Luxon’s Front Bench Shake-Up And Some Wildcards Too

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National leader Chris Luxon didn’t get dealt an easy hand trying to select a shadow Cabinet with three former leaders in the mix. For the most part he’s promoted MPs based on talent but has also taken a few risks, writes political editor Jo Moir.

Former Air New Zealand chief executive, Chris Luxon, says he’s not from a political world and has based his reshuffle on performance, not hierarchy.

His top eight, for the most part, echo that sentiment and now look competitive against Labour’s front bench.

But there are some wild cards in his shadow cabinet too.

Promoting Chris Bishop into number four and reinstating him as shadow leader of the house, alongside Covid-19, was always going to be the right call.

Bishop is one of the hardest-working MPs in the caucus, has a good grip on his portfolio and is the best person by far to run strategy in the House.

Likewise, keeping Shane Reti in health and adding Māori/Crown relations to his portfolios makes sense. He also picks up Pacific Peoples, which Luxon will hope is simply a holding pattern until the next election where a more diverse caucus enters Parliament.

Leaving Louise Upston in social development and putting her in the number six spot appears to be based more on the fact she has been a cabinet minister, and less on the work she has done in the portfolio.

She’s had no hits on Minister Carmel Sepuloni, but Luxon would have been wary of only having Simon Bridges with former ministerial experience on his front bench.

Arguably, Erica Stanford, who slots in at number seven, should have had the higher spot given the grunt work she has done in immigration, putting the Minister Kris Faafoi on the back foot on multiple occasions.

At number eight is Matt Doocey, who will more than likely be re-elected chief whip at caucus on Tuesday as he is well respected by his peers.

Doocey has worked hard in the mental health portfolio and deserves the promotion. It’s also a signal that Luxon plans to take mental health seriously and make it a ministerial position if National returns to government.

Luxon has ranked his team through to number 20 to match the Government’s Cabinet line-up, which leaves 13 of his MPs unranked.

He says the order the unranked MPs appear on the list sent to media is based on when they came into Parliament and alphabetical order and has nothing to do with ability.

As for Luxon’s class of 2020 mates – they’re nowhere to be seen in this reshuffle.

Teetering on the edge of almost being unranked is former leader Judith Collins, who was spectacularly forced out of the leadership after a vote of no confidence last month.

She’s number 19 and picks up the research, science, innovation, and technology portfolio.

Luxon may live to regret this decision for two reasons.

Firstly, despite the tumultuous period Collins has had of late, she’s a very effective Opposition MP and can take on the best of them in the House.

Leaving her in a portfolio where she won’t have the opportunity to prosecute weak ministers could end up being a bad judgment call by Luxon.

Secondly, she won’t be busy enough.

As for the other former leader, Todd Muller, he’s back in the fold telling Newsroom he plans to contest the candidacy for the Bay of Plenty electorate in 2023.

The most dumbfounded member of the caucus is likely to be Todd McClay, a former minister who has always sat on or near the front bench over the last four years.

He’s the only former minister to be thrown into unranked territory and while he’s got meaty portfolios of trade and tourism – expect Luxon to take on the big tourism issues himself when they come up.

As for Luxon’s class of 2020 mates – they’re nowhere to be seen in this reshuffle.

While Simon Watts has been given the big portfolio of local government, which Luxon himself held previously, it’s unlikely he’ll be the one going head-to-head with the minister on the big issues in that area when the time comes.

Luxon has a good handle on it and as leader will want to be leading the charge when things like Three Waters and RMA reforms are hitting headlines.

He made that abundantly clear in his media conference on Monday when he explained why he hadn’t given himself a portfolio outside of the traditional national security and intelligence responsibilities.

“I want to be able to float and support my colleagues where they need support,’’ he said.

The other MPs who have taken slides, outside of McClay, are Andrew Bayly and Michael Woodhouse, who never shone in their shadow treasurer and finance roles and have been replaced by Simon Bridges.

Mark Mitchell, a former policeman, will be happy to have picked up the police round – a role that would probably have better fitted Collins who could have really put the pressure on Minister Poto Williams.

Luxon’s Auckland neighbour, Simeon Brown, has been promoted to number nine and gets transport.

It’s a huge area that needs an Auckland-based MP and expect Luxon to dip in and out of it too as and when it suits.

As for the other former leader, Todd Muller, he’s back in the fold telling Newsroom he plans to contest the candidacy for the Bay of Plenty electorate in 2023.

Muller had previously announced his retirement after Collins sought caucus support to force him out after he badmouthed colleague, Harete Hipango, a close friend of Collins.

Muller told Newsroom he’s making his return to caucus and is excited by the new leadership team and direction of the party.

He is unranked in Luxon’s line-up and takes on the oceans and fisheries portfolio.

Leaving Louise Upston in social development and putting her in the number six spot appears to be based more on the fact she has been a cabinet minister, and less on the work she has done in the portfolio.

Collins has already said she plans to contest in 2023 and Luxon told Newsroom no MPs had signalled to him over the course of the weekend that they planned to retire before the next election.

This time next year Luxon will review his selections and make any changes, putting pressure on MPs to get stuck in or risk facing a low ranking on the list heading into an election.

The other big job ahead of the next election is sorting out the internal issues within the National Party board and its Candidates College.

Luxon was reluctant to say he was going to tackle the issues head on, but after repetitive questioning from Newsroom, said he expected the party board to “evolve”.

It’s the biggest indication yet that he is taking the board’s problems seriously and wants to hit the reset button there too.