We can assess political expertise acquired from qualifications and previous employment and experience and compare them with the responsibilities required for the portfolio(s) held.
How do our Ministers’ qualifications and experience measure up?
The government allocated 58 portfolios to 20 Cabinet Ministers. The latest one, Minister for Cyclone Recovery, has been assigned to the Hon Grant Robertson.
A further 10 portfolios are held by five ministers outside cabinet with two portfolios held by two Green Party ministers under cooperation agreements. This makes a total of 70 portfolios plus additional and associate-level ministerial responsibilities for some ministers.
Portfolios and the Minister holding it are listed here. Each Minister’s portfolios and additional responsibilities are here.
From Ministerial biographies and Wikipedia pages I have compiled spreadsheets listing each Minister’s tertiary qualifications, employment experience, party ranking and when they entered parliament.
24 of 27 Labour/Green Ministers disclose their tertiary qualifications. Willie Jackson and Rino Tirakatene did not and Kieran McAnulty is excluded because his Wikipedia page indicates a degree from Otago University but does not provide a field of expertise.
The 24 Ministers hold degrees in Art (7); Law (7); Education (4); Medicine (1); Art/Science/Business Management & Law (1); Farming (1); Business development (1); Accounting & finance (1) and Sustainability (1).
Analysis of the 27 Labour and Green Ministers’ previous employment indicates employment experience in the following fields:
- Politics (7)
- Maori development (5)
- Education/training (4)
- Union (3)
- Law (2)
- Business management/consulting (3)
- Health (1)
- Farming (1)
- Economic development (1).
An analysis of National’s 34 shadow Ministers reveals that 27 Ministers hold university qualifications in Art (8); Law (5); Commerce (5); Art/Law (2); Law/Commerce (2); and Political Science (1). Gerry Brownlee, Mark Mitchell, Stuart Smith, Barbara Kuriger, Maureen Pugh, Nicola Grigg and Jacqui Dean have not disclosed their tertiary qualifications.
34 National Party Minister’s work history indicates employment in the following fields:
- Business Management (11)
- Politics (4)
- Media/Politics (4)
- Farming (4)
- Agriculture/Agriculture-Politics/Agriculture-Law (3)
- Health (2)
- Law (2)
- Teaching (1)
- Accounting (1)
- Defence (1)
- Maori Development (1)
Comments are welcome on a Minister’s capability for the portfolio(s) held and how well they have managed their portfolio.
