How the Luxon Cabinet 2023-2026 performed

The New Zealand Parliament has sat for the final time in its 54th edition. I now take the time to rank the Cabinet Ministers of the Christopher Luxon Government.

A.C.T. PARTY

When Brooke van Velden first became a Minister of the Crown, a cartoonist drew an illustration of public service workers cowering under their desks as she – depicted as a terminator robot – looked for targets to shoot. Harsh? Definitely. Many on the left more critical of her time in office than myself would say not harsh enough.

In terms of carrying out her Ministerial portfolios though, Ms van Velden is definitely one of the more effective Government Ministers of the Christopher Luxon Government. Across all of them, even though her efforts were totally in the opposite direction that I wanted, few have managed to get so much done as she.

GRADE: B

Nicole Mckee has fallen quiet somewhat since her early push to amend firearm laws. Those were controversial since they seemed to be deliberately aimed at watering down the 2019 post-Christchurch mosque massacre gun reforms. There was also speculation that Ms Mckee has links to the National Rifle Association of America

It is credit to her standing in the A.C.T. Party that David Seymour has made her Brooke van Velden’s replacement as Deputy Leader. This has yet to be really put on display by Ms Mckee, and she might be quite happy to work in the background.

GRADE: B-

NEW ZEALAND FIRST

Shane Jones has epitomized perhaps more than his esteemed leader, the downfall of New Zealand First as a party built on common sense. His bullying, brusque and combative manner is everything Cabinet Minister should not be. His disregard for the Cabinet Manual is only matched by the failure of Winston Peters, and Christopher Luxon to rein him in.

GRADE: E

Casey Costello, a first term Member of Parliament and first time Minister of the Crown. She only manages a passing grade because of her work in Customs. Her backing of the tobacco reforms despite clear guidance from the Ministry of Health not to proceed was grounds for dismissal. If not from the Cabinet Mrs Costello should have at least lost her Associate Health role.

GRADE: C

NATIONAL PARTY

Nicola Willis was quick to earn “Nicky No Boats/Nicky No Votes” nickname on Twitter. Within months of being made Minister for Finance, she was being compared with her predecessor Ruth Richardson. The latter infamously enabled the “Ruthenasia” socio-economic reforms in 1991. Her disastrous handling of the grounding of the Aratere was just the beginning of a rocky time as Minister. It has been followed up by heavy criticism of the savage mass redundancies of public service workers in Wellington. To top off this negative card for Mrs Willis, she is in danger of not winning her seat in November.

GRADE: E

If Shane Jones is the bulldozer working its way across sensitive ecosystems, then Chris Bishop is the enabler. Mr Bishop will be significantly remembered for his effort to repeal the Resource Management Act 1991. His is just the latest in a long list of both National and Labour attempts to do so. All have been by Ministers who have fundamentally not understood the form and function of the Act. Mr Bishop’s work around the housing portfolio has also been subject to serious – and justified – scrutiny. Notably he told Parliament that no one was keeping track of those removed from waiting lists for housing. Mr Bishop used to be one of the more compassionate National Party M.P.’s who would help refugees living in his community. I give him the grade that I do for getting significant work done, even if it is bad.

GRADE: C

Paul Goldsmith perhaps more than anyone else in National underlines the contempt that the 2023-2026 edition has for the poor and homeless. Whilst he was a councillor in local government Mr Goldsmith pushed for the moving along of homeless people and the removal of social support for them. Now as a Minister of the Crown, he is using his office to enable legislation that gives legal effect to their removal. With no regard for them, or the community that they end up in.

GRADE: E

THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTERS

If I look at Winston Peters simply based on his time as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Rail I am disappointed. But I am most disappointed at the failure to hold the Government he is a part of to closer account. He is the most experienced Minister in the Government by a long shot, and should have known the importance of the Cabinet Manual and respected it. His reputation looks rather undermined as a result, despite the many terms he has done in the House of Representatives. His refusal to rein in Shane Jones or Casey Costello stops me giving him a C.

GRADE: D

David Seymour is the leader of an alleged libertarian party based on small government principles. He has in some respects been remarkably big government. His implied warning to schools of consequences of student strikes for climate, comes across as Orwellian. The Regulatory Standards Act was rightfully jumped on by people concerned about its legal and social implications. This happened before it even became a Bill of Parliament. His refusal to take accountability after Tim Jago was revealed to be a sexual offender ensures a failing grade.

GRADE: D

THE PRIME MINISTER

Of all the Ministers in a Coalition of Chaos, I can in one respect argue that Christopher Luxon has indeed led from the front. Under his watch, the level of disconnect from ordinary New Zealanders has risen to unheard of levels. And his Ministers have followed suit with gusto. Not only that, with the exception of Penny Simmonds relatively early on, not a single Minister has been fired. This is despite several Ministers more than meeting the threshold that Mr Luxons predecessors would have acted on. In three years of having to communicate as Prime Minister, his language is as corporate as it was on Day 1.

GRADE: F