Marise Payne has become Australia’s first female defence minister as Malcolm Turnbull wields the axe in a ministerial reshuffle aimed at removing dead wood and modernising the government ahead of a crucial election year.
And in a surprise move, Joe Hockey, the Abbott-government Treasurer, has told the new Prime Minister he intends to quit the Parliament.
Announcing sweeping changes to the ministry at a press conference in Canberra on Sunday afternoon, Mr Turnbull said his would be a “21st century government and a ministry for the future”.
“The changes I’m announcing are very extensive,” he said.
New Treasurer Scott Morrison is one of the big winners, as is Senator Payne. The Abbott-government human services minister and New South Wales moderate jumps from the relative obscurity of the outer ministry to one of the government’s most important portfolios: defence minister in a time of war.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Hockey had advised him on Sunday that he would “not be seeking a place in the new ministry and it was his intention to resign from the Parliament in due course”.
“Joe has made a long and distinguished contribution to our nation’s government and Parliament over many, many years. For which I thank him,” Mr Turnbull said.
Victorian moderate Kelly O’Dwyer, long viewed as a rising Liberal Party star, has leap-frogged the outer ministry into cabinet as Small Business Minister, replacing Bruce Billson.
Ms O’Dwyer also takes on the role of Assistant Treasurer, which has been elevated to a cabinet position. Mr Turnbull said this makes her “the first woman to be elevated to cabinet within the Treasury portfolio,” although Labor’s Penny Wong was finance minister, and Liberal Helen Coonan was assistant treasurer in the Howard government when it was not a cabinet post in its own right.
Senator Payne’s shock elevation comes at the direct expense of the outgoing defence minister Kevin Andrews, and former treasurer Mr Hockey who had been tipped for the role after being moved from his own spot in Tony Abbott’s cabinet.
Mr Turnbull, who had been expected to at least double the number of female ministers in the cabinet, has taken the number of women in cabinet from two to five.
Senator Payne and Ms O’Dwyer are joined by Michaelia Cash, who enters cabinet as Minister for Employment, Minister for Women and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service.
Deputy Liberal Party leader Julie Bishop remains Foreign Minister, while Susan Ley remains Minister for Health and Minister for Sport.
Mr Hockey is the highest profile casualty in a slew of sackings and resignations that have removed several former Howard government ministers from the front bench.
Senior Abbott government ministers and former Howard government ministers Eric Abetz and Ian Macfarlane have been dumped from the frontbench.
The clean-out has allowed Mr Turnbull to move several fresh faces into the ministry and reward some of his key backers in Monday night’s leadership spill.
Simon Birmingham becomes Minister for Education and Training, Mitch Fifield becomes Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts – previously held by Attorney-General George Brandis – and Arthur Sinodinos has been appointed Cabinet Secretary, a post that has been reintroduced to cabinet.
The former Education and Training Minister Christopher Pyne, who earlier in the week was being tipped for defence has been promoted to Industry and Science Minister.
Former Western Australian Treasurer and Attorney-General Christian Porter has skipped the outer ministry, moving straight into cabinet as Social Services Minister.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton, all of whom supported Mr Abbott in the ballot, have retained their portfolios.
“One of the great challenges for any leader is to ensure that there is renewal. That we do – we are able to bring up new talent, new faces, into leadership positions over time and that often means that invariably means in fact that very capable people have to move on stand aside so that owners can come through,” Mr Turnbull said.
“And that’s tough, for everybody concerned.”
Mr Turnbull said Mr Hockey would resign from the Parliament “in due course” but it is unclear when that will be.
Malcolm Turnbull’s cabinet
Prime Minister – Malcolm Turnbull
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister – Warren Truss
Cabinet Secretary – Arthur Sinodinos
Indigenous Affairs Minister – Nigel Scullion
Foreign Minister – Julie Bishop
Trade and Investment Minister – Andrew Robb
Attorney General – George Brandis
Treasurer – Scott Morrison
Assistant Treasurer and Small Business Minister – Kelly O’Dwyer
Finance Minister – Mathias Cormann
Agriculture and Water Minister – Barnaby Joyce
Industry, Innovation and Science Minister – Christopher Pyne
Resources, Energy and Northern Australia Minister – Josh Frydenberg
Immigration and Border Protection Minister – Peter Dutton
Environment Minister – Greg Hunt
Health and Sport Minister – Sussan Ley
Defence Minister – Marise Payne
Communications and Arts Minister – Mitch Fifield
Employment Minister and Minister for Women – Michaelia Cash
Social Services Minister – Christian Porter
Education and Training Minister – Simon Birmingham
source:smh.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 