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Barton Deakin Brief: Commonwealth Ministry December Reshuffle

19 December 2017

Today, the Prime Minister the Hon Malcom Turnbull, announced a broad cabinet reshuffle following the Bennelong and New England By-Elections and the vacancies created by the departures of Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, Senator the Hon , Senator the Hon , and the extended absence of Senator the Hon .

This Brief outlines changes to the Cabinet, Outer Ministry, and Assistant Ministry. Biographies are provided for the three new members of the Cabinet who have not held Ministerial positions.

Cabinet Changes

• The Hon MP has been appointed Attorney General, replacing Senator George Brandis. • Nationals Leader the Hon MP has assumed responsibility as Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, with dam projects moving to the Infrastructure portfolio. • Senator Bridget McKenzie, Deputy Nationals Leader, will enter Cabinet as Minister for Sport, Rural Health and Regional Communications. • Senator the Hon will assume Senator Brandis’ position as Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Cormann has also been promoted to Special Minister of State in addition to his duties as Finance Minister. • The Hon MP has been promoted to the newly created Home Affairs Portfolio, which will bring domestic national security agencies under one department. • Senator the Hon MP has been promoted to the new portfolio of Jobs and Innovation, which will combine the Employment and Industry portfolios. The Minister will be a key member of the Government’s economic team. Minister Cash will remain the Senior Minister responsible for Workplace Relations, which moves to the outer ministry. • The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer has added Minister to Women to her existing duties as Minister for Revenue and Financial Services. • The Hon MP has been appointed as Minister for Social Services. • The Hon Michael Keenan has been appointed as Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Transformation. • Dr John McVeigh MP will be elevated to the Cabinet as Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. • MP will be elevated Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture and Water.

Outer Ministry Changes

• The Hon MP has been promoted to Minister for Small and Family Business, Workplaces, and Deregulation.

• The Hon Angus Taylor MP will work under the Home Affairs portfolio as Minister for Law Enforcement and Cyber Security. • The Hon MP will become the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, moving from Human Services. • The Hon Paul Fletcher MP will oversee an expanded portfolio as Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities. • The Hon Michael McCormack will assume the role of Minister for Veteran Affairs and Defence Personnel.

Assistant Ministry Changes

• Melissa Price MP has been promoted to Assistant Minister for the Environment. • Senator the Hon has been promoted to Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs, and Innovation. • Dr David Gillespie MP will become Assistant Minister for Children and Families, working alongside Assistant Minister and Minister Dan Tehan. • The Hon Damien Drum MP will become the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister. • The Hon Luke Hartsukyer moves from Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister to Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, replacing . • David Coleman MP has been promoted to Assistant Minister for Finance following his service as Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics.

Biographies

Minister for Sport, Rural Health, and Regional Communications – Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie Bridget McKenzie is the Senator for . Senator McKenzie was first elected in 2010 for a six- year term and re-elected at the 2016 election. Senator McKenzie was elected as Deputy Leader of the Nationals on December 7, 2017 following the departure of Senator Fiona Nash from the Parliament.

Prior to entering politics Senator McKenzie worked as a secondary teacher and university lecturer.

Minister for Agriculture and Water – The Hon David Littleproud MP David Littleproud is the current MP for Maranoa, , representing the National Party. Mr. Littleproud was elected to the federal Parliament at the 2016 election, succeeding former LNP Member for Maranoa, The Hon. Bruce Scott. He holds the seat by a margin of 15.68%.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Littleproud had a career in agribusiness, regional banking and is a former Chamber of Commerce President. Mr. Littleproud also owns a small business in Warwick which services the Southern Downs region in Queensland.

Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories – The Hon Dr John McVeigh MP John McVeigh is the current MP for Groom, Queensland. Dr McVeigh was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2016 election. Prior to the 2016 election, Dr McVeigh represented Toowoomba South in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2012 to April 2016. He was Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry in the Queensland State Government in the Newman

Government.

Prior to entering politics, Dr McVeigh worked in Marketing and as a Managing Director for a Management Consultancy. He holds multiple university degrees including an MBA from Bond University and a Ph.D. in Agribusiness Management from the .

Further information

To view the media release from the Prime Minister, click here. A printable ministry list is provided over the page.

For more information, please contact David Alexander on 0457 400 524, Grahame Morris on 0411 222 680, or Robert Bower on 0430 036 667.

To stay up to date with the affairs of Governments and Oppositions around Australia, you can follow Barton Deakin on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Updated Coalition Government Ministry 19 December 2017 TITLE MINISTER Prime Minister The Hon MP Minister for Indigenous Affairs Senator the Hon Minister for Women The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation The Hon Michael Keenan MP Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Senator the Hon James McGrath

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport The Hon Barnaby Joyce MP Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government Dr John McVeigh MP Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities The Hon Paul Fletcher MP Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister The Hon MP Minister for Foreign Affairs The Hon MP Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment The Hon MP Minister for International Development and the Pacific Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment The Hon Luke Hartsukyer MP Minister for Finance Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann (Vice-President of the Executive Council) (Leader of the Government in the Senate) Special Minister of State Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann Assistant Minister for Finance Mr David Coleman MP Treasurer The Hon MP Minister for Revenue and Financial Services The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP Assistant Minister to the Treasurer The Hon MP Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Minister for Defence Industry The Hon MP (Leader of the House) Minister for Veterans Affairs The Hon Michael McCormack MP Minister for Defence Personnel The Hon Michael McCormack MP (Deputy Leader of the House) Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of Anzac The Hon Michael McCormack MP Minister for Home Affairs The Hon Peter Dutton MP Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs The Hon Alan Tudge MP Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity The Hon Angus Taylor MP Assistant Minister for Home Affairs The Hon MP Attorney-General The Hon Christian Porter MP Minister for Jobs and Innovation Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash Minister for Small and Family Business, Workplace and Deregulation The Hon Craig Laundy MP Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation Senator the Hon Zed Seselja Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator the Hon Matthew Canavan Minister for Health The Hon MP Minister for Rural Health Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie Minister for Sport Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie Minister for Aged Care The Hon AM MP Minister for Indigenous Health The Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP Minister for Communications Senator the Hon Minister for the Arts Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield (Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Minister for Regional Communications Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie Minister for Education Senator the Hon Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills The Hon MP Minister for Social Services The Hon Dan Tehan MP Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services The Hon Jane Prentice MP Assistant Minister for Children and Families The Hon Dr David Gillespie MP Minister for Human Services The Hon Michael Keenan MP Minister for the Environment and Energy The Hon MP Assistant Minister for the Environment The Hon Melissa Price MP Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Mr David Littleproud MP Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Senator the Hon