ABC Parliament House Bureau
Updated
Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull leave huge holes in the Federal Ministry – this is how Scott Morrison has tackled the task of putting together a new team. He promoted some of his supporters as well as those who backed Peter Dutton, and there were also some demotions.
Foreign Affairs: Marise Payne
Photo: Defence Minister Marise Payne at a cabinet meeting in Canberra on October 13, 2016. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)Julie Bishop told Scott Morrison that Marise Payne is the best person to take over from her as Foreign Affairs Minister.
Senator Payne has already spent three years as Defence Minister and has met and worked with some of the key leaders from allied nations she will be now forming even closer relationships with.
After 20 years, she is one of the most experienced of the Cabinet Ministers.
Senator Payne is one of those who remained loyal to Malcolm Turnbull and had not wanted a change of PM. China policy, North Korea and managing the US alliance are the continuing challenges she will face.
Treasurer: Josh Frydenberg
Photo: Josh Frydenberg at Scott Morrison’s press conference after being named the new Liberal leader in the spill. August 24, 2018. (ABC News: Josh Frydenberg)Mr Frydenberg easily won Friday’s ballot for deputy leader. Mr Morrison then immediately announced he had picked Mr Frydenberg to replace him as Treasurer.
Within months he will have to deliver the mid-year economic update, which will be the new Government’s chance for a policy and fiscal reset.
While Treasury is the high-profile central economic role, Mr Frydenberg comes to it from tackling the high-wire act of balancing both Energy and Environment in one Ministry.
Since he entered parliament eight years ago, he has been widely regarded as one of the future stars of the Liberal party.
Energy: Angus Taylor
Photo: Angus Taylor’s offer of resignation was not accepted. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)Mr Taylor was one of the agitators for leadership change.
Despite that, he has been promoted to Cabinet. Scott Morrison has given him the job of coming up with a policy to bring down power prices and ensure reliability of the system.
The National Energy Guarantee, which was the previous policy overseen by Josh Frydenberg, was one of the main problems cited by those who wanted to dump Mr Turnbull.
Tackling power prices will involve working with the States, the ACCC and the energy companies, which makes it a mammoth job. But Mr Morrison has made it clear he is determined to make lower power prices one of his central themes.
Industrial relations: Kelly O’Dwyer
Photo: Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer at a press conference in Parliament House on Tuesday 29 May, 2018. (ABC News: Mark Moore)Scott Morrison has brought Industrial Relations back into Cabinet and given the job to Kelly O’Dwyer.
The PM describes the task as much more than tackling the union movement.
He says Ms O’Dwyer will be taking on the challenge of wage stagnation, saying finding ways to boost productivity means ensuring people can earn more.
He also has her keeping an eye on the robots, with responsibilities for the future of work.
Defence: Christopher Pyne
Photo: Christopher Pyne, March 18, 2016 during the Senate reform (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)It is not a huge move for Christopher Pyne, to shift across from Defence Industry.
Instead of overseeing the contracts to build the ships and submarines and drive the jobs associated with those projects, he will be in charge of the Defence Force itself.
Responding to the release of a report being done by New South Wales judge Paul Brereton into the activities of the Special Forces in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2016 will be one of his early challenges.
However, Mr Pyne is the longest serving MPs in the Ministry, having entered parliament in 1993, and has the experience to handle the sensitive role.
Environment: Melissa Price
Photo: Federal WA MP Melissa Price. (Supplied)Melissa Price is one of the big winners of the reshuffle, jumping from the outer ministry straight to the Cabinet role of Environment Minister.
She held the assistant portfolio under Mr Turnbull and was one of his staunch supporters.
She benefits from Mr Morrison’s decision to split the energy and environment role into two separate portfolios again.
She has held the seat of Durack in Western Australia, the largest electorate in the nation, for five years.
Industry: Karen Andrews
Photo: Karen Andrews’ offer of resignation was not accepted. (Facebook: Karen Andrews MP)The other dramatic promotion in the reshuffle is for Karen Andrews.
She becomes Industry, Science and Technology Minister — which means Science is restored to Cabinet — and Mrs Andrews jumps to a senior role from her previous job as an assistant minister.
Mrs Andrews is a Queenslander and was one of those who supported a move to Mr Dutton last week.
She was an engineer and industrial relations specialist before entering Parliament in 2010.
Education: Dan Tehan
Photo: Social Services Minister Dan Tehan at a press conference in the Blue Room of Parliament House. (ABC News: Mark Moore)Victorian MP Dan Tehan’s big job is to sort out the dispute with sections of the Catholic education sector angry about the funding deal struck by former minister Simon Birminham.
Some in the Coalition fear the Catholic sector’s anger could cost seats at the next election if it follows through on threats to mobilise and campaign on the issue.
Mr Tehan has been seen as a rising star in the party who will burnish his reputation further if he can manage the complex Education portfolio which also includes the universities.
Trade: Simon Birmingham
Photo: Senator Birmingham says the Government is committed to maintaining a stable regime of visa entry rules. (ABC News: Jed Cooper )Striking trade deals was one of the key themes of Malcolm Turnbull’s time as prime minister.
Senator Birmingham takes on the Trade job and all the associated global travel from Steve Ciobo, who will be Defence Industry Minister.
One of his first jobs is set to be finalising the free trade deal with Indonesia due to be signed as early as this week.
Senator Birmingham comes to the job from Education, where he stuck a funding deal to end years of arguing but was still in the midst of a dispute with parts of the Catholic education sector.
Revised: Peter Dutton
Photo: Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has lost the immigration part of his portfolio. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)Peter Dutton’s challenge to Malcolm Turnbull caused the chaos that led to Scott Morrison becoming PM.
Mr Dutton quit as Home Affairs Minister — and his resignation was accepted.
But in a bid to rebuild the team after the last damaging week, Mr Morrison has put him back in the same role.
He has however stripped him of the Immigration section of the job, meaning he loses some of the responsibilities from his super-portfolio.
That will appease some in the parliament and the bureaucracy who worried the Home Affairs Ministry was too powerful.
Envoy: Barnaby Joyce
Photo: Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce in the House of Representatives on August 21, 2018 — the day Malcolm Turnbull survived a leadership spill from Peter Dutton. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)Former Nationals leader and deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has been given a high-profile job but it is not in the Ministry.
In a bid to bring Mr Joyce back into the fold, Mr Morrison has made him an envoy for drought recovery and assistance.
It gives Mr Joyce a chance to travel and use his communication skills to connect with regional Australians.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has been given a similar offer — to be a special envoy — but so far has not accepted.
Cities and Population: Alan Tudge
Photo: Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge’s offer of resignation was not accepted. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)In a sign Mr Morrison is listening to those worried about congestion in the big cities, he has made Alan Tudge Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population.
That is despite Mr Tudge being one of those who voted for Mr Dutton last week and offered his resignation.
The Turnbull government was under pressure to come up with a population policy and the new PM says Mr Tudge will be responsible for “congestion busting”.
Assistant Home Affairs: Linda Reynolds
Photo: Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in her office at Parliament House in Canberra. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)Senator Reynolds was vigorously opposed to the push to change leaders to Mr Dutton.
Her loyalty has been rewarded with a spot on the frontbench as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs — which is the junior minister in Mr Dutton’s portfolio.
The inclusion of Senator Reynolds means Mr Morrison boosts the number of women in his ministry.
She has been a long-term advocate of the Liberal party strengthening its female representation.
Assistant Regional Development: Sussan Ley
Photo: Health Minister Sussan Ley, when she was Assistant Minister for Education, speaks during question time at Parliament House in Canberra, December 2013. (AAP: Daniel Munoz)Sussan Ley is a moderate Liberal but was one of those supporting the shift to Peter Dutton last week.
She fell from grace after breaching parliamentary entitlement rules and was forced to resign from Cabinet in 2017.
Despite that, Mr Morrison has returned her to the frontbench as Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories.
That role in the outer ministry will mean Sussan Ley will have to drop her private members bill to stop live sheep exports.
Her promotion also means Mr Morrison is able to boost the number of women on his team.
Out: Michael Sukkar
Photo: Michael Sukkar’s offer of resignation was not accepted. (ABC News: Andrew Kennedy)Michael Sukkar is a staunch conservative and was the main man doing the numbers for Peter Dutton last week.
He was among those who resigned last week, quitting his job as Assistant Minister to the Treasurer.
Mr Morrison has decided to leave Mr Sukkar on the backbench for now.
Out: James McGrath
Photo: James McGrath’s offer of resignation was not accepted. (AAP: Alan Porritt)James McGrath is off the frontbench after being one of the organisers of last week’s move against Mr Turnbull.
He was part of the wave of mass resignations by assistant ministers last week, quitting his job as assistant minister to the prime minister.
When Mr Turnbull did not immediately accept those decisions, he was one of the first to insist — in a move that intensified pressure on the PM,
It was a reversal by the conservative Queensland senator, who had also been crucial to helping the PM oust Tony Abbott in the 2015 leadership coup.
Out: Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
Photo: Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is the only other member whose offer to step down from her portfolio has been accepted. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)Concetta Fierravanti-Wells took a high profile in the campaign against Malcolm Turnbull last week. She resigned and then made her letter public to expose her sharp criticisms of the former PM.
She said the party was moving too far to the left and Mr Turnbull was ignoring the party’s conservative base.
After that spray, Senator Fierravanti-Wells’ resignation as Minister for International Development and the Pacific was one of two that Mr Turnbull did accept.
She has not been invited back to the frontbench.
Topics: government-and-politics, political-parties, liberals, turnbull-malcolm, australia
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