Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - The appointment of first term MP Steven Joyce to the tertiary education portfolio in yesterday's Cabinet reshuffle has been welcomed by the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA).

NZUSA co-president Pene Delaney said the appointment showed the government was prioritising tertiary education.

Mr Delaney said NZUSA looked forward to working with Mr Joyce, and hoped his business background would help the Government find solutions to tertiary sector challenges "rather than relying on blunt funding cuts".

Prime Minister John Key said the reshuffle would allow Education Minister Anne Tolley to focus on national standards implementation.

There had been criticism on how Mrs Tolley had handled her workload, including from NZUSA, who had struggled to pin the minister down for meetings.

Though she admitted her portfolio was heavy, the Education Minister said speculation that the move was based on her competence was completely wrong.

"The prime minister expressed a huge support for the work that I did in tertiary last year and the Cabinet supported the tertiary strategies that I developed."

Mrs Tolley said she would make the most of working on national standards, "the biggest and most exciting change in New Zealand education in the last 20 years".

"The prime minister has the confidence in me and wants me to really focus on that this year. It's just an enormous opportunity."

Other ministerial changes announced yesterday were Kate Wilkinson taking on Tim Groser's conservation portfolio, and him receiving the new title of Minister Responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations.

Mr Key said he was very pleased with how ministers were working and "the changes will help ensure that the Government continues its progress towards implementing key election policies".

"I want to thank Mrs Tolley and Mr Groser for their contribution in the portfolios that today they are handing over to colleagues. In both tertiary education and conservation, they leave sound foundations for their successors to build on."

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