Cabinet Of 18 Includes Five New Ministers

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32178, 23 December 1969, Page 1

Cabinet Of 18 Includes Five New Ministers

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, December 22.

The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) has increased the size of his Cabinet by one and included five new Ministers among the 18 members announced today. Two new Parliamentary Under-Secretaries have also been appointed.

The new Ministers are Mr A. McCready (Otaki), Mr D. J. Riddiford (Wellington Central), Mr H. J. Walker (Papanui), Mr H. E. L. Pickering (Rangiora) and Mr D. J. Carter (Raglan). The new Under-Secretaries are Mr A. D. Dick (Oamaru) and Mr G. F. Gair (North Shore).

Before the General Election, Mr Holyoake said there would be “four or five” new faces in the Cabinet He also told a Christchurch campaign meeting that “one or two” would be from their area. Mr Walker and Mr Pickering are Christchurch men.

The Cabinet is the largest for many years. The new members knew of their appointments before the week-end. Mr Walker becomes Minister of Tourism, Minister of I Broadcasting, and Minister in' Charge of Publicity. The Tourism and Publicity portfolios were formerly held by the Minister of Defence (Mr Thomson). Mr Walker, aged 50, is an accountant. He was first elected to Parliament for St Albans in 1960 and has been chairman of the Industries and Commerce Committee. Mr Pickering, aged 50, be-' comes Associate Minister of Finance. He was elected to Parliament for Rangiora In 1961 and has since been chairman of the caucus finance and economic committee, and chairman of the Social Services Committee. Mr Carter is Minister of, Agriculture. Before serving' as Under-Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, he' was Under-Secretary of Transport Aged 61, be was elected for Raglan in 1957. Mr McCready becomes Postmaster-General, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and Minister in Charge of the Government Printing Office. 1 A fanner, Mr McCready, aged 54, was born in Kawakawa and was first elected to Parliament in 1953 for Otaki. In the last Parliament he was chairman of the Maori Affairs i Committee.

Mr Riddiford, an Oxford graduate, undertakes the Justice portfolio and, as Associate Minister of Labour and Immigration, will assist the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Marshall. j Mr Riddiford is a lawyer, aged 55, and was elected to Wellington Central in 1960. He was chairman of the Statutes Revision Committee. Mr Gair is Under-Secretary to the Minister of Education and Science. Aged 42, he was first elected to Parliament for North Shore in 1966. Mr Dick, aged 62, is Undersecretary to the Minister of

Agriculture. A farmer, he was elected to Waitaki in 1962. He was chairman of the Education Committee in the last Parliament

The portfolios held by six Ministers are unchanged. They are the Minister of Finance, Mr Muldoon; the Minister of Housing, Mr Rae; the Minister of Health. Mr McKay: the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Seath; the Minister of Transport, Mr Gordon; and the Minister of Forests and Lands, Mr Maclntyre. The Minister of Defence (Mr Thomson), has had a new Police portfolio added to his existing responsibilities. Previously, Mr Allen was Minister in Charge of the Police Department. The most surprising appointments are Mr B. E. Talboys as Minister of Education and the Deputy Prime Minis-

ter (Mr Marshall), as Minister of Labour. The choice of a Labour Minister was perhaps the most difficult after the death of Mr T. P. Shand. Education, left vacant by the retirement of Mr A. E. Kinsella, was thought to be reserved for one of the new Ministers.

With the reshuffle of portfolios it was logical that Mr Carter would become Minister of Agriculture. Some load was expected to come from the shoulders of Mr Marshall, and the Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Shelton, was a logical choice to take that portfolio. In turn, Mr Adams-Schnei-der, as Associate Minister of Customs, was the best choice to take Mr Shelton’s post The appointment of Mr Riddiford as Assoicate Minister of Labour and Immigration will allow Mr Marshall to continue trade negotiations with the European Economic Community. Mr Marshall said tonight he would continue to fulfil this role.

Mr McCready fills the post of Mr W. J. Scott, who has retired.

Although Mr Taiboys has relinquished the Agriculture portfolio, he had the distinction six weeks ago of becoming the longest serving Minister of Agriculture this century—the previous longest serving was Mr Holyoake. Mr Taiboys served for seven years and 11 months. The retention of Mr Seath as Minister of Internal Affairs assures him of a knighthood next year. A knighthood is automatically conferred on the Minister responsible for organising a Royal Tour. The allocation of portfolios gives no hint that the Prime Minister plans to retire during the present term of office. He retains his portfolios. Apart from Mr Marshall, the two men considered as possible successors—Mr Taiboys and Mr Muldoon—are now ranked fourth and fifth. In the last cabinet Mr Talboys was six and Mr Mufdodn bottom of the 17-man group.

The man with the third ranking, Mr Shelton, is not expected to seek re-election in 1972. The new Cabinet—together with Mr Scott and Mr Kinsella—met this afternoon in a business session. The new Ministers were earlier sworn in by the Governor-General, Sir Arthur Porritt.