A mixed bag for Kiwi-Indian MPs in National Party caucus reshuffle
The verdict is out, and it is a mixed bag for the two Kiwi-Indian MPs in Simon Bridges’ first caucus reshuffle as National Party Leader.
The new list was released by the Party on Sunday, March 11, after the new Leader Simon Bridges completed the much-anticipated reshuffle of the caucus.
While Mr Bridges has taken some audacious steps in promoting several backbenchers and demoting those at the front bench suggesting that he intends to mark his stamp on the leadership team, there was nothing remarkable for the two Kiwi-Indian MPs in Mr Bridges scheme of things
Except that they have managed to retain a relatively same position at the centre of the List.
Four times MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi has been made spokesperson for Internal Affairs and Associate for Justice, at number 30 whereas two times MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar has got the additional responsibility of Associate Economic Development at number 36, apart from retaining Research, Science & Innovation from the last list.
In the previous List, Mr Bakshi was at number 32, and Dr Parmar was at number 34.
To be fair to both Kiwi-Indian MPs in the National Party, not everyone in the 54 members strong caucus has managed to get a promotion as many in the community might envisage.
To be fair to Simon Bridges, the reshuffle in caucus was in no way meant to be a reflection or statement of the Party’s outreach to the Kiwi-Indian community in New Zealand.
In MMP system, political parties tend to use ranking in Lists for multiple aims.
However, despite some astute deflections by different political leaders about rankings of MPs in the list, the jury is out that ranking does matter and is a statement of the value that individual MP bring to the table.
In that regard it is clear is that Kiwi-Indian MPs have received a mixed bag of luck in the reshuffle.
The two Kiwi-Indian MPs have managed to remain largely at the centre of the new list, at number thirty and thirty-six respectively, suggesting that they have not succeeded to attract Mr Bridges’ attention in a manner that others have done.
Those who have succeeded in catching Mr Bridges’ eye are indeed Amy Adams, her main challenger to the leadership position, along with Judith Collins and Mark Mitchell the other two contenders for the leadership position.
Ms Collins has risen from the fourteenth rank to a high of fourth whereas Mark Mitchell has been elevated to the seventh rank from the earlier twenty-first ranking.
The other notable MPs who received a tick from Mr Bridges were Rotorua MP Todd McClay, who has been promoted from number 12 to number 5 and Jamie Lee-Ross and Paul Goldsmith.
The phrase of catching Mr Bridges eyes may not be best suited for the above high ranking MPs, who all have either been consistently building their profile in the Party caucus over the years, or promise to bring some special talents on the table or were sagacious enough to mount political action (read throwing hat in leadership race) close to leadership change to win a promotion for them.
Todd McClay and Paul Goldsmith fall into the category where they have consistently built a profile within the Party with made some notable gains in the portfolios they managed during the last government. So would chief party whip Jamie Lee-Ross who have risen to number 8 in the list.
Mark Mitchell would fall into the category, where he had played his cards very well, especially within the media, first to build his profile worthy enough to deserve some traction in the race to Party leadership, and then sagaciously withdrawing his candidature just before the vote.
Indeed, this was a political masterstroke resulting him a place on the front bench.
Meanwhile, the phrase “catching eyes” may best be suited to the case of Sarah Dowie, a backbencher in National caucus who has been publicly picked by Mr Bridges to be elevated to twentieth ranking and given Conservation portfolio.
It is clear that the two Kiwi-Indian MPs did not fall into any of these categories.
Neither they have been able to build the profile to a level to find a place in the front benchers. Or differently expressed, they need to work more in building their profile in the Party.
Nor, they had been able to crack any masterstroke in the lead up to the leadership change.
It’s another matter that it is not known with confidence that they were aspirant for higher ranking in the National caucus.
Regardless, the natural expectation within the Kiwi-Indian community is to see their representatives to up their ante and play the political game with an enhanced dexterity.
The Indian Weekender wishes good wishes to them in lifting their game, in the game of politics.
The verdict is out, and it is a mixed bag for the two Kiwi-Indian MPs in Simon Bridges’ first caucus reshuffle as National Party Leader.
The new list was released by the Party on Sunday, March 11, after the new Leader Simon Bridges completed the much-anticipated reshuffle of the caucus.
While Mr...
The verdict is out, and it is a mixed bag for the two Kiwi-Indian MPs in Simon Bridges’ first caucus reshuffle as National Party Leader.
The new list was released by the Party on Sunday, March 11, after the new Leader Simon Bridges completed the much-anticipated reshuffle of the caucus.
While Mr Bridges has taken some audacious steps in promoting several backbenchers and demoting those at the front bench suggesting that he intends to mark his stamp on the leadership team, there was nothing remarkable for the two Kiwi-Indian MPs in Mr Bridges scheme of things
Except that they have managed to retain a relatively same position at the centre of the List.
Four times MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi has been made spokesperson for Internal Affairs and Associate for Justice, at number 30 whereas two times MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar has got the additional responsibility of Associate Economic Development at number 36, apart from retaining Research, Science & Innovation from the last list.
In the previous List, Mr Bakshi was at number 32, and Dr Parmar was at number 34.
To be fair to both Kiwi-Indian MPs in the National Party, not everyone in the 54 members strong caucus has managed to get a promotion as many in the community might envisage.
To be fair to Simon Bridges, the reshuffle in caucus was in no way meant to be a reflection or statement of the Party’s outreach to the Kiwi-Indian community in New Zealand.
In MMP system, political parties tend to use ranking in Lists for multiple aims.
However, despite some astute deflections by different political leaders about rankings of MPs in the list, the jury is out that ranking does matter and is a statement of the value that individual MP bring to the table.
In that regard it is clear is that Kiwi-Indian MPs have received a mixed bag of luck in the reshuffle.
The two Kiwi-Indian MPs have managed to remain largely at the centre of the new list, at number thirty and thirty-six respectively, suggesting that they have not succeeded to attract Mr Bridges’ attention in a manner that others have done.
Those who have succeeded in catching Mr Bridges’ eye are indeed Amy Adams, her main challenger to the leadership position, along with Judith Collins and Mark Mitchell the other two contenders for the leadership position.
Ms Collins has risen from the fourteenth rank to a high of fourth whereas Mark Mitchell has been elevated to the seventh rank from the earlier twenty-first ranking.
The other notable MPs who received a tick from Mr Bridges were Rotorua MP Todd McClay, who has been promoted from number 12 to number 5 and Jamie Lee-Ross and Paul Goldsmith.
The phrase of catching Mr Bridges eyes may not be best suited for the above high ranking MPs, who all have either been consistently building their profile in the Party caucus over the years, or promise to bring some special talents on the table or were sagacious enough to mount political action (read throwing hat in leadership race) close to leadership change to win a promotion for them.
Todd McClay and Paul Goldsmith fall into the category where they have consistently built a profile within the Party with made some notable gains in the portfolios they managed during the last government. So would chief party whip Jamie Lee-Ross who have risen to number 8 in the list.
Mark Mitchell would fall into the category, where he had played his cards very well, especially within the media, first to build his profile worthy enough to deserve some traction in the race to Party leadership, and then sagaciously withdrawing his candidature just before the vote.
Indeed, this was a political masterstroke resulting him a place on the front bench.
Meanwhile, the phrase “catching eyes” may best be suited to the case of Sarah Dowie, a backbencher in National caucus who has been publicly picked by Mr Bridges to be elevated to twentieth ranking and given Conservation portfolio.
It is clear that the two Kiwi-Indian MPs did not fall into any of these categories.
Neither they have been able to build the profile to a level to find a place in the front benchers. Or differently expressed, they need to work more in building their profile in the Party.
Nor, they had been able to crack any masterstroke in the lead up to the leadership change.
It’s another matter that it is not known with confidence that they were aspirant for higher ranking in the National caucus.
Regardless, the natural expectation within the Kiwi-Indian community is to see their representatives to up their ante and play the political game with an enhanced dexterity.
The Indian Weekender wishes good wishes to them in lifting their game, in the game of politics.
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