Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds has been elevated to Cabinet.
Ms Simmonds, a second term National MP, was one of two MPs elevated to Cabinet by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to replace retiring ministers Judith Collins and Shane Reti.
The other new minister, as widely expected, was Chris Penk.
Ms Simmonds, who was previously Minister for the Environment and Vocational Education, but outside of Cabinet, will become Minister of Tertiary Education and also Science, Innovation and Technology.
‘She will bring her extensive governance experience to her new portfolios.’’
Before politics, Ms Simmonds was chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology.
She became a minster in 2023, but her early months were shaky and she lost the Disability Issues portfolio after mishandling the announcement of new respite care funding rules for families with disabled children.
However, she has been diligent in her vocational education role and oversaw extensive reform of the polytechnic system.
Chris Penk will now join Cabinet, picking up the Defence, GCSB and NZSIS, and Space portfolios.
In other significant changes, senior minister Simeon Brown takes over energy, Chris Bishop becomes Attorney-General and Louise Upston becomes Leader of the House. Simon Watts replaces Mr Brown as Minister for Auckland.
Mr Bishop, who lead National's successful 2023 election campaign, has been replaced as campaign chairman by Simeon Brown. Mr Luxon said that change had been made so that Mr Bishop could focus on RMA reform and new duties as Attorney-General.
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 Minister of Immigration) and Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick (Land Information, associate Agriculture).
