By AUDREY YOUNG
The careers of MPs Taito Phillip Field and Mark Gosche crossed again yesterday.
Mr Field ("Taito" was the title bestowed as paramount chief of Manase village, Savaii, Samoa, in 1975) was yesterday sworn in as a minister outside the Cabinet. He is one of two new ministers following the
resignation of Mark Gosche to spend more time with his ill wife, Carol.
Both men worked as trade union officials for the Service Workers Union.
Mr Field is seen more of a steady, personable conservative compared to Mr Gosche, a leftist, irascible firebrand.
Both are of Samoan descent - though Mr Field also claims Cook Island, German, English, and Jewish heritage.
Mr Field came to New Zealand from Samoa aged 7 and was the first Pacific Island MP to be elected to Parliament, as Otara MP in 1993 then in Mangere from 1996.
Mr Gosche was elected in 1996, and made it to cabinet three years later. Mr Field had to wait until 2002 for promotion, as Under-secretary to the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs.
The Pacific Island Affairs portfolio will again be coupled with the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Mr Field will be Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs and Associate Justice and Associate Social Development.
He is married to Maxine Jennings-Field and has two children.
