Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Changes aplenty in political world

By Ian McKelvie
Whanganui Chronicle·
20 Feb, 2013 10:33 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The saying "a week's a long time in politics" has been well and truly proven in the past few weeks with the problems faced by NZ First MPs Brendon Horan and Richard Prosser, the resignation of Charles Chauvel and his likely replacement by Carol Beaumont, and the retirement from Parliament of the Rt Hon Dr Lockwood Smith, who has been replaced by the List MP Aaron Gilmore, who has done a term for National from 2008-2011.

These matters all affect the way the house operates in some small way, with Horan's vote now being recorded as independent and depending on which way he votes, changing the balance in the Parliament. One can easily understand the frustrations felt by people at the ability of parliamentarians to jump the fence at will and remain in the position despite in this case only holding 4000-odd votes.

Chauvel is a strong debater and a very competent list member of Parliament; he held some senior positions on select committees and will leave a gap in Labour's armoury.

In an interesting couple of weeks, Speaker David Carter has proved well able to follow in the footsteps of Smith and will do a great job.

All these changes make a great deal of difference to the Cabinet positions, and also mean a reshuffle of the select committee positions and almost all are affected by it. My own roles on select committees have not changed and I remain on the law and order, primary production and regulations review committee, which Chauvel has been chairing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The most noticeable change for the Rangitikei Electorate is the appointment of Nathan Guy as Minister for Primary Production. This is vital for us and his role will be watched with interest by all in the Rangitikei. His promotion has meant Jo Goodhew coming in as associate minister, and she will take responsibility for forestry, also vital to the electorate. I look forward to them both visiting the area in the next year.

One last thing: The long, dry and extremely hot summer is taking its toll on the rural sector incomes and will be something we will need to factor into our forward planning over the next year if it continues much longer.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles
Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Affected staff could be re-employed in alternative roles or one of 18 new roles.

17 Jul 06:00 PM
NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth
Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Body of missing man found
Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found

16 Jul 08:34 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP