Botany MP and National party leader Christopher Luxon has announced a reshuffle of his Parliamentary caucus in preparation for this year’s general election.
He says the party will prove it’s ready to form a Government that delivers for Kiwis.
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown stays at number nine on the party list and retains his transport and public service portfolios.
He picks up a new portfolio of Auckland issues and has been named National’s Deputy Shadow Leader of the House.
Luxon says the party will work hard this year to show it has the skills, policies, team and commitment to form a Government that “delivers for all Kiwis”.
“The Labour Government has failed to deliver on its commitments to New Zealand, meaning too many Kiwis are going backwards.
“My team will spend 2023 demonstrating how National will deliver the change New Zealand needs to realise its great potential.”
The party will embrace pragmatic solutions for the country’s toughest problems, such as the rising cost of living, ram-raid burglaries, and falling educational achievement, Luxon says.
“A National Government will get things done, strengthening the economy to lift incomes, building infrastructure and delivering better frontline public services.
“The line-up National will take into the election is a mixture of experience and emerging talent.
“National’s team did an excellent job of holding the Government to account last year and I expect that to continue in 2023, so the changes are limited.
“However, there are several changes reflecting the hard work and talents of a number of people in the team.”
Brown told the Times his role as spokesperson for Auckland issues will entail helping to advocate for and co-ordinate issues relating to the city as the party develops policies for the general election.
“There are a range of issues facing Auckland that we need to make sure are really well co-ordinated.
“Transport is a really big part of that and we’ve got housing challenges and other infrastructure issues.
“We have to make sure we’ve got a strong relationship with the new [Auckland] council and make sure those relationships are well managed.”
Brown says he’s “very excited” to keep the transport and public service portfolios.
“People are feeling like nothing is really going forward in transport at the moment.
“They’re seeing their road user charges and petrol taxes being spent on a whole lot of pet projects while potholes pepper our highways.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done to fix transport policy and to make sure we’re building and maintaining our transport network.”
Brown says serving as Deputy Shadow Leader of the House will mean he works closely with his colleague and new Shadow Leader of the House, Michael Woodhouse.
It entails helping to manage the Opposition’s business in Parliament, he says.
“It’s one of those roles that is important through making sure the Opposition is doing its job of holding the Government to account effectively and I’m really excited about that.
“That’s something I try to do in all of my portfolios and making sure we as a caucus are working together.”
