KEY POINTS:
Bill English - Minister for Infrastructure
(also Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance)
Council for Infrastructure Development chief executive Stephen Selwood said the alignment of English's infrastructure and finance roles was key.
He said three important areas for the infrastructure sector included funding, a 20-year development programme and
removal of red tape.
Fulton Hogan's managing director, Dave Faulkner, said the appointment of English gave due weight to infrastructure development
and showed it was near the top of the agenda. English's main challenge would be finding the money.
"In these times there is never enough."
Gerry Brownlee - Minister of Energy and Resources
(also Minister for Economic Development)
Major Electricity Users Group executive director Ralph Matthes said one of Brownlee's main jobs would be to reduce duplication among public agencies in the energy sector.
"There's no point in restructuring for restructuring's sake [but] there could be a ministerial inquiry."
Wind Energy Association chief executive Fraser Clark said Brownlee's number three ranking was good for the energy sector. Brownlee had a good
understanding of the renewable energy sector and his party was committed to the goal of 90 per cent renewable energy by 2025 although not at the expense of any threat to the security of supply providing the new minister his greatest challenge, Clark said.
John Key - Minister of Tourism
(also Prime Minister, Ministerial Services, Security Intelligence Service, Government Communications Security Bureau)
Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar described John Key's appointment to the tourism portfolio as "pretty exciting".
The industry had called for the Prime Minister to take on the role as part of its election manifesto.
Cossar said the Prime Minister was the natural person to front Brand New Zealand. "It will add some real weight to the industry."
Cossar hoped to meet Key as soon as possible to ask how the industry and the Government could work together to lift New Zealand out of economic recession.
Steven Joyce - Minister for Communications and Information Technology
(also Minister of Transport, Associate Minister of Finance, Associate Minister for Infrastructure)
Joyce, National's highest-flying newcomer, and deputy leader
Bill English will oversee the expansion of fibre-optic cabling to
improve broadband speeds.
English and Joyce will share responsibility for the $1.5 billion taxpayer funding for the project.
Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand chief executive Ernie Newman was "very happy", saying Joyce's past role as a broadcasting entrepreneur would be valuable, and there were benefits from his also holding the transport portfolio.
Industry backers say the appointment of the high-powered duo bids well for the project, but critics remain sceptical.
Jonathan Coleman - Minister of Broadcasting
(also Minister of Immigration, Associate Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Health)
There were no surprises in the appointment of Jonathan Coleman as Broadcasting Minister.
But with convergence of the broadcasting and telecommunications world some were surprised those portfolios were not merged.
Television Broadcasters Council chief executive Rick Friesen said as
National's broadcasting spokesman, Coleman would have been well-briefed.
He was "a wonderful choice", Friesen said.
Meanwhile, Arts Minister Chris Finlayson is expected to lead a review of the New Zealand Film Commission.
David Carter - Minister of Agriculture
(also Minister for Biosecurity, Minister of Forestry)
Federated Farmers president Don Nicolson said David Carter was a practical farmer and his appointment as Minister of Agriculture was not unexpected.
"Obviously he's had the dirt under his fingernails and we look forward to working with him," Nicolson said.
"I think he's shown that he is an approachable sort of person and obviously he's got a lot of work to do, We've got our manifesto on the table. He knows what it is, I hope he's studying it and our door is open and we'll hope to meet him as soon as we can."
Rodney Hide - Minister for Regulatory Reform
(also Minister of Local Government)
Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said the business community would now have a sympathetic ear with regards to regulatory and compliance costs that have crept in over the past nine years.
"When the economy starts to tighten up a little bit, you start looking at all your costs - especially the costs of regulations and the cost of complying with them."
Barnett wanted to see a "framework put in place that will ensure that any new regulation doesn't impose costs on the business community
that are greater than the benefits of the regulation".
Peter Dunne - Minister of Revenue
(also Associate Minister of Health)
Peter Vial, a director of tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said Peter Dunne was a good Minister of Revenue in the last Government, having successfully championed the reduction of the corporate tax rate down to 30 per cent.
Dunne also enjoys a good rapport with business groups and the tax
advisory community.
"He understands the issues and seems to enjoy working with them, so we think it's great to have that continuity. He's a safe pair of hands, because he's done the job and he knows the job."
