The south has endured months of anxious delay as it awaits details of the fate of the new Dunedin hospital, and it might be expected a new minister might be afforded time to ponder what to do with the beleaguered build — decisions about the direction of the project were due to be announced before Christmas.
One thing all sides of this debate can agree on is that to achieve the hospital the south was promised will cost more than that.
Mr Brown faces an immediate challenge: Getting something done to accelerate this stagnating project and rein in the burgeoning costs delays are causing, while at the same time quelling the strident voices of protest across Otago and Southland demanding the government stick to its pre-election pledge. To say the least, this will not be easy.
Health is the portfolio of doom, so it is a risk giving it to National’s golden boy: Mr Brown will be doing well if he achieves what the government no doubt sincerely hopes: that health troubles disappear from the front page.
As reshuffles go, the announcement by Mr Luxon yesterday was not substantial. In truth he had little wiggle room — with coalition partner portfolios set and few ministers having been conspicuous failures, this was not going to be a night of long knives.
One big winner is newly appointed minister James Meager. He takes on Hunting and Fishing from Todd McClay, Youth and Associate Transport from Doocey and is charged with the job of the first minister for the South Island.
Only one minister was dropped altogether, Melissa Lee, although having been reduced to a single portfolio and an associate ministership to his name Matt Doocey has certainly been placed on notice.
But it was substantive in that Mr Luxon effectively fired a senior minister, Dr Reti, just a year into the job, and several others changed responsibilities. While Dr Reti retains Cabinet status and has some hefty portfolios, his colleagues have been sent a clear signal of the CEO PM’s performance review expectations.
Dr Reti, in his new role as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister for Universities, will still have one major southern healthcare concern on his to-do list, the ongoing question of whether a third medical school is needed. Otago is firmly of the opinion it is not. Mr Luxon’s comment yesterday that it was still going through the Cabinet committee process offered no reassurance the proposal is off the table.
Bringing science and universities together in the same office does look to be sensible, though.
Another significant announcement yesterday was the creation of a Minister for Economic Growth, Nicola Willis. While a clear signal of the government’s priorities, it remains unclear just exactly what a Minister of Economic Growth will do that a Finance Minister was not already doing.
The south’s sole National minister, Penny Simmonds, should be satisfied with her lot. Although not making it into Cabinet — that would have been a stretch after losing a portfolio last year — she retains Environment and her new title of Minister for Vocational Education makes it clear delivering on dismantling Te Pukenga is her big job for this year.
