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ANALYSIS: The stark reality of politics is rankings.
Each deputy knows his exact place. The MMP party lists require rankings before elections, and most parties create slightly different caucus rankings that make it 100% clear who is superior to whom.
Judith Collins will have had a lot on her mind when she completed her second shakeup in not much more than three months of leadership this week.
Political nerds read the tea leaves in these rankings closely, as do politicians themselves.
READ MORE:
* National Party shakeup: Judith Collins splits finance portfolio, demotes Todd Muller, Simon Bridges, and Paul Goldsmith
* Election 2020: Michael Woodhouse weighing whether to run for Deputy National Leader
* Is the new image of National really more socially conservative?
The wallets themselves matter too, but you can also read how important the part thinks is a problem based on the ranking of those wallets.
There’s a reason Customs goes to a PM at 25th while Health goes to a PM at 2nd.
THE GREATEST EARNINGS
Many of the biggest jumps in the reorganization are for MPs who were ranked below 33 before the election. The National Party no longer has anyone that low, as it only has 33 deputies after a bloodbath in the elections. Several MPs ranked below that line survived due to safe seats or decent locations on the list.
ROSA WOODS / Things
National Leader Judith Collins.
The biggest jump in National’s shakeup today is for list MP Maureen Pugh, who has just entered Parliament as the last ranked MP on the list.
He moves from 40th place in the caucus rankings, a position that no longer exists, from 18 places to 22nd, trading consumer affairs, South Island regional development and West Coast affairs for a role as junior whip and portfolios in community sector and emergency management. .
Three Auckland MPs elected in 2017 see big moves from a back bench that really doesn’t exist anymore: Chris Penk from 37 to 24, Erica Stanford from 38 to 26 and Simeon Brown from 32 to 20.
Collins is known to cultivate these rookie MPs during the last term.
There are big increases in the rankings.
The new shadow treasurer, Andrew Bayly, shoots up 14 spots from 17 to 3, and enters the senior finance portfolio.
His junior financial partner, Michael Woodhouse, climbs 8 spots from 14 to 4.
THE GREATEST LOSSES
Gerry Brownlee is the most descending, which makes sense given that he resigned from the deputy leader role.
He goes from No. 2 to No. 15, a drop of 13 spots, but returns to respectable foreign relations roles.
Former leader Todd Muller sees the second-biggest drop, from a No. 8 position on the front bench, down 11 spots to 19, away from the front bench. However, he maintains the commercial portfolios.
Former finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith also sees a huge downgrade in the front bench following a disastrous pre-election budget riddled with errors. Go from 3 to 12.
Another former leader, Simon Bridges, was demoted three spots from 4 to 7, placing firmly in the front bench with the top Justice and Water portfolios. It is understood that Bridges was offered the senior finance position but declined.
Two MPs who skyrocketed through qualifying after helping Todd Muller oust Simon Bridges are holding fairly steady: Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop.
