Party leader Andrew Little has unveiled his shadow Cabinet of 22 MPs today.
Among the big names, Jacinda Ardern has been rewarded, moving from ninth up into fifth slot, Kelvin Davis nudges up from eighth to seventh and Phil Twyford moves from fifth to fourth. Megan Woods has been promoted to the front bench sitting at 10th.
However, Mr Cunliffe has been moved down and is now outside the shadow Cabinet. He loses the main tertiary education portfolio which has been folded back into the main education portfolio but picks up a new role as undersecretary to Mr Little on superannuation. Mr Cunliffe will retain the research and development portfolio, as well as some responsibility for tertiary education as an associate.
Mr Little described the line-up as "the blueprint" for a future Labour government - and the demotion sends a clear signal Mr Cunliffe will not be a minister in that.
Asked if that was a hint Mr Cunliffe should reconsider his future, Mr Little said he would work closely with Mr Cunliffe on superannuation policy. "That's an expression of confidence in him."
Nanaia Mahuta moves from fourth to 12th, which would usually be the mid-benches. However Mr Little has opted to increase his technical front bench to 12 MPs. She also loses the Maori development portfolio to Kelvin Davis.
Mr Little acknowledged some people would be disappointed with the results of the reshuffle, but had spoken to Ms Mahuta who was happy with her portfolios of Treaty negotiations, whanau ora and conservation.
Other former Cunliffe loyalists were rewarded - Sue Moroney was nudged up and gets the transport portfolio while Iain Lees-Galloway takes on immigration as well as his labour portfolio. Among the 2014 intake of MPs, Meka Whaitiri, Jenny Salesa and Peeni Henare all moved into the shadow Cabinet.
Other promotions include David Parker, who moves back into the top 12 and picks up environment but loses trade to David Clark. Stuart Nash is also in the shadow Cabinet and picks up the police portfolio.
Mr Little said it was a mix of experience and fresh faces. He said Mr Davis' promotion was due to his work on the Serco scandals and treatment of detainees in Australia while Megan Woods' promotion was because of her work in Christchurch and on climate change.
He credited Sue Moroney's promotion to her hard work on paid parental leave.
Mr Little said Labour intended to put up Trevor Mallard as speaker and Ruth Dyson as deputy speaker if it was in government after 2017, so both were outside the shadow Cabinet.
