Nanaia Mahuta will lose her role as Minister for Local Government as part of a Cabinet reshuffle, announced by the prime minister this afternoon.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says it's so Mahuta can focus on the foreign affairs portfolio and get overseas more often.
He said it was not a reflection of the response to the Three Waters work programme which he said was "not going to be scrapped altogether".
Mahuta will be replaced in the role by Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty, who will be joining Cabinet for the first time.
The change was one among many others as the Government looks to "refocus on core bread and butter issues", Hipkins said.
The PM unveiled a new Minister for Auckland and several promotions in key portfolios. (Source: 1News)
Grant Robertson will remain Minister of Finance.
Filling up two of Hipkins' former roles will be Jan Tinetti as Education Minister and Dr Ayesha Verrall as Minister of Health. Verrall was previously the Associate Health Minister, and was taking the role from Andrew Little, who was picking up Minister of Defence, a role itself swiped from Peeni Henare.
Hipkins said Little had told him he would support any decision that was made about the portfolio.
"I have full confidence in Andrew Little."
Minister of Transport Michael Wood is now the new Minister for Auckland - moving up to number seven in Cabinet. He'll also be working alongside Robertson as Associate Minister of Finance.
Hipkins said when Auckland succeeded so did the rest of the country, and the recent floods had helped confirm the new Auckland portfolio was necessary.
Hipkins said the Auckland portfolio would align with Woods' other role as Transport Minister, and he rated Wood.
"He's very passionate about Auckland."
Tinetti would become the Education Minister, something Hipkins said she was "uniquely placed" to take on. Tinetti is the former principal of a Tauranga primary school.
The previous Education Minister was Hipkins himself, and she also gained the Child Poverty Reduction portfolio previously held by Jacinda Ardern.
Asked why he had not given himself the portfolio, he said he was not interested in "symbolic" roles for prime minister.
Ginny Andersen and Barbara Edmonds would also join Cabinet.
Andersen will become the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Seniors, Associate Minister of Immigration and Associate Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.
Edmonds will become the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Associate Health Minister for Pacific Peoples and Associate Minister of Housing.
Earlier today, Hipkins announced his first overseas trip as prime minister would be to Australia.
He will meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday, and return to New Zealand the same day.
Opposition responds
ACT's David Seymour says the Cabinet changes are meaningless without new policies.
He said it was "a nearly identical top five atop a handful of rookies".
National leader Christopher Luxon was similarly unimpressed.
"New leader, same team, same poor results for New Zealand, sadly.
"Our economy's going backwards, our health care system's falling apart. We've got slipping educational standards, a housing crisis and rapidly rising levels of crime."
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