Being a minister involves many difficult skills that other MPs don't need. The most crucial might be questions. Answering them well has very little to do with performing ministerial duties well, but everything to do with looking like it.

New MPs spend years learning the many, varied skills required for their roles. Having demonstrated proficiency as an MP some are appointed a minister, and begin learning all over again.

Ministers require an entirely different set of skills.

It's akin to being selected as the Black Cap's wicket keeper because you've proven a really good spin bowler. And there's not really a warm-up, so you just pull on the gloves.

The brand new minister

In the recent cabinet shuffle Labour's Chief Whip Kieran McAnulty got the nod to become a minister outside cabinet. A week later he was sitting in committee for an Estimates Hearing, defending the budget plan for Emergency Management. It wasn't his budget plan, but now they're his people.

You might imagine incoming ministers get lots of warning, to study and gird their loins. They don't. If that had been the case Kieran McAnulty wouldn't have chosen that week to move house.

Kieran McAnulty is now minister for Emergency Management, for Racing, the Deputy Leader of the House and Associate Minister of both Local Government and Transport. Associate Ministers generally get specific roles inside the wider portfolio.

That's like taking on five new jobs at once. But it's more than that, it's a change from effectively working for Parliament to working for the Government.

You can hear his description of the sudden shift in perspective, in rules and skills at the audio link above.

Ministers do have advisors and experts, and receive briefings from their precursors, but it's still a huge leap to multiple new and difficult skills.

New MPs get inductions and some training, and then party-driven mentoring. You would hope new ministers are given similar help but on a much larger scale - they are running the country, we probably want that to go well.

The crucial skill for apparent success

There is one skill crucial to a minister. Answering questions. It's a skill that is difficult to prepare for. Backbench MPs get lots of practice in asking questions (occasionally in the House, frequently in committee), but they never get to answer them.

Answering oral questions is possibly the oddest part of a ministerial role. It's a tiny part of the job but crucial to apparent success…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details