New National leader Todd Muller has announced his reshuffled line-up of caucus rankings and responsibilities.
Todd Muller announces shape of next Government
National Party Leader Todd Muller has announced the line-up of the next Government.
“New Zealand is facing perhaps the toughest time that almost anyone alive can remember.
“We are borrowing tens of billions of dollars to get us through this crisis. There is only one team that can spend it competently and well, and that is my National Party team.”
Mr Muller said he was particularly pleased senior MP Amy Adams had agreed to be the Minister for Covid-19 Recovery in his Government.
“Amy is tough and tested and will play a key role in getting you, your family and your community through this.”
Notable is that positions two to four are women, his deputy Nikki Kaye, Amy Adams who has changed her mind about quitting politics this year, and the formidable Judith Collins who has challenged for the leadership herself in the past.
So now three of the top four National MPs are women, four of the top eight, and seven of the top sixteen, female MPs have become a significant part of the National caucus.
However with Simon Bridges unranked “reflecting on his future” and Paula Bennett dropped to thirteen it has been noted that Maori representation has slipped away (not that Bridges or Bennett addressed Maori issues much).
There has been a difference of descriptions for Bridges’ current situation.
Former leader Simon Bridges has said he needs time to reflect on his future. Mr Muller said there would be a place for him in his Cabinet should he decide to stay in politics.
But Newshub says Defiant Simon Bridges smacks down Todd Muller’s assertion he’s ‘considering his future’, plans to stay on
After being rolled on Friday by Todd Muller, a defiant Bridges has told Newshub he won’t be pushed from the party.
“Just to be clear, after the reshuffle today, I am not considering my future,” Bridges told Newshub. “Just having a small amount of time out to take stock after the loss on Friday.”
This was a direct smack-down to Muller suggesting Bridges was considering his future.
It doesn’t seem much like a ‘smackdown’ to me, just Bridges putting his situation in his own words. And it is likely to take him a bit of time to take stock of his political future.
The full lineup and allocation of portfolios here:
Click to access National_Party_portfolio_allocations.pdf
Time will tell how Muller and his team perform. They get their first chance in Parliament today in Question Time, it will be interesting to see how Muller handles his first stint there as leader.
Your NZ 
David
/ 26th May 2020Not sure about Woodhouse given the rich pickings in the way health is being run. Amy Adams is super smart but was rubbish in finance role and good to see her staying on, lets see what happens there.
Good to see they have moved down a few of the poorer performers. Still want Nikki in charge.
Gezza
/ 26th May 2020Re: Newshub –
It doesn’t seem much like a ‘smackdown’ to me, just Bridges putting his situation in his own words. And it is likely to take him a bit of time to take stock of his political future.
I agree. Tabloid tv. Manufacturers of controversy.
Kitty Catkin
/ 26th May 2020I agree; it’s pointlessly emotive.As is ‘defiant’. It’s trying to make dissent where there is none.
Duker
/ 26th May 2020Last Nights big show for Muller didnt go down well, even with Jack Tame that soft ball interviewer
That will hearten all his neo-liberal supporters …not
When Tame asked for more detail he got this sort of word salad
‘Muller replied by saying that he had a phenomenal team. And that National had a comprehensive economic plan that will resonate and people will relate to it and they will support risk taking and entrepreneurship.’
https://thestandard.org.nz/todd-muller-is-simon-bridges-with-less-personality/
Seems he hadnt really thought he would become leader so quickly..oh well time for the master class media training Id thought he needed from the start.
Duker
/ 26th May 2020[If you keep taking petty digs at me in comments I’ll remove them. PG]
Alan Wilkinson
/ 26th May 2020Young has been chairing Jacinda’s girly circle for weeks. The daily count of job losses will continue on front pages.
Duker
/ 26th May 2020I was hoping it might be made into a feature post to stimulate comment . But it seems that’s a no
Pete George
/ 26th May 2020It may have been but probably not now, I don’t like attempts at coercion. Try acting like an adult.
Gezza
/ 26th May 2020OPINION: Todd Muller’s first showdown with Jacinda Ardern was neither disaster nor triumph.
In a word, it was boring.
There’s a lot more to the article than that – I think it’s a good summary & analysis of what I saw on Question Time.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300021342/jacinda-ardern-v-todd-muller-muted-showing-at-first-question-time-outing
Duker
/ 26th May 2020“With this nub of the disagreement became clear: National was arguing for a more direct cash grant for business while Labour favoured direct payments for workers and loans for businesses”
Helicopter money for companies
Audrey Young made the same point.
National want a form of trickle down economics.
Stimulating the economy works best by money to workers not business, ask Trump how his massive tax cuts worked
Gezza
/ 26th May 2020Stimulating the economy works best by money to workers not business, ask Trump how his massive tax cuts worked.
A reasonable-sounding point, but if business volumes are down & employers have overheads they can’t can’t currently meet then staying in business & providing those jobs may be an issue for some.
Muller needs to identify exactly what problems he is proposing to fix, exactly why Labour’s solutions aren’t working, and how he proposes to fix them.
Gezza
/ 26th May 2020And I’ll add – right at the moment Muller hasn’t persuaded me he’s got a better solution.
Corky
/ 26th May 2020”Stimulating the economy works best by money to workers not business, ask Trump how his massive tax cuts worked.”
Give us an example. Let’s hope we get a helicopter payment to put your theory to the test.
”Ask Trump how his massive tax cuts worked.”
Well, I don’t know if it was the tax cuts, but the American economy was going through the roof before Covis struck. Would you rather we forget that so you can continue to post bs?