UPDATED 5.46PM: Nikki Kaye and Gerry Brownlee have been given promotions in a Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Bill English this afternoon.

As expected, Kaye is the new Education Minister, replacing Hekia Parata.

Brownlee has been made Foreign Affairs Minister in place of Murray McCully, who has held the portfolio for eight years.

LISTEN ABOVE: Bill English's announcement of the cabinet reshuffle, followed by political editor Barry Soper who joins Mark Dye to discuss the changes.

The Prime Minister was asked whether Brownlee's bluntness could affect his new diplomatic role, but he says he's the ideal man for the job.

"He's keen to take on the portfolio," English said.

"I think he understands the demands of it and the experience that he's shown, the skills that he's shown in Defence on the diplomatic side of things means he's very well positioned for this."

Mark Mitchell has been given Brownlee's defence portfolio and been brought into Cabinet.

Nicky Wagner will take over Brownlee's Christchurch responsibilities as Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration.

She's been Associate Minister since 2014 but Wagner said she's ready to take the reins.

"We want to build the best, newest people-friendly, inclusive city. It's a real city of opportunity and I'm delighted to be part of that."  

Wagner said it's been over six years since the quakes but there's still a lot of work to do.

"We've got some scars in place. We need to work hard to bring everybody together. We need to make sure that we follow the plan that we've got. There is still people who need support."

Wagner won't be part of the cabinet.

Labour's Canterbury spokesperson Dr Megan Woods said that's not good enough.

"We need someone in that room arguing our case at every juncture. We can not have Canterbury and what still needs to be done here left outside the room."

Dr Woods said the rebuild is slipping down the Government's list of priorities.

"We have a Cabinet and senior ministers in the National government who think the job is done.; It's far from done. We've got to see this through."

In other changes, Scott Simpson and Tim Macindoe will be made ministers. Nathan Guy will take over Brownlee's civil defence role and Simon Bridges will become Leader of the House.

Simpson is the new Statistics Minister and MacIndoe will take over the Customs portfolio.

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has also taken over some of Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith's housing responsibilities, in particular for the Tamaki regeneration project.

English said this did not reflect badly on Smith, and it was "just a practical shift".

English paid tribute to Parata and McCully.

"As education minister, Ms Parata has changed the conversation in our schools and driven sharp rises in achievement for all our students, particularly Maori and Pasifika.

"As foreign affairs minister, Mr McCully has improved existing relationships and developed new ones, all the while running a truly independent foreign policy for New Zealand.

"Neither will be easily replaced but in Nikki Kaye and Gerry Brownlee, we have two very well qualified successors."

Brownlee's move into the foreign affairs portfolio was not a short-term one. English said: "He's the guy we want as Foreign Minister".