NEWS

15 June
LABOUR RESHUFFLES SHADOW CABINET

A reshuffle by Labour Leader Phil Goff, following recent issues involving misuse of ministerial credit cards by some MPs in the last government, has resulted in two new front-benchers, several promotions and three demotions.

The changes are:

Charles Chauvel picks up environment and drops energy.
David Parker picks up economic development and drops conservation.
Darren Hughes picks up infrastructure.
Maryan Street picks up foreign affairs and drops tertiary education.
Stuart Nash picks up forestry.
Grant Robertson picks up tertiary education.
Nanaia Mahuta picks up energy and associate law and order.
Chris Carter loses foreign affairs, but picks up conservation
Shane Jones loses all portfolios (economic development; environment; infrastructure) and will now sit in the back benches
Mita Ririnui loses forestry

Nanaia Mahuta is now at number 11 and Charles Chauvel 12 and will both move to the Front Bench. Grant Robertson moves to the second row.

Mr Goff also announced that further changes to the line-up scheduled for later in the year will still take place.

26 May
KIWIBANK CEO TO RESIGN

Sam Knowles, has announced he will be resigning as the chief executive of Kiwibank. Mr Knowles has been involved with Kiwibank for 10 years from setting it up, then leading the company.

Mr Knowles said he has had a memorable tenure as chief executive, but he would now like to take a break
and consider what the future holds. Mr Knowles is director or trustee of a number of organisations
including Trust Power, Te Omanga Hospice and the St James Theatre Trust.

He thanked the board and staff for their support over the years. No date has been set for his departure, but Mr Knowles has said he is prepared to stay until a replacement has been found.

3 May
HEALTH AND DISABILITY COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCED

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced that the new Health and Disability Commissioner is Anthony Hill, currently a Deputy Director-General at the Ministry of Health.

Mr Hill, who has worked in the Ministry for 15 years, as Deputy Director-General for more than five-and-a-half years and also as the Ministry's Chief Legal Advisor.

Mr Hill is replacing Mr Ron Paterson who retired in March. Mr Hill will start his new role in July.

19 April
ISRAELI EMBASSY OPENS IN WELLINGTON

The Israeli embassy has reopened on The Terrace in Wellington, after an eight-year absence from New Zealand.

The embassy closed in 2002 for financial reasons, and the Canberra-based ambassador was accredited to New Zealand.

Plans to reopen the embassy were first announced last May, with the new ambassador-designate, Shemi Tzur, named in November.

Mr Tzur will need to present his credentials from the Israeli president to New Zealand's Governor-General before he officially becomes the ambassador in a ceremony at Government House in Wellington on May 7.

He has previously been the Israeli ambassador to Cyprus, Finland and Estonia.

30 March
HEATLEY REINSTATED

Prime Minister John Key has announced that he has decided to reinstate Mr Heatley as a Minister.

“I have spoken to the Governor-General and advised him of my wish to have Mr Heatley reappointed.

“Mr Heatley has acknowledged that he has made mistakes, but the report by the Auditor-General makes it clear that although some expenditure was outside the rules, it was not deliberate.

Mr Heatley’s portfolios will be Housing and ‘Fisheries & Aquaculture’.

“The change of title for the Fisheries portfolio reflects the importance of aquaculture in driving economic performance. We will be making further announcements on aquaculture in the near future,” says Mr Key.

Mr Heatley’s reinstatement to Cabinet will take effect from Thursday.

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30 March
SOE BOARD APPOINTMENTS   

Nine new appointments and seven reappointments across 11 State-owned Enterprises have been announced today by State-owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power.

At KiwiRail, Wellington company director John Spencer has been appointed as chair from 1 July 2010 to replace Rt Hon Jim Bolger.

“Mr Bolger has been a strong leader for KiwiRail since its inception in October 2008, and I thank him for his dedicated service over that time,” Mr Power said.

John Spencer’s commercial governance experience includes leading the merger of Asure and AgriQuality in 2007. He is currently deputy chair of Solid Energy and will retire from this role on 30 April to allow him to focus on KiwiRail.

The other new directors are Dianne Kidd on AsureQuality, John Dell and Rukumoana Schaafhausen on Genesis, Traci Houpapa on Landcorp, Mary Devine on Meridian, Prue Flacks on Mighty River Power, David Willis on NZ Post, and David Patterson on Solid Energy.

Mr Power thanked the retiring board members for their contributions, and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Full details of the changes, which will take effect between 1 May and 1 July 2010, are detailed here.

8 March
HEALTH CHIEF STEPS DOWN

Chief Executive Officer and Director-General of Health, Stephen McKernan, will not seek reappointment when his current term expires at the end of July.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the different roles I’ve undertaken. The health and disability sector is an incredibly rewarding, but also very challenging work environment. I consider myself privileged to have worked with so many talented, professional and dedicated people that serve New Zealanders so well,” said Mr McKernan.

Before taking up his role as Director-General of Health in 2006, Mr McKernan was Chief Executive of Counties Manukau District Health Board, and prior to that Hutt Valley DHB.

26 February
HEATLEY RESIGNS PORTFOLIOS

Prime Minister John Key accepted the resignation of Housing and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley from his ministerial portfolios following concerns raised about his use of a ministerial credit card.

Earlier in the week Mr Heatley acknowledged that he had used his ministerial credit card for the purchase of two bottles of wine while at the National Party Conference last year. Cabinet rules prohibit ministers from using ministerial credit cards for non-ministerial related purposes. Additionally, all has to be documented and backed up with receipts. Once revealed Mr Heatley reimbursed $70 representing the cost of the wine.

Upon further investigation, by the Prime Minister’s Office, it became known that he had falsely characterised the expenditure as a dinner with his wife. It was this additional information which pushed the “offence” from mere sloppiness to a question of individual integrity and honesty.

“Mr Heatley tendered his resignation to me this morning and I will be advising the Governor-General to accept it.

“Mr Heatley has also asked that the Auditor-General conduct an audit into his ministerial expenses.

“His actions have been untidy and they have been careless but . . . ministers are human beings and from time to time they will make mistakes,” Mr Key told a news conference called to explain the sudden departure.

For the time being, Maurice Williamson and David Carter will act in the Housing and Fisheries portfolios respectively.

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22 February
SOUTHERN DISTRICT HEALTH BOARDS MERGE

The Government has approved the Otago and Southland District Health Boards' plans to merge.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has said that the Southland and Otago DHBs have been working closely for several years, and have a joint regional management team, a joint chief executive, and two shared board members including the deputy chair.

In the merge the current members of both boards will work as a single board, under one chair, until the local elections at the end of this year. After the DHB elections, the two boards will establish two wards which will have four elected representatives from Otago and three from the Southland region as well as four Ministerial appointments.

"The new Southern DHB Board will have a clinical advisory committee, ensuring a strong voice for clinicians in planning new services, as well as providing a direct line to the DHB's governors," Mr Ryall said.

The Southern DHB is expected to be formed on 30 April 2010.

28 January
FITZSIMONS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons announced her resignation, bringing a 13-year parliamentary career to a close.

“It’s a good time for a change of pace,” said Ms Fitzsimons. “The caucus is in good shape. We have a good second generation of MPs joining our ranks and our co-leaders are doing good work.

“It means I can look forward to more time on the farm and with my grandchildren.”

Ms Fitzsimons, who will be replaced by environmental advocate and campaigner Gareth Hughes, stepped down as the Greens' co-leader last year and signalled then that she would not stand in the 2011 election.

Ms Fitzsimons, was the first Green MP to speak in Parliament following the 1996 election and is believed to be the first Green candidate in the world to win an electorate in a first-past-the-post contest, winning Coromandel in 1999.

In 1998, Ms Fitzsimons introduced the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act which became the first Green legislation passed in New Zealand. Other achievements include leading negotiations to implement the $323 million home insulation scheme; leading the climate change debate in New Zealand; working with governments to increase funding for public transport, cycling and walking, and to electrify the Auckland rail system; develop vehicle fuel-economy labelling; and a commitment to fuel economy standards.

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27 January
HISTORIC PLACES TRUST REVIEW RESULTS

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson has announced that the preliminary findings of the government's review of the Historic Places Trust will help it to focus on its significant regulatory responsibilities while providing opportunities for more effective advocacy in local communities.

"The trust has been a Crown entity since 2005, and exercises significant regulatory powers to effectively protect and preserve heritage sites on behalf of the Crown, which contributes around 80% of its funding."

Under the proposals local branch committees, which are involved in advocacy by members, would be disestablished. The trust will discuss with branch committees ways in which new arrangements might be put in place for local heritage advocacy.

The size of the trust's national board would be reduced from nine members to eight. All members of the new board would be appointed by government. Currently, three positions are elected by the wider membership of the trust. The preliminary review concluded that this change would clear up confused accountabilities on the board. 

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27 January
SMALL CABINET RESHUFFLE

Prime Minister John Key has announced a small reshuffle of ministerial responsibilities, to take effect this week.

Fourteenth-ranked Steven Joyce, will take over the tertiary education portfolio from Anne Tolley.

The PM has removed the conservation portfolio from twelfth-ranked Tim Groser, handing it to the former associate minister, twentieth-ranked Kate Wilkinson.

Mr Groser has a heavy workload in international negotiations relating to trade and to climate change, including a lot of travel, and was “just not in New Zealand enough to give credit” to the conservation portfolio, Mr Key said.

Mr Groser has also had a title change from associate Minister responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations to Minister responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations.

The changes take effect immediately, and there is no change to Cabinet rankings.

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21 January 2010
MOORE NAMED AS NEXT US AMBASSADOR

New Zealand’s next ambassador to the United States will be the Rt Hon Mike Moore, foreign minister Murray McCully has announced.

“As a former prime minister of New Zealand, director-general of the World Trade Organisation and co-chair of the US-NZ partnership forum, Mr Moore is the best possible candidate for this important role,” Mr McCully said.

Mike Moore served as prime minister in 1990. He was minister of external relations and trade from 1988-90 and minister of overseas trade and marketing from 1984-90. He led the international effort to improve trade rules and access as director-general of the World Trade Organisation from 1999-2002.

He takes up his appointment in July-August 2010, succeeding Roy Ferguson, who is returning to Wellington.

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13 January 2010
NEW TE PAPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCED

Michael Houlihan has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Te Papa by the board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Michael Houlihan will come to New Zealand from his current role as head of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, a family of seven museums across Wales.

Mr Houlihan has extensive museum experience having started his career as a research assistant at the Imperial War Museum, becoming keeper of permanent exhibitions and head of exhibitions research before joining the Horniman Museum in London as deputy director and then director from 1994. He was appointed the first chief executive of the newly amalgamated National Museums & Galleries of Northern Ireland in 1998, later joining Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales in 2003.

Mr Houlihan also has experience of working in bilingual and complex cultural settings in both Wales and Northern Ireland.

According to the chair of Te Papa, John Judge, a comprehensive national and international search for the museum’s leader had been undertaken since the sudden death of Dr Seddon Bennington while tramping in the Tararua Ranges last July 2009.

Acting chief executive and kaihautū, Michelle Hippolite has said that she is delighted to welcome Mr Houlihan to the team at Te Papa and is looking forward to working with him to lead the future development of Te Papa for all New Zealanders. Mr Houlihan would start at Te Papa later this year.

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