Three Cabinet changes

Press, 15 August 1980, Page 1

Three Cabinet changes

By'

Philip Worthington

Three changes have been made to the Cabinet as a result of the resignation of Mr Gill as Minister of Police and Minister of Defence on his posting to Washington as the New Zealand Ambassador. The police portfolio has been given to the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Couch), whose post of Postmaster-General has gone to the Minister of Tourism (Mr Cooper). The defence portfolio has gone to the Minister of State

Services. (Mr Thomson), as have two minor portfolios Mr Gill had held: war pensions and rehabilitation'. The appointments were announced by the. Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) yesterday after a meeting of the Government caucus. They mean. that. the Cabinet will now have only 18 members. Mr Muldoon said the changes were permanent and he was not considering bringing an additional member into the Cabinet. He did not envis-

age . further Cabinet changes before the next General Election.- But he has not ruled out the possibility of a widely-ex-pected Cabinet reshuffle about the end of this year or early next year. Asked to comment on the new line-up Mr Muldoon said, “Highly competent.. Indeed, when 1 look across the House I am inclined to qualify that and say, very highly competent.” The vacant seat in the front bench created by Mr Gill’s departure will be

filled by the Minister of Transport (Mr MCLdchlan). ,• Mr Couch -was known to be interested in the police portfolio and the splitting of police and- defence between him and Mr Thomson had been foreshadowed in “The Press.” The transfer of the position of Post-master-General from Mr Couch to Mr Cooper surprised many, although Mr Couch has come under increasing criticism by the Opposition over his hand- . ling of Post Office affairs.