High-flying women promoted in New Zealand cabinet

Dec 12, 2011, 0:37 GMT

Wellington - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, re-elected for another three years after last month's election, promoted two high-flying women in his revamped cabinet, which was named Monday.

Hekia Parata, who was elected to parliament only three years ago, rises from the lowest-ranked member of the 20-member cabinet to number seven with the portfolios of education and Pacific Island Affairs.

Key's previous administration was locked in a bitter battle with teacher unions over moves to introduce a system of mandatory national standards for pupils to attain. 'The unions are vocal and resist change, and we want change,' he told a news conference, dubbing education a critical focus of his government.

Paula Bennett, a one-time solo mother beneficiary, keeps her job of reforming the welfare system as social development minister, and rises from 16 to nine in the cabinet rankings.

Judith Collins, a hard-nosed police minister in the last government who earned the nickname Crusher Collins for a law under which boy racers' cars can be crushed for repeated offences, becomes justice minister, ranked fifth.

Key's conservative National Party won 59 seats in the 121-member parliament at the November 26 election but has a working majority in the House of Representatives by securing promises of five more votes from allies.