Wellington, Jan 19
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reshuffled the cabinet on Sunday to focus on economic growth and the health sector.
Announcing his first major cabinet reshuffle since taking office more than a year ago, Luxon said the refreshed team was to drive economic growth in 2025 and to focus on unleashing economic growth to make people better off, create more opportunities for businesses and help Kiwis afford the world-class health and education, Xinhua news agency reported.
Citing "solid progress on the economy last year" such as falling inflation and interest rate cuts, Luxon said an additional role of Finance Minister Nicola Willis is to become the minister for economic growth, formerly known as the economic development portfolio.
Willis will be "leading the government's growth agenda to unleash the potential of New Zealand businesses to grow, develop talent and attract investment," he said.
On the health side, Simeon Brown will become minister of health to replace Shane Reti who will take on new roles of assuming responsibility for New Zealand's universities and the science sector, also part of the country's economic growth plan.
Chris Bishop became minister of transport, and Louise Upston picked up tourism and hospitality. Judith Collins became minister for the public service, while Mark Mitchell picked up the sport and recreation, and ethnic communities' portfolios. Simon Watts took on the energy and local government portfolios.
Chris Penk became small business and manufacturing minister, while Andrew Bayly became the Accident Compensation Corporation minister.
James Meager has been promoted to the minister to take on the hunting and fishing and youth portfolios and the minister for the South Island, which was a newly created role. Meager also became an associate minister of transport, according to the prime minister.
- IANS