be a bit on the liberal side of the party, where much of Luxon’s support originated. She has made a
lot of news with the immigration portfolio, which she is keeping – and is picking up education from Paul Goldsmith.
The third-largest rise is for deputy leader Nicola Willis, who jumps 14 spots to No 2. Willis is keeping the housing portfolio and adding the social investment portfolio.
Fourth-largest is Matt Doocey, who rises 12 spots to No 8. He retains his mental health portfolio and picks up the youth portfolio.
And rounding out the doubledigit
promotions is Simeon Brown, who jumps 10 spots and takes transport and public service.
Finally, three MPs have risen exactly four spots for decent places on the front bench: Simon Bridges, Chris Bishop, and Barbara Kuriger.
Bridges has already been announced as the finance spokesman. Bishop, who is a close ally of deputy leader Willis, has retaken the shadow leader of the House portfolio that was stripped off him.
Biggest drops
The largest drop within the ranked MPs is former leader Judith Collins, who lost a vote of confidence the week before last.
Collins drops 18 places to be ranked 19 – well off the 12-person front bench – and gets the minor portfolio of research, science, innovation and technology.
Next up is her own finance spokespeople – Michael Woodhouse and Andrew Bayly – who were perceived by many in the party to have done a poor job in the roles. They have lost their finance portfolios and dropped 14 and 12 spots respectively, being handed a bevy of smaller portfolios to keep them busy. Woodhouse has also given the shadow leader of House role back to Bishop. Another Collins ally, David Bennett, has dropped nine places and lost the agriculture portfolio, replacing it with economic development.
Outside the technically ranked MPs is Todd McClay, who goes from 6 to unranked.
Portfolios of interest
Outside the big ranking changes are some portfolio changes that will be of big interest to keen watchers of the National Party.
Taking climate change off Stuart Smith and giving it back to Scott Simpson most likely signals a slight moderation of the party’s climate change policy.
Simpson is the chairman of the Bluegreens and has a longstanding interest in the environment, while Smith had a very sceptical view of most policies aimed at reducing emissions while he was in the role.
Stanford will have a very busy time with education as well as immigration, given that Luxon has indicated he wants education to be a major focus for the party. It seems he wasn’t satisfied with the job that former finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith was doing in the role.
Goldsmith is taking the justice portfolio from Bridges. It is unlikely he will be able to match Bridges’ enthusiasm for the role, given that unlike Bridges he is not a former Crown prosecutor.