The Government’s 2025 Cabinet, marked

Sunday, 28 December 2025

OPINION: Each year The Post ranks the ministers of the Crown for their performance, alongside the key people who want to replace them.

Measuring and ranking political performance is a difficult, and ultimately subjective task. You have to balance how much ministers have achieved in their portfolios - both in real terms and against the terms they set themselves.

How much of their agenda have they prosecuted? Are they good at communicating with the public, with their stakeholders and their colleagues?

Then there’s the policy - not necessarily whether they were good or bad, but whether they achieved what they set out to and how politically calibrated they were to the moment.

As far as scores go, 5/10 is basically a par score. If a minister seems to be going OKand hasn’t ended up in trouble in the news they probably get a 5/10.

Ministers are listed in order of Cabinet ranking in party, as per the list on the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s website.

On The Post on Monday, we’ll do the same for the Labour Party front bench and the co-leaders for the other parties in Opposition.

THE NATIONAL PARTY

Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister, Minister for National Security

Score: 5/10

This has been a very hard year for the prime minister. His solid but not spectacular start has given way to tired bromides, management speak and poor polling. But the year has ended on a high with an India trade deal few thought possible, which has (just) bumped him up to a par score.

He declared 2025 a year of “going for growth”, but until the third quarter there was little to show for it, with a large contraction in the second quarter contributing to a particularly grim mood across the country. The better-than-expected growth figures in the third quarter must be read in partnership with this drop.

Although there appears to be some respite in the polling, the National Party is still polling in the low 30s meaning that even if the coalition is returned, the prime minister’s own party will be further reduced in numbers.

By comparison to his domestic travails he has been a relatively strong performer overseas, enjoying the meet and greets and “hustling” for business on behalf of NZ. The free trade deal with India is a feather in his cap, and his cringy meeting with US President Donald Trump got the job done also.

A big part of Luxon’s pitch on becoming PM was that he was not a politician but a business guy. That has shown this year and not in a good way. He often affects to be talking to pain in the neck small shareholders at an AGM, not real voters who could toss him out. He also has a reputation among the C-suite for lecturing corporate bosses on how to do their jobs.

While he ends the year prime minister, internally, he is sometimes seen as weak, without authority over coalition partners and lacking the political instinct to take advantage of situations. The terrible decision to make Nicola Willis economic growth minister in addition to finance minister has put them both in a weaker position than they should be.

Backers point to his presiding over a stable Government, pushing through lots of changes and someone who instead of micro-managing the politics, competently manages and gives ministers their heads.

Nicola Willis, Minister of Finance, Economic Growth and Social Investment

Score: 7/10

Nicola Willis has had the hardest job in Government this year. She faces the most challenging set of circumstances since Ruth Richardson in the early 1990s. And it isn't just about the Budget deficit. She inherits a high level of debt and the start of New Zealand’s Baby Boomer cost crunch as health and super spending rise quickly. She also has two powerful coalition partners who can exercise vetoes.

The decision to make her economic growth minister - a bit of branding created for her - made her too powerful, too busy and too responsible for that most elusive of concepts: growth - and in addition to the nation’s finances. Concentrating this much power into one person means small mistakes become sizeable blunders.

Willis’ public push on butter prices - which she would have known her Government was not about to bring down - was puzzling. Her attempts to reform supermarket and bank competition led to getting rid of a few barriers to entry for new competitors but little else. Her attempt to debate the Taxpayers’ Union ended up distracting from the announcements of some sizeable Government RMA reforms

Politically, she made much of fixing the finances most of the time, before switching it up when growth came in lower than expected to note that government spending was actually stimulatory. Managing the nation’s books can be a thankless task, but she seems to have pleased few. The austere right think she is basically Grant Robertson with a blue rosette on, while the left see her as another Ruth Richardson. Neither caricature is true - but they still have wide purchase.

Despite all that, Willis has had many good moments this year. Her Budget decision to increase KiwiSaver contributions was well handled. She responded very strongly to the Liberation Day tariffs and fronted when growth fell off a cliff. And unlike her boss she can actually deliver a message well, in a way that doesn’t condescend to anyone.

Chris Bishop, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, Responsible for RMA reform, Transport

9/10

Chris Bishop has once again been one of the Government’s strongest performers. He has been among the best exponents of the Government’s agenda as well as one of the more radical reformers.

Unlike Luxon, who thinks that property prices should rise in a modest and orderly fashion, Bishop thinks they should come down. He sees housing affordability as a key centre-right issue: if home ownership rates come down, so do the electoral chances of centre-right parties. The policy outcome of this is land liberalising and changing the incentives around housing development which is on the way in the new year.

He has announced a new overhaul of road user charging - which will get rid of fuel taxes, paving the way for EVs to pay for roads and allowing for both tolling and congestion charging. He has overhauled the Resource Management Act as well as being central to abolishing regional councils - although the process for their replacement seemed overly complicated and lacking his usually deft touch.

One of the Government’s best political brains, he has arguably been overloaded this past year with a huge amount of the Government’s legislative load - and economic reform agenda - resting on his shoulders.

We take one point off as he hasn’t been able to keep speculation about his leadership ambitions either out of the media or so front-and-centre that his taking over is inevitable.

Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, State-Owned Enterprises, Auckland

6/10

Simeon Brown has had his work cut out for him this year. In Health, his job has been to put patients back at the heart of the system - or at least make people feel that way. The system is still struggling from the disruptions of Covid-19 and Brown has been trying to make it work better. A focus on targets makes for strong headlines but many medical professionals say it lets other issues deteriorate.

How he will end up faring is still an open question. Doctors and nurses strikes and the outflow of medical professionals to Australia continue to put pressure on the system.

Internally, Brown is well-regarded as a safe pair of hands and a solid media performer. Within the political class, keeping Health off the front page is generally considered a good gauge (whether it should be or not). He’s also minister for Auckland, a made-up job designed to keep Aucklanders happy. Health is a behemoth and it is still too early to tell how successful he’s been. Next year will be key.

Erica Stanford, Minister of Education, Immigration

9/10

Stanford has been a stand-out performer for the Government. On top of her brief, she has led key Government initiatives in education with clarity and verve. On Q+A she gave what was probably the best interview of any Government minister all year. While teacher unions are not too keen on her - and she is not the most popular minister within the Cabinet or caucus - her focus on student achievement and trying to lift educational attainment across all demographics is overdue and has been well-received.

Immigration - a really tricky portfolio with a lot of downside - has also been handled adroitly. The post-Covid immigration problems seem to be improving significantly. She has also been minister in charge of the response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. A small but important role that has taken a lot of time, and which will always be subject to criticism.

Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage, Justice, Media and Communications, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

5/10

Goldie, as he’s mostly known, has not had a terrific year. His electoral law changes which ended election day voter registration was made on the flakiest of pretexts. In the media and communications space he has ended Sunday morning advertising bans - a solid policy but not really legacy-making stuff. Since the Trump administration came back, the Government has given up on the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. In Justice, he has launched a meth harm strategy and the High Court has just found his appointment of the Human Rights and Race Relations Commissioners unlawful. Awkward place to be for a justice minister.

He appears to have been at his most effective as Treaty Settlements minister.

Louise Upston, Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues, Social Development and Employment, Tourism and Hospitality

5/10

A solid year for a dependable minister. Upston is never going to set the world alight politically, but she has had a reasonable administrator in some important areas for the Government. In Social Development, the Government has tightened up welfare requirements trying to reduce the number of people on benefits. Most 18 and 19-year-olds living at home will not be able to get the dole now - a policy officials are wary of but the talkback listeners National wants to keep happy will love.

In tourism, she has picked up where many predecessors left off and is yet to make a huge mark. The Government’s “everyone must go” campaign became a punchline earlier in the year and Chinese tourist numbers remain low.

Judith Collins KC, Attorney-General, Minister of Defence, Digitising Government, Public Service, GCSB, NZSIS, Space

7/10

The third political act of Judith Collins has been a successful one. Promoted and looked after by Christopher Luxon, Collins has had a strong year. She is appointing judges, wringing up lots of extra money for Defence and getting defence spending on the track to 2% of GDP. She has done significant work in digitising government - launching a government app for all services and announcing that government tech procurement will be centralised.

Dr Shane Reti, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Science Innovation and Technology, Statistics, Universities

4/10

Dr Reti started the year being moved out of the health portfolio and into some second- tier ministerial jobs. He has been overseeing the Government’s restructure of the science system, scrapping the Census and dealing with vice-chancellors around the country. What could be better! Reti has been burrowing away but ultimately works in areas that make little difference to the Government’s political prospects. The Government’s wider reforms to science funding have irked many in the sector, with the winner of the Prime Minister’s science prize publicly attacking the decision to fund AI research.

Maybe they will end up funding important areas, but at the end of the day this is small fry stuff for a guy who was once one of National’s brighter stars.

Mark Mitchell, Minister of Corrections, Emergency Management and Recovery, Ethnic Communities, Police, Sport and Recreation

7/10

It was mostly another strong year for Mark Mitchell, the affable police minister with a clear and straightforward communication style. The appointment and bedding in of new Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has seen a marked change in the outlook of police. Crime-fighting is back, policing by consent is out. Crime statistics have generally trended in the right direction and the saliency of the issue has reduced. Law and order remains one of the areas the Government has a big polling advantage over the opposition.

Mitchell mostly handled the Jevon McSkimming drama well - but not perfectly. His retraction of his comments to Q+A and some blurriness over the emailed complaints have tarnished him in the eyes of some.

Todd McClay, Minister for Agriculture, Trade and Investment

8/10

Strong year. Seemed blindsided by the US tariffs but has fought through to a reasonable position with imposts removed from beef and kiwifruit. McClay signed FTAs with the Gulf states and then capped the year off with a Free Trade Agreement with India. Not much dairy in it but a lot of other market access. Speed and result of the India deal a surprise to virtually everyone and is consequential for New Zealand.

Tama Potaka, Minister of Conservation, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Māori Development, Whānau Ora, Associate housing minister

5/10

Has managed his way through some potentially tricky areas without anything really blowing up. Not quite as good as Bishop at explaining why everyone else in the sector says homelessness is rising following the Government’s closure of emergency housing. But in general , he is a safe pair of hands. In Conservation, quietly getting on with reforms at DOC. A charismatic guy who many think can do great things, he has yet to really find his political identity within the constraints of cabinet.

Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health, Associate Minister of Health

3/10

He is the only minister in cabinet with only one job - mental health - and has been beavering away at it with various action plans and targets. Not making much of a splash and one gets the feeling the real reform and funding changes in this sector were made by the last Government. Probably only in Cabinet because he’s from the South Island.

Simon Watts, Minister of Climate Change, Energy, Local Government, Revenue

3/10

Simon Watts has the unenviable job of explaining to the climate sector his Government’s essentially incoherent climate strategy, which involves meeting all of Labour’s ambitious targets while actively dismantling the tools intended to get there. A strong minister might be able to at least explain this well but Watts cannot.

He seems to get the detail but does not want to talk about it, instead just delivering platitudes about new technologies saving us. Not much better in energy - commissioned a report that recommended structural reform that he had to immediately reject. Somewhat hamstrung by the fact that the Prime Minister’s office run much of the energy policy in this Government. Also Minister for Local Government - where policy is again driven from elsewhere in Government.

NZ FIRST

Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Racing, Rail

8/10

Polling far better than he usually does in Government. Won power over ferries and seems to have used it well, getting a deal for rail-enabled ferries signed. His experience in foreign affairs shows and he has continued to build relationships around the world, while basically attempting to keep NZ off Donald Trump’s capricious radar. He is also powerful, prevailing over the prime minister on New Zealand’s position on Palestinian recognition. Understands and can exercise power. Loses a point for insistence that the Government only share its position on Palestinian recognition once in New York, rather than in NZ.

Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Regional Development, Resources, Associate Minister of Finance, Associate Minister for Energy

5/10

Can still make the news with his verbal dexterity. But what is he using it for? He hasn’t managed to actually make an impact in energy despite all the bluster and his wider mission to push growth in extractive sectors is yet to bear serious fruit. Had to go back and fix the fast-track bill after it was clearly fast tracked a bit too fast - but remained frustrated it did not move fast enough. 2026 will be an important year to see what changes have borne fruit. Still the only real personality in NZ First not named Winston Peters.

Casey Costello, Minister of Customs, Seniors, Associate Minister of Health, Associate Minister of Immigration, Associate Minister of Police

5/10

Hasn’t really shone politically, but is a quietly competent minister. Her working group on organised crime had some interesting ideas but these don’t seem to be making their way into Government policy any time soon. Massive black market in cigarettes will be a big deal for her to tackle in 2026 - and a politically tricky one.

ACT

David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Regulation, Associate Minister of Education, Associate Minister of Finance, Associate Minister of Health, Associate Minister of Justice

5/10

A year of highs and lows. The school lunch programme reset was messy and long-lasting, even if he’s got it to a place of relative stability now. The Treaty Principles Bill was voted out of Parliament with acrimony, and both his coalition partners are now expressing a desire to repeal the Regulatory Standards Bill. Fewer schools are becoming charter schools than Seymour expected. Seymour openly admits that he has essentially been locked out of wider cost-cutting.

And yet: The Ministry for Regulation has been quite a success, mixing properly critical analyses of the current Government with very reasonable investigations into the over-regulation of issues like hairdressing. ACT remains an essential part of any Government National might lead for the foreseeable future. Indeed, Seymour is scoring quite well as party leader and less well as a full-time minister.

Brooke van Velden, Minister of Internal Affairs, Workplace Relations and Safety

6/10

Brooke van Velden is a true believer. You rarely get a minister this sure of her own ideology.

The Government endured some of its worst days this year when it announced sweeping changes to pay equity laws that cancelled years-long negotiations already under way. But van Velden largely enjoyed the upside (saving money for her ACT Party base) while Willis had to wear the downside. Still, this change radicalised people against the Government, so can hardly be seen as an unalloyed success.

In general, van Velden slips up a bit less than people might expect. She is no friend to the unions but would gain points simply by agreeing to meet them a bit more often.

Her reforms to the vexed Holidays Act were well-designed and very well-received. A real achievement.

Nicole McKee, Minister for Court, Associate Minister of Justice

5/10

Got her huge Arms Act Amendment bill through Cabinet - but not without losing the liberalisation she was clearly gunning for. Not a small achievement, but other than that not much more than a competent media performer.

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