John Key reveals new Cabinet lineup

7:51 pm on 6 October 2014

Prime Minister John Key has announced his new post-election Cabinet as the new Government begins its third term in office.

Mr Key said he had taken an opportunity to refresh his Cabinet and modernise some of the portfolios.

"I think if there were lessons to be learned from the previous government I think it was really a failure to rejuvenate fast enough and to promote the next wave of senior ministers"

In a break with tradition the Mr Key has transferred responsibility for the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and the Security Intelligence Service to the Attorney-General, Chris Finlayson.

The prime minister of the day usually holds that job, as Mr Key has done for the past six years, but he will now take on the newly created role of Minister for National Security and Intelligence.

Mr Key said the change recognised that national security is growing in significance and importance.

"I think it does make sense to have a demarcation between the workings of those ministries which are a bit functional and the signing of the actual warrants to the policy settings, the national briefings, the sense of where we're going to go over the course of the next three years."

Mr Key told Checkpoint he would still chair Parliament's intelligence and security committee but Mr Finlayson will join him at national security briefings.

"It's my intention to include Chris Finlayson in all of the weekly meetings that I have on national security, which happen once a week, where the heads of the agencies and others come through and take us through both current issues and what they see as potentially future issues."

Paula Bennett has been promoted four places to fifth in the ranking and picks up the portfolios of State Services, Social Housing and Associate Finance while keeping Local Government and Associate Finance.

Paula Bennett Photo: SUPPLIED

She relinquishes the Social Development portfolio, which goes to Anne Tolley. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga becomes Minister of Corrections.

Jonathan Coleman becomes Minister of Health, and also picks up the Sport and Recreation portfolio.

Gerry Brownlee keeps responsibility for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, and picks up Defence. His former Transport portfolio has gone to Simon Bridges, who keeps Energy and Resources.

Nikki Kaye will be the new ACC Minister, and Amy Adams goes on to the front bench and takes Justice - portfolios that belonged to former minister Judith Collins.

Three new ministers will be appointed. Maggie Barry is to go straight into Cabinet as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Minister of Conservation and Minister for Senior Citizens. Louise Upston and Paul Goldsmith will be Ministers outside Cabinet holding a variety of portfolios.

Chester Borrows has been demoted and will not be a minister, but will be nominated for Deputy Speaker.

Hekia Parata drops three places to number 10 but retains Education. Michael Woodhouse stays on as Immigration Minister and picks up the Police portfolio.

New face in cabinet

Maggie Barry Photo: SUPPLIED

The only new Cabinet minister is Maggie Barry, who, before coming to Parliament, was best known as the co-producer and presenter of Maggie's Garden Show.

She was elected as the National Party MP for North Shore in 2011, the first woman the party has ever selected for an electorate north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Last term, she chaired the Local Government & Environment Select Committees, and served on the Education & Science Select Committee. Ms Barry also chairs the Bluegreens Caucus - the National Party's advisory group on conservation and environmental issues - and has also been appointed to the on the NZ Lottery Grants Board.

Ms Barry lives in her North Shore electorate in the village of Devonport with her teenage son and her partner Grant Kerr. She was awarded the Order of NZ Merit for services to Broadcasting in 1996.

The full Cabinet list is:

CABINET MINISTERS

John Key (1) : Prime Minister, Minister for National Security and Intelligence, Minister of Tourism, Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services
Bill English (2) : Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister Responsible for HNZC
Gerry Brownlee (3) : Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, Minister of Defence, Leader of the House, Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission
Steven Joyce (4) : Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Regulatory Reform, Minister of Science and Innovation, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Minister Responsible for Novopay, Associate Minister of Finance
Paula Bennett (5) : Minister of Local Government, Minister for Social Housing, Minister of State Services, Associate Minister of Finance, Associate Minister of Tourism
Dr Jonathan Coleman (6): Minister of Health, Minister for Sport and Recreation,
Amy Adams (7) : Minister of Justice, Minister for Courts, Minister of Broadcasting, Minister for Communications
Christopher Finlayson (8) : Attorney-General, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Minister in Charge of the NZ Security Intelligence Service, Minister Responsible for the GCSB, Associate Minister for Maori Development
Simon Bridges (9) : Minister of Energy and Resources, Minister of Transport, Deputy Leader of the House, Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues, Associate Minister of Justice
Hekia Parata (10) : Minister of Education
Anne Tolley (11) : Minister for Social Development
Nick Smith (12) : Minister for the Environment, Minister for Building and Housing
Murray McCully (13) : Minister of Foreign Affairs, Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation
Nathan Guy (14) : Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Racing
Nikki Kaye (15) : Minister for ACC, Minister of Civil Defence, Minister for Youth, Associate Minister of Education
Tim Groser (16) : Minister of Trade, Minister for Climate Change Issues
Michael Woodhouse (17) : Minister of Immigration, Minister of Police, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
Todd McClay (18) : Minister of Revenue, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Associate Minister of Trade
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga (19) : Minister of Corrections, Minister for Ethnic Communities, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Associate Minister of Health
Maggie Barry (20) : Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Minister of Conservation, Minister for Senior Citizens
Craig Foss (21) : Minister for Small Business, Minister of Statistics, Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Associate Minister of Immigration, Associate Minister of Transport
Jo Goodhew (22) : Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Minister for Food Safety, Associate Minister for Primary Industries, Associate Minister for Social Development
Nicky Wagner (23) : Minister of Customs, Minister for Disability Issues, Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, Associate Minister of Conservation
Louise Upston (24) : Minister for Land Information, Minister for Women, Associate Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Paul Goldsmith (25) : Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister for ACC

SUPPORT PARTY MINISTERS

Peter Dunne : Minister of Internal Affairs, Associate Minister of Conservation, Associate Minister of Health
Te Ururoa Flavell : Minister for Maori Development, Minister for Whanau Ora, Associate Minister for Economic Development