Wellington, Oct 20 (IANS) New Zealand's Prime Minister-elect Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday that her Cabinet will comprise of 28 members, including three who will sit out, and pledged to fight against climate change, poverty and gender inequality.
Ardern, the 37-year-old Labour Party leader who will be the youngest female head of government in the world, said she would seek to implement a law targeting zero carbon emissions by 2050 and create a climate change commission.
"We are retaining our policy on the tax cuts and our policy on the families package. That means dumping National's plans and replacing it with Labour's package that was substantially more generous," she said at a press conference.
Ardern's Cabinet will include 16 members from her own party and four members from the New Zealand First party that played kingmaker in Labour's bid to form a coalition government after it finished behind the ruling New Zealand National Party in the September 23 elections, Efe news reported.
Three portfolios will go out to Green Party members, who will sit outside the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister-elect did not provide details of portfolios and their corresponding ministers who are set to be sworn in next week, but said she has offered the post of deputy Prime Minister to New Zealand First Party chief Winston Peters, but is yet to receive a response.
Apart from bringing in gender equality in terms of pay and representation in Parliament, Ardern said she also plans to hold a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana during her three-year term.
About VDC
Doraiah Chowdary Vundavally is a Software engineer at VTech . He is the news editor of SocialNews.XYZ and Freelance writer-contributes Telugu and English Columns on Films, Politics, and Gossips. He is the primary contributor for South Cinema Section of SocialNews.XYZ. His mission is to help to develop SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgement towards any.