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Shane Reti has been elected as the new deputy leader of the National Party, in a meteoric rise through the party ranks.
He was elected at a caucus meeting that also reconfirmed the party’s confidence in Judith Collins as leader, despite the devastating electoral defeat.
The deputy leader post was vacated after Gerry Brownlee announced his resignation from the post, saying he needed to focus on bringing the party back into the fray in Christchurch.
National was decimated in the 2020 election, and two more MPs left on Tuesday after the tally of more than 500,000 special votes caused the party to lose three more electorates, including Reti’s own Whangārei. The party won 23 fewer seats than in the 2017 elections.
Reti was appointed deputy leader by the party’s parliamentarians and was unopposed in his candidacy for the post, as did Collins.
ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
The National Party’s health spokesperson, Dr. Shane Reti, has become deputy party leader.
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“I am delighted with the appointment of Dr. Shane Reti. He is a smart, hard-working MP with all the skills necessary to be an effective leader. His detailed examination and prosecution of the government’s handling of Covid-19 helped improve the response from New Zealanders, ”Collins said in a statement.
“The knowledge and history of Dr. Reti working in the health sector will be an advantage as Parliament deals with the impact of Covid-19. His experience will be invaluable to me as a deputy leader and I look forward to working more closely with him. “
Reti, a former GP in Northland, entered Parliament in 2014 after nearly a decade working and teaching abroad at Harvard.
Before the party’s leadership problems earlier in the year, Reti was a low-ranking deputy in the party. Todd Muller, during his brief stint in leadership, promoted Reti to 13th on the list.
Collins promoted him to the position of health spokesperson after demoting Michael Woodhouse.
He lost the Whangārei electorate in the recount of special votes on Friday, but retained his seat in Parliament due to his high ranking in the party.
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Former National Party MP Gerry Brownlee explains why he resigned from office.
Matt Doocey has been chosen as the party’s new head whip and Maureen Pugh as deputy whip.
Brownlee, addressing the caucus meeting, said he was confident that a new deputy would “complement Judith in other ways.”
“I’m still around, and I feel very comfortable with where we’ve come to,” he said.
Collins is expected to unveil a broader shakeup of his caucus portfolios later this week, with all eyes on who will take over the much-acclaimed financial portfolio.
