Canberra Observed

Canberra Observed

manufacturing industries were suffering noted, however, that Minister Pyne will the death of a thousand cuts. It will be be supported by an Assistant Minister for interesting to see how effective Malcolm Science () and an Turnbull is in the next few months Assistant Minister for Innovation (Wyatt because if he doesn’t crash through with Roy), but, at the time of writing, their new directions and actions in that time he responsibilities have not been specified. too will be vulnerable. Of concern is the fact that water policy On 20 September 2015 Mr Turnbull and resources is now the responsibility of announced his Ministry and in the table the Minister for Agriculture. Water below (Table 1) I have shown what resources are also of concern to the happened to those areas of government resource industries and those of us who David Denham AM that are relevant to the ASEG and the live in urban environments. Once again Associate Editor for Government geosciences. we will have to wait and see how it [email protected] works. Under Ian Macfarlane was responsible for Industry and Science. It Finally, I am not sure why ‘renewable Turnbull engineers was a huge ministry and he appeared to energy technology development’ has been manage it effectively. It was a logical moved to the Environment Ministry. I clinical coup and a new grouping of portfolios. He has been would have thought that this activity dumped and there is now a Minister for would have been better off in the Ministry is announced Resources and Energy (Minister ‘Innovation and Science’ area. However, The speed, efficiency and effectiveness of Frydenberg) and another for Industry and it may have been done to save the Turnbull’s coup has to be admired Science (Minister Pyne). We will have to Australian Renewable Energy Agency because, although there had been disquiet wait and see how the old Ministry will be and the Clean Energy Finance in the for several months carved up because there is scope for Corporation from destruction. Time will about Tony Abbott’s performance, very duplication and turf wars. It should be tell. few were prepared for what took place – particularly Mr Abbott himself. The Table 1. Changes in ministerial responsibilities for areas of government most challenge now is for Turnbull to maintain relevant to the geosciences after became Prime Minister. momentum before the unhappy troops Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull* re-group. Minister for Industry Minister for Resources, Energy and Ian Macfarlane Tony Abbott was a paradox. He was a and Science Northern : brilliant leader of the Opposition and Minister for Industry, Innovation and after destroying Turnbull in 2009 he set Minister for Science Christopher about Rudd and Gillard in similar Education and (–renewable energy technology Pyne fashion. After being elected as Prime Training development) Minister he stopped the boats, eliminated Minister for Education and Training: the carbon tax and the mining tax as Minister for Agriculture and Water Minister for Resources Barnaby Joyce promised, then he appeared to grind to a Agriculture halt. And that was the problem. There (+water policy and resources) was no plan for the future. His attempts Minister for the Environment Minister for the (+renewable energy technology Greg Hunt to reform health and education were Environment unsuccessful, the budgetary deficit was development) going from bad to worse and traditional *The full list of the Turnbull Ministry can be found on: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/pmc/parliamentary-information.

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