David Parker gains key trade role while Ron Mark lands defence

Former New Zealand Army captain and New Zealand First deputy leader Ron Mark is set to become Defence Minister in the Labour-New Zealand First Government.

And senior Labour MP David Parker is set to become Trade Minister overseeing New Zealand's role in the TPP-11 trade deal.

Both will be expected to work closely alongside New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who will be formally named as Foreign Minister today by incoming Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Peters will also be Deputy Prime Minister.

Ardern is due to name her ministers today at 11.30am and they will be sworn in tomorrow.

Peters and Parker will almost certainly be attending Apec ministerial meetings in Vietnam ahead of the leaders' summit in three weeks.

Mark joined the Army in 1971 as a soldier mechanic and rose to the rank of captain before leaving in 1985 to serve with the Sultan of Oman's Land Forces where he rose to major.

New Zealand First has picked up a swag of ministerial portfolios which were released yesterday: Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure, Regional Economic Development, Internal Affairs, Seniors, Defence, Veterans' Affairs, Children, Forestry, State-Owned Enterprises, Racing, Associate Finance, Associate Education, and an Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Regional Economic Development.

NZ First MP Tracey Martin is expected to be Minister for Children and Associate Education Minister.

Shane Jones, a former Labour minister, is likely to become Regional Economic Development Minister, Forestry Minister and Associate Finance Minister.

Rotorua-based Fletcher Tabuteau is likely to become under-secretary.

The Green Party portfolios are: Climate Change, Associate Finance, Conservation, Women, Land Information NZ, Associate Environment, Statistics, Associate Transport, Associate Health and an Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justices (Domestic and Sexual Violence).

Greens leader James Shaw will get Climate Change, Eugenie Sage will get Conservation, Julie Anne Genter will get associate health and transport roles and Jan Logie will become under-secretary.