Ms Simmonds was elevated to the executive on Thursday, one of two new Cabinet ministers announced as part of a reshuffle of his ministry by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
She will replace retiring senior MP Dr Shane Reti as minister of tertiary education and also science, innovation and technology.
Ms Simmonds has served as a minister outside Cabinet since the current government was formed in 2023, but her time did not get off to a glorious start.
As minister for disability affairs she made poorly signalled changes to respite care rules which outraged the disabled community and their families. In the ensuing political fallout, that portfolio was reallocated to senior minister Louise Upston.
Ms Simmonds told the Otago Daily Times that after that disappointment she had spoken to Sir Bill, who told her that she had to consider the experience as something to build from and move on.
‘‘It was a big wake-up call ... I had to take it on the chin and take it as a big learning exercise,’’ she said.
‘‘Having it happen so early gave me the opportunity to recover.’’
It was a reminder of how brutal politics can be, but she said that the realisation of the need to better inform all people affected by change and involve them in the process was invaluable for her major mission this term — polytechnic reform as minister for vocational education.
While much of her work had been under the radar, Ms Simmonds said that she had learned from the past and deliberately liaised closely with polytechnics and local leaders as work to dismantle national organisation Te Pukenga and return autonomy to local institutions got under way.
Doing so meant that the changes to their polytechnics had the support of locals, regional leaders and industry, she said.
That work was noted by Mr Luxon, who at his Thursday press conference said Ms Simmonds had worked very hard to achieve polytechnic reform.
‘‘She sorted out a real mess well, and within strict budget constraints. People thought that would be very difficult but she has delivered that ... she’s done a really great job.’’
Ms Simmonds, who has a BSc, was pleased with her new roles, which were ‘‘a natural step on from vocational education’’. She had worked closely with Dr Reti on the interaction between vocational education and science, and would be making sure his reforms were implemented.
Ms Simmonds is the first Invercargill MP to make it to Cabinet since Ralph Hanan, nearly 60 years ago.
‘‘It’s a big thing for the region; I’m proud for Invercargill and proud for the South,’’ Ms Simmonds said.
Chris Penk, a navy veteran, was the other new Cabinet minister, and picked up the defence, GCSB and NZSIS, and space portfolios.
In other significant changes, senior minister Simeon Brown took over energy and Ms Upston becomes Leader of the House. Simon Watts replaces Mr Brown as Minister for Auckland.
Chris Bishop becomes Attorney-general but as well as losing leader of the House was replaced as National’s campaign chairman by Mr Brown.
Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg remains outside Cabinet but becomes Minister for the Environment.
New ministers outside Cabinet are Ōrākei MP Cameron Brewer (commerce and consumer affairs, small business and manufacturing, associate immigration) and Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick (land information, associate agriculture).
