Out of Cabinet or into new roles? Two Labour ministers will learn their fate tomorrow, in portfolios of concern to the Chinese community!
Housing and immigration are both key concerns for the Chinese community.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced the details.
But whether Transport Minister Phil Twyford will see the plan become reality remains uncertain! With preparations for the general election already under way, both Labour and National are reshuffling their teams!
Someone has to take the blame!
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed yesterday that she would reshuffle Cabinet this Thursday — tomorrow.
Some ministers may change portfolios or even be removed from Cabinet. There is speculation that Housing and Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway will have their responsibilities changed.
Phil Twyford is New Zealand’s most powerful housing minister in more than twenty years.
To address people’s housing problems, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also put Twyford in charge of KiwiBuild and Housing New Zealand, which had previously come under other departments.
Twyford has worked very hard too, but KiwiBuild’s plan to deliver homes over 10 years, with a target of 100,000 homes, fell flat in its first year.
Against KiwiBuild’s first-year target of 1000 homes, only just over 100 were built. Several found no buyers, leaving the Government obliged to buy them back.
Housing was a major factor in Labour’s rise to power. It should give voters an explanation and remove one line of attack for National.
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Phil Twyford should now understand that being in government and being in opposition are two different jobs: one relies on action, the other on talk.
He also holds the important transport portfolio. New Zealand’s transport infrastructure is at least ten years behind, with shortages of both funding and skilled workers. Who knows how he will solve that!
Another minister whose responsibilities may change is Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
To be fair, immigration minister is a difficult job. Often, reuniting families is the compassionate choice while separating them is lawful. Anyone would struggle with that!
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway
Since immigration policy was tightened, many employers have complained that they cannot find staff, while restaurant owners who have worked hard to build their businesses have been refused visas.
Most interestingly, when people questioned why he had granted a residence visa to a Czech drug dealer, he invoked “absolute discretion”, saying he was entitled to give no explanation.
He had forgotten a tweet he posted the previous year while in opposition, attacking National:
“I want to know more facts!!! That is the crux of the matter. Why is the Government putting up a wall of silence?”
Kind-hearted Prime Minister Jacinda initially stood firmly behind the immigration minister, saying the Czech man would be in danger if he returned home and that National would have granted him a visa too.
Later, the minister publicly acknowledged that he could have spent more time considering his decision to grant the drug dealer a visa.