LATEST: One of the winners in today's Labour Party reshuffle was parked up in Kapiti this morning as an Otaki electorate ''buddy''.

The day she rejoined the front bench, Labour MP Annette King was fielding electorate concerns in a session from the back of her campaign van in Waikanae.

Ms King remained coy about her expected promotion to the party's front bench - saying she ''couldn't possibly comment'' on her place in leader David Shearer's reshuffle.

''There is an announcement to come from our leader and I'm not one to leak or preempt [it],'' she said.

A few hours later FairfaxNZ confirmed the former deputy leader's return to the front bench, and her new health portfolio.

The buddy system sees Labour MPs allocated electorates with no Labour incumbent or List presence, Ms King said.

Ms King was MP for Horowhenua - a predecessor to Otaki, which took in much of its geographic area. She was former deputy leader of the party under Phil Goff.

FairfaxNZ reported that Labour MP for the neighbouring Mana electorate, Kris Faafoi, missed out on promotion, but gained new portfolios.

- Kapiti Observer

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