The new Cabinet

John Key has announced his ministerial line-up and Cabinet for the next three years, and as expected there are winners and losers. The full list is available here.

The big movers are Hekia Parata and Steven Joyce, both of whom are promoted to the front bench along with Paula Bennett. Hekia Parata will become the Minister of Education, and Joyce moves up the #4 in the rankings.

That of course means that Anne Tolley is one of the losers in the reallocation of portfolios. She moves off the front bench, and takes up the roles of Minister of Corrections and Minister of Police.

Nathan Guy and Craig Foss move into Cabinet, having been Ministers outside Cabinet prior to the election. And Selwyn MP Amy Adams is the other new face in the Executive, promoted from the back bench to be Minister of Internal Affairs and of Communications and Information Technology. Amy Adams has been an impressive performer in the House (we've on blogged a couple of her speeches), and her promotion is well merited.

And we're especially delighted for Chester Borrows, the MP for Whanganui. Chester has been appointed as Minister for Courts and Associate Minister for Justice and for Social Development. Borrows was acclaimed by all sides of the House as an excellent Chairman of the Justice and Law Reform select committee in the last Parliament, and we are thrilled that he has been promoted to a ministerial role, even if outside of Cabinet; well done Chester!