Mrs Hercus first woman Minister of Police

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 1

Mrs Hercus first woman Minister of Police

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington

Christchurch members of Parliament have been given high-ranking portfolios in the new Labour Cabinet announced by the Prime Minister-elect, Mr Lange, yesterday.

The allocation contained few surprises, the only real upset being that the member of Parliament for Lyttelton, Mrs Ann Hercus, will be New Zealand’s first woman Minister of Police. She also has the portfolios of Social Welfare and Women’s Affairs as was predicted but has lost consumer protection, an area she was responsible for in Opposition, to the member for Kapiti, Mrs Margaret Shields. Mrs Hercus, who has a reputation for tough-mind-edness, was “not entirely surprised” to find herself with Police. “There has been a suggestion for some time that it would be an appropriate portfolio,” she said. She also said that she was delighted that Mrs Shields would head the new Consumer Affairs Ministry because she had had experience in the field. Mrs Shields said that she had worked with the Consumer Institute for a number of years and that she regarded the portfolio as “a very exciting opportunity” to strengthen and consolidate New Zealand’s ,consumer-’-protection legislation. Ironically, she had been tipped as a likely Minister of Police but she said yesterday that while there had been “a certain amount of lobbying” to have her appointed to the post, it had come from interest groups outside Parliament. The incoming Government has broken new

ground by creating a separate Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, an idea National had rejected. Mr Richard Prebble has been given the task, probably because of the large Islander population in his Auckland Central electorate. It has also appointed the member of Parliament for Papanui, Mr Mike Moore, to a new post, that of Minister in charge of Publicity. This appointment, together with his other responsibilities — Sport and Recreation, Overseas Trade, and Tourism — indicates the nature that the promised promotion drive will take. Portfolios have been linked in innovative ways. Employment has been split from Labour and attached to Regional Development with the member for West Coast, Mr Kerry Burke, at the helm. The party in Opposition showed a special awareness of the needs of the South Island, a tradition which Mr Burke seems set to continue in office. He said yesterday that he hoped to introduce a prior-

ity system based on a range of criteria so that development assistance could be targeted on areas of greatest need. Much of the South Island was likely to qualify under this index. Another sensible linkage but one which may cause conflicts of interest is that the member for Western Maori, Mr Koro Wetere, has been allocated both the Maori Affairs and Lands portfolios. Politically, the combination could prove dynamite. Something of Mr Lange’s “chairman of the board” style of leadership has emerged in the allocation of power. His emphasis on shared responsibility is evident in the large number of Associate Ministers and Deputy Ministers appointed. It is also clear that he intends to focus his energy on his Prime Ministerial function. He has kept his other duties light. He will .take charge of the Security Intelligence Service as is traditional and has given himself Foreign Affairs, with the member for Island Bay, Mr Frank O’Flynn, sharing the load.