Malcolm Turnbull’s Ministerial Reshuffle
Malcolm Turnbull has announced his new Cabinet in a sweeping reshuffle just a week before Christmas.
The Ministry features two new, major portfolios: Peter Dutton will become Minister for Home Affairs, for the first time bringing together the nation’s security, border and intelligence agencies under one department of Home Affairs.
Senator Michaelia Cash will become Minister for Jobs and Innovation.
Barnaby Joyce comes back as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Christian Porter will become Attorney General, a role he previously held in the West Australian State Government.
Mathias Cormann will take on the additional role Special Minister of State after the previous occupant Senator Scott Ryan became the Senate President.
Kelly O’Dwyer will take on the additional role of Minister for Women, which was previously held by Senator Cash.
There’s five new members of Cabinet.
Deputy Nationals Leader Bridget McKenzie joins Cabinet as Minister for Sport, Rural Health and Regional Communications.
Michael Keenan will join Cabinet as Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation.
Dan Tehan will join Cabinet in the role of Minister for Social Services.
He will work closely with the newly created role of Assistant Minister for Children and Families, which will be filled by David Gillespie, as well as with Jane Prentice who was Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services.
John McVeigh, who previously served as a minister in the Queensland Liberal National Party State Government, will join Cabinet as Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government.
David Littleproud will become Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.
He will bring to the role two decades of experience in agribusiness before he joined parliament.
Those who are demoted or leave cabinet are:
Senator Arthur Sinodinos wrote the Prime Minister this week to tell him his medical treatment for cancer is taking longer than anticipated and he is unlikely to be able to return from leave until the middle of next year.
In those circumstances, he has asked that he not be included in this new ministry.
Senator George Brandis after 17 years in the Senate, is going to resign and will be sent next year as Australian High Commissioner to the Untied Kingdom replacing former Howard government Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. .
Senator Brandis’ position as Leader of the Senate will be filled by Finance Minister Senator Cormann.
Darren Chester looses his role in the Ministry entirely after being in the Cabinet as the outgoing Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.
Changes in the Outer Ministry are:
Craig Laundy is promoted to the role of Minister for Small & Family Business, Workplaces and Deregulation. Craig spent two decades in private business before joining Parliament.
He will take direct responsibility for workplace relations and will work closely with Senator Cash in her new role.
Michaelia Cash, Craig Laundy and Zed Seselja - as the new Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation - will work together.
As Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton will be supported by two Ministers: Angus Taylor as Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity and Alan Tudge as Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
He will also continue to have the assistance of Alex Hawke as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs.
The Super Department of Home Affairs will be in control of ASIO, the AFP, Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC.
Paul Fletcher will take on an expanded role as Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities.
After serving as Minister for Small Business since last year, Michael McCormack will become Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel and will assist the PM in this final year of the ANZAC centenary.
Melissa Price joins the Ministry as Assistant Minister for the Environment. She will work closely with Minister for Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg.
In the new role of Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Dr David Gillespie will work with the Minister for Social Services, Dan Tehan.
Damian Drum, currently the Chief Nationals Whip, will join the ministry as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister.
David Coleman, who came to Parliament after a long career in business, is also elevated to the ministry as Assistant Minister for Finance, while Luke Hartsuyker moves to the role of Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.
In addition Keith Pitt is another to leave the Ministry entirely as outgoing Assistant Trade Minister role.
The Opposition Leader Bill Shorten responded to the Prime Minister’s changes saying “What have you got to do to get demoted in this government other than not be a friend of Malcolm Turnbull or Barnaby Joyce”.