Louise Upston had made clear her number one priority was to get people off benefits, Hipkins said, and “I think those in the disability community will be feeling uncomfortable about that”.
He also said Luxon should be asking “why stop there”, and turn his attention to ACT leader David Seymour and NZ First Minister Shane Jones, who both criticised the Waitangi Tribunal, which he argued was criticism of the judiciary.
“He publicly reprimanded them, and then David Seymour reprimanded him back in return. I think that shows that his own ministers don’t have any respect for his authority.”
He referred to Stuart Nash’s resignation from Hipkins’ government after publicly criticising a judge’s decision, saying “he resigned the same day it happened” and he thought the issues was “not something that [Luxon]’s going to take any action on”.
Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was good to “finally see that Luxon’s making good on his promises during the election to elevate climate change into Cabinet. The message for the climate minister would that it’s time to go hard or go home”.
She said Watts had been “fundamentally missing in action” on the government’s policies that were climate or environmentally destructive, and had in written questions said he was not taking advice on many policies’ climate impacts.
“It’s time for the minister to step up and if that means at times saying things in opposition to what the rest of his government is up to, well that’s the job and that’s the responsibility.”
Swarbrick said when talking about the shuffling of portfolios, “ultimately the only thing that the public will be concerned about is whether the work is getting done, not necessarily whose name is attached to the portfolio, nor to the status of it”.
RNZ