bˌʌt lˈeɪɾɚ, mək jˈuːən stɹˈʌk ɐ dˈiːl ʌv hɪz ˈoʊn wɪð lˈeɪbɚ wɛn hiː ɐksˈɛptᵻd ɐ spˈɛʃəli kɹiːˈeɪɾᵻd fˈoːɹtiːnθ kˈæbᵻnət pˈoʊst ɪn noʊvˈɛmbɚ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd tˈuː, æt vˈɛɹiəs tˈaɪmz bˌiːɪŋ ðə mˈɪnɪstɚ fɔːɹ lˈoʊkəl ɡˈʌvɚnmənt, fˈɔːɹɪsts, ˈɪndʌstɹi, tɹˈeɪd, ɹˈiːdʒənəl dɪvˈɛləpmənt, smˈɔːl bˈɪznəs, ˈæɡɹɪkˌʌltʃɚ, ænd fˈuːd ænd fˈɪʃɚɹiz, wɪð ɐ pɹˈɑːmɪs ðæt hiː wʊd ɹᵻtˈeɪn ɐ kˈæbᵻnət pəzˈɪʃən ˈæftɚ ðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks ᵻlˈɛkʃən.
But later, McEwen struck a deal of his own with Labor when he accepted a specially created fourteenth cabinet post in November 2002, at various times being the Minister for Local Government, Forests, Industry, Trade, Regional Development, Small Business, Agriculture, and Food and Fisheries, with a promise that he would retain a cabinet position after the 2006 election.