Watch: Winston Peters, David Seymour to share Deputy PM role, ministerial portfolios announced

Winston Peters and David Seymour will share the role of Deputy Prime Minister for the first time in New Zealand’s political history.

In a highly unorthodox arrangement, Peters will take the deputy role for the next 18 months. He will then be replaced by Act leader Seymour for the second half of the coalition Government’s three-year term.

The NZ First leader has also snared the coveted role of Foreign Affairs Minister – a role Peters has filled in previous administrations.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this morning unveiled the Cabinet line-up at Parliament. There are 20 ministers including 14 from National, three from Act and three from NZ First.

Nicola Willis will be Minister of Finance, Brooke van Velden will be Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and Shane Jones will be Minister for Regional Development.

There will be five ministers from National, two from ACT and one from New Zealand First outside Cabinet.

Act and New Zealand First will each have one Parliamentary Under-Secretary.

In one high-profile coalition deal casualty, National has abandoned its policy to repeal the foreign buyers residential property ban - that is a significant win for Peters.

However, Luxon says tax cuts are scheduled to kick in from July 1 next year.

NZ First leader Winston Peters (left), National's Christopher Luxon and David Seymour of the Act party. Photo: Winston Peters/Twitter

Luxon says the new Government “will manage a strong economy that will ease the cost of living and deliver tax relief, restore law and order, deliver better public services and strengthen democracy”.

Yesterday, 40 days after election day, talks concluded and Luxon announced a deal that will enable the three parties to form a government.

The centre-right National Party won the largest share of votes in the October 14 general election but needed the support of both right-wing Act and populist NZ First parties to form a majority government.

Coalition agrees to address principles of the Treaty of Waitangi

The new government has agreed to proceed with Act’s policy to address principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The agreement includes a pledge to introduce a Treaty Principles Bill based on existing Act policy and support it to a Select Committee “as soon as practicable”.

The agreement does not mention a public referendum on the matter, as Act had proposed.

The agreement also includes pledges to remove co-governance from the delivery of public services, as all three parties had campaigned, along with instruction that public services be provided on the basis of need rather than race.

Other policies include restoring referendum requirements to introduce Māori wards and repealing the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022.

Luxon on tax package, no foreign buyers tax

“The tax package will continue to be funded through a combination of spending reprioritisation and additional revenue measures," Luxon said.

"However, as part of National’s agreement with New Zealand First, the proposed foreign buyer tax will no longer go ahead. Policy changes will help offset the loss of revenue from that change. National’s fiscal plan also had buffers which give confidence that tax reduction can still be funded responsibly."

The National-Act agreement says: "The parties have agreed to no ongoing commitment to income tax changes, including threshold adjustments, beyond those to be delivered in 2024."

It adds: "“The coalition parties have adopted ACT’s policy to speed up the rate at which interest deductibility for rental properties is restored ."That is a commitment to restore mortgage interest deductibility for rental properties with a 60 per cent deduction in 2023/24, 80 per cent in 2024/25, and 100 per cent in 2025/26.

The National-Act agreement also says that the concepts of Act's income tax policy "are considered as a pathway to delivering National’s promised tax relief, subject to no earner being worse off than they would be under National’s plan."

NATIONAL PARTY MINISTERS

Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister
Minister for National Security and Intelligence
Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services

Nicola Willis

Minister of Finance
Minister for the Public Service
Minister for Social Investment
Associate Minister of Climate Change

Chris Bishop

Minister of Housing Minister for Infrastructure
Minister Responsible for RMA Reform
Minister for Sport and Recreation
Leader of the House
Associate Minister of Finance

Dr Shane Reti

Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples

Simeon Brown

Minister for Energy
Minister of Local Government
Minister of Transport
Minister for Auckland
Deputy Leader of the House

Erica Stanford

Minister of Education
Minister of Immigration

Paul Goldsmith

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Minister of Justice
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Louise Upston

Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Minister for Social Development and Employment
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction

Judith Collins

Attorney-General Minister of Defence
Minister for Digitising Government
Minister Responsible for the GCSB
Minister Responsible for the NZSIS
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology
Minister for Space
Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques

Mark Mitchell

Minister of Corrections
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Minister of Police

Todd McClay

Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Forestry
Minister for Hunting and Fishing
Minister for Trade Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs

Tama Potaka

Minister of Conservation
Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister for Māori Development
Minister for Whānau Ora Associate
Minister of Housing (Social Housing)

Matt Doocey

Minister for ACC
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Minister for Youth Associate
Minister of Health Associate
Minister of Transport

Melissa Lee

Minister for Economic Development
Minister for Ethnic Communities
Minister for Media and Communications
Associate Minister for ACC

NATIONAL PARTY MINISTERS OUTSIDE CABINET

Simon Watts

Minister of Climate Change
Minister of Revenue

Penny Simmonds

Minister for Disability Issues
Minister for the Environment
Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment

Chris Penk

Minister for Building and Construction
Minister for Land Information
Minister for Veterans
Associate Minister of Defence
Associate Minister of Immigration

Nicola Grigg

Minister of State for Trade
Minister for Women Associate
Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture)

Andrew Bayly

Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing
Minister of Statistics

ACT MINISTERS

David Seymour

Deputy Prime Minister (from 31 May 2025)
Minister for Regulation Associate
Minister of Education (Partnership Schools)
Associate Minister of Finance
Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac)

Brooke van Velden

Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Nicole McKee

Minister for Courts
Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms)

Andrew Hoggard (outside Cabinet)

Minister for Biosecurity Minister for Food Safety
Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare, Skills)
Associate Minister for the Environment

Karen Chhour (outside Cabinet)

Minister for Children
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence

Simon Court MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure
Minister Responsible for RMA Reform

NEW ZEALAND FIRST MINISTERS

Winston Peters

Deputy Prime Minister (until 31 May 2025)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister for Racing

Shane Jones

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries
Minister for Regional Development
Minister for Resources Associate
Minister of Finance Associate Minister for Energy