The Government ministers stripped of their roles today have commented on the issue — with near identical statements saying they “support” the decision.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today announced the portfolio reshuffle, which saw Melissa Lee stripped of her role as Media and Communications Minister and Penny Simmonds from the Disability Issues portfolio.
Former Minister of Disability Issues Penny Simmonds said she supported the prime minister’s decision to demote her from her role.
In response, Simmonds said she looked forward to continuing her work in tertiary education and the environment portfolio.
“I support the prime minister’s decision.”
She said she was particularly looking forward to the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga.
Lee said: “I support the prime minister’s decision. I look forward to continuing my work in the Economic Development and Ethnic Communities portfolios.”
In a press conference, Luxon said Lee and Simmonds were “good, hardworking ministers” despite stripping both of a ministerial portfolio.
Paul Goldsmith will be the new Media and Communications Minister and Louise Upston will take on the Disability Issues portfolio.
Luxon cited challenges in each portfolio which required the expertise of “senior” Cabinet ministers — despite controversies and furores in each portfolio in previous months. Lee has been an MP for 16 years and held various forms of the media portfolio spokesperson for about three years.
Luxon was repeatedly asked to give his assessment of Lee’s performance as Media and Communications Minister and Simmonds’ performance as Disability Issues Minister.
He said Lee had done a “phenomenal job” as Economic Development Minister and “an incredibly good job” as the Minister for Ethnic Communities.
“This is really about making sure we have the right people on the right assignment at the right time. And in both these cases or both of these portfolios, there have been significant changes and complexities added to them … since these ministers were allocated these responsibilities. I want to make sure I’ve got senior ministers dealing with these issues.”
Both ministers had faced controversies in their short time in the roles.
Lee had faced criticism for inaction in the portfolio in the face of upheaval in the media industry with the closure of Newshub and a restructure at TVNZ.
Simmonds had been criticised for how she handled a funding scandal for the Ministry for Disabled People Whaikaha and how she had spoken about carers’ use of funding approved by that ministry — including singling out their use of the funding for “pedicures”.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Luxon had taken more than a month to “show any leadership” for disabled communities by taking the portfolio off Simmonds and weeks to take any action on Lee’s “total inaction during an obvious media crisis”.
“The ‘Penny’ has finally dropped for Christopher Luxon. It’s taken a while but he has finally sacked his Minister for Disability Issues after she blindsided carers with changes to their funding flexibility — effectively cutting their financial support.”
He said the new Minister for Disability Issues must “urgently reinstate funding flexibility and apologise to carers for the Government’s comments and accusations towards carers of disabled people”.
“This whole debacle shows Christopher Luxon is out of his depth. He uses corporate jargon to make it seem like he’s top of things but took five weeks to make this decision.”
He also took aim at Lee’s performance.
“She has shown total disregard for a sector in crisis. A sector that contributes to a strong, healthy democracy by keeping people informed.
“If these ministers aren’t good enough for disability issues or media, it beggars belief they can be trusted with environment, economic development, tertiary education or ethnic communities.”