Bridges biggest winner in new Cabinet

By Pattrick Smellie

Oct. 6 (BusinessDesk) - The biggest winner in todays new Cabinet line-up from Prime Minister John Key is Simon Bridges, who moves from 18th to ninth in the rankings and picks up the politically important transport portfolio from Gerry Brownlee.

Returning to the environment portfolio, previously held by Amy Adams, is Nick Smith, signalling a softening in the governments intended reforms to the Resource Management Act, while Adams picks up the justice portfolio ranking from Judith Collins, who resigned during the election campaign.

Collins has no way back to the Cabinet until after an inquiry into the actions that led to her departure two weeks out from the Sept. 20 election.

Paula Bennett, tipped as a potential replacement to Prime Minister John Key, moves from ninth to fifth ranking, ceding her social development portfolio to Anne Tolley, whose previous police and corrections portfolios are divided between Michael Woodhouse and Peseta Sam Lotu-Iga, who was promoted into Cabinet.

Bennett also becomes Associate Minister of Tourism, effectively making her under-study to Key, who retains primary responsibility for tourism.

Two new threads of focus are the way portfolios relating to housing and the security and intelligence services.

Finance Minister Bill English will become Minister in charge of Housing New Zealand, while Bennett will take the new social housing portfolio, and Smith will be Minister of Housing. This triumvirate will become responsible for major reforms already under way to make state housing provision more efficient and competitive, with greater provision by non-profit social housing organisations.

Also in their sights will be ongoing progress to improve the availability of urban land for housing to ease house price pressures.

Bridges retains the energy and resources portfolio and becomes deputy leader of the House, supporting Brownlee, who keeps his third-place ranking in the Cabinet, retaining responsibility for recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes and picks up the defence portfolio.

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Bridges biggest winner in new Cabinet