Jacinda Arden unveils 'incredibly diverse' New Zealand cabinet based on 'merit and talent'

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on November 1 unveiled what she called an “incredibly diverse” cabinet as she appointed a first-ever indigenous lady that wore “Moko Kauae” art as her foreign minister, and 20 other “diverse members”. As Ardern promised citizens to prioritize economic recovery for New Zealand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she sought to work with a more inclusive cabinet as she named the first openly gay person Grant Robertson as NZ deputy prime minister. 

According to New Zealand’s multi-platform news service, Newshub, Ardern has appointed a ministerial lineup of several MPs for the first time in the parliament. New Zealand’s leader appointed a Christchurch local and member of Labour Party as Minister of Energy and Resources, and housing and a former teacher Kelvin Geoffrey Davis as Minister for Education and Children. Jacinda Ardern formed the first single-party government since 1996 with an absolute majority of seats under the country’s MMP system due to her landslide election victory. Meanwhile, she told reporters in Wellington that the next three years will be very challenging for her government, sources of Newshub confirmed. She accredited these challenges for New Zealand to the global outlook worsening and the ongoing effect of COVID-19. 

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Women, Māori and LGBTQ+

Calling her cabinet as combination of diverse,merit and talent, Ardern told Newshub that it is, in fact, an an important point to make that the individuals on her cabinet reflect what bring to the table and not who they are. They also reflect the New Zealand that elected them, and that’s a pride, Ardern said. While Women and the Maori community largely represent New Zealand’s 20-member Cabinet, the responsibility of COVID-19 Response was handed to Chris Hipkins based on his efficacy for strategic management of pandemic, Andrew Little, however, has been appointed as the Health Minister. 

Little will be supported by Peeni Henare, a minister of Ngāti Hine and Ngāpuhi descent and Maldivian origin Ayesha Verrall who will focus on Māori Health and Public Health respectively. A 33-year-old Indian-origin man has also been elected as a member of parliament (MP) who hails from Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh, immigrated to New Zealand about 20 years ago. Altogether, Ardern’s cabinet comprises eight women, five  Māori, three Pasifika, and three LGBTQ+ community ministers. Green Party leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson have been allocated positions under climate change and family violence portfolios, meanwhile Phil Twyford, a former cabinet minister was assigned housing affordability and transportation. 

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(Image Credit: Twitter/@Jacindaardern)