New Zealand’s new minister of police will be one of the freshest faces around the cabinet table.

Ginny Andersen, the MP for Hutt South, has been named as the new minister taking over from Stuart Nash. Andersen first became an MP in 2017 and only became a minister for the first time when Chris Hipkins became prime minister earlier this year. She currently holds the roles of digital economy and communications, small business, and seniors.

Speaking at a post-cabinet press conference, Hipkins said that Andersen was familiar with the police portfolio and was “very well suited” to taking up the role.

“She worked for the police for 10 years and has experience working there. The more recent and relevant experience is as chair as parliament’s justice committee,” Hipkins said.

However, the prime minister said he could not recall the exact details of what role Anderson held while at the police, other than saying she was a civilian.

Law and order and crime will continue to be a key focus for the government. Hipkins, a former police minister, will continue to keep a close eye on the issue as well.

“I have confidence in Ginny and her ability to tackle [the role],” said Hipkins when asked about whether Andersen was experienced enough to take on the portfolio. “I think Ginny is a safe minister.”

Stuart Nash lost the police role last week after he admitted to ringing up the police commissioner to discuss a court ruling he was unhappy with. Hipkins said he has reiterated to all ministers today that they should be familiar with the cabinet manual.

The government has announced further roading reconnections, several weeks on from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Earlier this morning it was confirmed the link between Napier and Taupō had been reestablished. And now, transport minister Michael Wood said another six bailey bridges would be constructed.

“Our immediate priority has been to reopen lifeline roads and reconnect isolated communities. So far 91% of the 1,346km of damaged state highways have been reopened to lifeline access,” Wood said.

“Today I can confirm that six further Bailey bridge sites have been approved, with construction committed to at Hollywood, Moeangiangi, Whanawhana, Ellis-Wallace, Mangatutu low level, Makiekie (Coal) Creek and site investigation and design are now underway.”

Four additional sites are being considered, he said, and there was enough stock available or on order for all of the approved bridge sites.

Over the next month, state highway two from Tangoio to Tūtira, state highway one at Brynderwyn and state highway 38 from Tuai to Aniwaniwa Falls were all expected to at least partially reopen.

For the first time since 2019, a New Zealand minister will head to China this week.

Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta will meet with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing.

“I intend to discuss areas where we cooperate, such as on trade, people-to-people and climate and environmental issues. I will continue to advocate for approaches and outcomes that reflect New Zealand’s interests and values, including on human rights,” Mahuta said. “I also intend to raise New Zealand’s concerns about key regional and global security challenges, including the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Mahuta will depart tomorrow and return to New Zealand at the end of the week.

Prime minister Chris Hipkins has previously signalled that he hopes to make it to China before the election.

The anti-transgender activist that provoked aggressive protests in Australia over the weekend may not be able to enter New Zealand.

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, the British anti-transgender campaigner, is scheduled to visit New Zealand next weekend for two public events.

But according to a new statement from Immigration NZ, her ability to enter the country was now under review.

“INZ is now reviewing whether in the light of the events at the weekend Ms Keen-Minshull is still able to travel to New Zealand on the basis of the NZeTA that she holds without obtaining a visa first,” a spokesperson said.

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Auckland’s mayor has taken aim at road closures and traffic disruption around the super city, revealing a plan to reduce road cones.

Wayne Brown had previously pledged to clean up the city of road cones and set it out as an “immediate priority” for the council’s transport agency.

Now, he’s announced plans to reduce the “economic and social disruption” caused by Auckland’s approach to traffic management.

“The length of time that roadworks take and frequency of lane closures, together with the number of road cones used, is excessive and unnecessary,” Brown said.

“Our preliminary figures indicate that Auckland Council Group spends at least $145 million on temporary traffic management each year, and utility companies have seen a massive increase in traffic management costs that no doubt contribute to higher charges for Auckland households.”

Brown wants a six-month trial of a more tailored approach to temporary traffic management, including the improveing the “programming and coordination of construction and maintenance work”. He also wants to incentivise contractors to “reduce the road space taken up by TTM through a system of financial charges and penalties”.

The link between Napier and Taupō has reopened this week for the first time since it was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle.

State highway five will be open to all traffic between 7am and 7pm, with overnight closure points at Kaimata Road, Glengarry Road and Matea Road.

Kiri Allan, the associate transport minister, said this connection was a “critical access point” into Hawke’s Bay. “Restoring this connection is a milestone for the region following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, and a critical step to provide resilient and safe connections for local businesses in the farming, horticulture and tourism industries,” said Allan.

“It will also reconnect friends and whānau and make it easier and faster for people to access essential goods and services, such as food and healthcare, get their kids to school, return to work and run their businesses.”

The detour that had been in place since the cyclone meant drivers had been forced to travel south as far as Woodville, near Palmerston North, bumping the one hour and 40 minute trip up to five hours in length.

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MP Ibrahim Omer will replace Grant Robertson as Labour’s candidate in the Wellington Central electorate after beating former party president Claire Szabo in the candidate selection race. Omer arrived in New Zealand as a refugee and worked as a cleaner before enrolling at Victoria University in 2014.

“As someone who has worked long hours for low pay, I want to ensure that everyone who works hard in our communities can get ahead and improve their lives,” he said following his victory. In 2020 Robertson won the seat by a massive margin over National’s Nicola Willis. National is yet to select a candidate for this year’s race.

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The Green Party has made it clear it’s frustrated after being shafted by Labour during last week’s so-called policy bonfire.

The prime minister recently ditched a number of policies announced during Jacinda Ardern’s tenure, many of which were backed strongly by the Greens.

In a state of the nation address yesterday, Green Party co-leader James Shaw extended an olive branch to opposition parties like National and Act… sort of. “To any political party that wants the Green Party’s support to form a government after the election, let us put it as simply as we can: the Green Party will not accept anything less than the strongest possible climate action.

The stakes are too high, the consequences of failure too great,” Shaw said, though later adding that the worst case scenario for New Zealand was a National-Act coalition.

Speaking to RNZ this morning, Shaw said that the party wants more leverage after the next election. “More Green members of parliament, more Green ministers and sitting around the cabinet table,” he said.

There would be a backlash to forming a government with National, but “the whole point of the speech” was to explain that for the next government to have a strong climate focus, there needed to be more Green MPs with influence. “Obviously… the more ministers you have the more influence you have over the government work programme,” he said.

“What we would be saying is when you look at what it takes to radically cut emissions, that is a job that involves a number of different portfolios.”

Shaw seemed to rule out any intention of sitting on the cross-benches of a minority Labour government.