Wellington - New Zealand prime minister-elect John Key named his first cabinet on Monday, saying it was focussed on growth and prosperity for all, despite the current international financial crisis. "The growth outlook is weak and international and domestic difficulties abound," he said. "This government will concentrate on boosting economic growth because that is what will lead us out of these challenging times."
Key's conservative National Party ousted the Labour-led coalition that had governed for nine years at the election on November 8 and he has signed power-sharing agreements with three minor parties who have pledged support for a centre-right government although they will not join a formal coalition.
Fourteen of his 20-member cabinet have not held ministerial posts before, including New Zealand's first Chinese minister, Pansy Wong, who was born in Shanghai and educated in Hong Kong before coming to New Zealand in 1974.
She will be minister for Ethnic Affairs and minister of Women's Affairs. The cabinet includes six women.
Key named himself as minister of Tourism, saying the sector accounted for one-in-10 jobs in the country and it was increasingly important as visitor numbers drop because of the international financial crisis.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English is minister of Finance and takes a new portfolio with responsibility for infrastructure. Key has promised money to develop the country's roads and other infrastructure as part of a drive to promote economic growth and counter rising unemployment.
National veteran Murray McCully is minister of Foreign Affairs and former diplomat Tim Groser was named minister of Trade. Both will accompany Key to this weeks' Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima after the cabinet is sworn in on Wednesday.
Key named rookie politician Steven Joyce, a businessman who was the National Party's campaign manager for the election, as minister of Transport and minister for Communications and Information Technology.
Although the Nationals won the biggest number of seats in the 122-member parliament at the election they fell short of an overall majority.
The Maori Party and the free market ACT party, which both won five seats, have promised to support the Nationals on critical votes, along with Peter Dunne, sole member of the United Future party in parliament.
Key has given the Maori Party and ACT two ministerial appointments each outside the cabinet and Dunne remains minister of Revenue as he was in the previous Labour-led government before switching his allegiance to the conservatives.
