Changes in Australia
First the new Turnbull Ministry:
TWO women will be in charge of Australia’s foreign front line with the appointment of Marise Payne as the nation’s first female Defence Minister.
She will work alongside the first woman Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in the “renewal” ministry announced by new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
But they won’t be sitting near Joe Hockey who didn’t want a portfolio and will quit Parliament after 20 years an MP and seven as a minister. …
For the first time in two years the minister looking after women’s issues will be a woman, West Australian senator Michaelia Cash, who also will be Minister for Employment. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had given himself that post of Minister for Women.
Kelly O’Dwyer will be the Small Business Minister and Assistant Treasurer, and also will sit in cabinet.
Five women, including incumbent Health Minister Sussan Ley, will have cabinet rank. …
Key postings include: Scott Morrison as Treasurer; Christopher Pyne Industry, Innovation and Science.
The significant promotions include Simon Birmingham to Education and Training, which will include child care; newcomer Christian Porter, a former senior minister in Western Australian Government, will be Minster for Social Services; Mitch Fifield to Minister for Communication and the Arts; Josh Frydenberg as Minster for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia. George Brandis will remain Attorney-General, Peter Dutton Immigration Minister, Mathias Cormann Finance Minister and 25-year-old Wyatt Roy has been made a junior minister for innovation.
Prime Minister Turnbull used his convincing victory over Tony Abbott to do more than refresh the age and gender make-up of the ministry. He set new priorities.
Junior minister Jamie Briggs has been given the job of planning to improve the livability and economic efficiency of our biggest cities. Tony Abbott did not believe the Federal Government had that job.
The powerful post of Cabinet Secretary has been revived for Arthur Sinodinos. Mr Turnbull said the “gold standard of good Coalition cabinet government” was when Senator Sinodinos was chief of staff to Liberal Prime Minister John Howard.
A smart reshuffle that has even won praise from Turnbull critic Andrew Bolt.
Meanwhile Abbott went out the way I’d want to also:
The former Prime Minister reportedly went straight to the pub with his loyal staffers after losing the Liberal leadership to Malcolm Turnbull, celebrating his freedom with a wild night of partying.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Abbott even danced with his shirt off, although one witness said it was a short-lived manoeuvrer, that “it came off, but it was back on pretty quickly”.
A marble coffee table in the PM’s suite was apparently smashed during the wild night and staffers even took souvenir shards.
I’ve been to similiar occasions after leadership coups in National. Very long messy nights!
And the Libs retained Canning:
LIBERAL candidate Andrew Hastie has comfortably won the Canning by-election in Western Australia.
With more than 61 per cent of ballot papers counted late on Saturday night, the former SAS captain had achieved more than 55 per cent of votes on a two-candidate preferred basis.
This represented about a six per cent swing towards Labor.
The recent public polls had the swing at 10%, so this exceeded expectations.
These changes do not mean the Coalition will win the next election, but means they now have a decent chance of being competitive.