Simeon Brown will become the country’s new Minister of Transport following today’s announcement that National, ACT, and New Zealand First have formed a coalition government.
He joins a cabinet of 20 ministers alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and will also serve as the Minister for Energy, Minister of Local Government, Minister for Auckland, and Deputy Leader of the House.
“A huge privilege to have been asked to be a Minister in Christopher Luxon’s cabinet. An honour to be Minister for Transport, Local Governmentt, Energy, and Auckland,” Brown shared on social media.
“Looking forward to the work ahead to get NZ back on track!”
The news was welcomed by a number of key figures in the transport industry, including interim Chief Executive Officer of Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, Dom Kalasih.
“The incoming minister has been a strong advocate for fixing roads and potholes, restarting the infrastructure pipeline, and getting more efficient trucks operating on our network,” he said.
“He has a strong grasp of the transport sector and what is needed to get things back on track.”
Freight industry bodies National Road Carriers Association (NRC) and NZ Trucking Association (NTA) also welcomed the new Transport Minister, both of which stated they look forward to seeing improvements made to the country’s roading infrastructure.
In addition to fixing New Zealand’s pothole problem, Simeon Brown and the National Party have vowed to abolish the Clean Car Discount scheme by the end of 2023, end nationwide speed limit reductions, and build a network made up of 10,000 EV chargers by 2030.
