Cabinet musical chairs
Well, John Howard has announced his much mooted cabinet reshuffle. Abbott, Constello, Downer Fishnets and Vanstone have kept their positions.
Brendan Nelson takes on Defence. I guess the troops now will have to pay the full cost of their army gear. Officer ranks are available only to full-fee paying soldiers. Julie Bishop is the new minister for Education.
Malcolm Turnbull is now Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. I think Howard is taking the old advice "Keep your friends close... and your enemies closer" on behalf of Peter Costello - perhaps as a "reward" for backing off the leadership challenge.
A move that I thought was actually quite good, was to shift Indigenious Affairs out of the Immigration Portfolio, and into the Family and Community Services portfolio. It was always a little offensive to consider the Indigenious Affairs with the affairs of "Foreigners". Instead, since most of the Aboriginal affairs relate to community services anyway, it makes much more sense to combine it. This portfolio will be overseen by Mal Brough.
Anyway, this new cabinet will take a little getting use to, but it will prove to be an interesting year.
Stealing the thunder of Howard's shuffle, is Senator Julian McGauran's defection from the Victorian National Party, to the Liberal Party. McGauran is a bit of an idiot - known largely for flipping the Opposition the bird in the first senate Coalition majority senate vote. The QLD Nats are furious - and Mark Vale (Nationals Leader) has called for his resignation to keep the senate position National. Howard has flatly discouraged this (obviously, an extra Lib senator is one less variable in his master plan). However, cracks are beginning to widen in the Coalition, and this potentially divisive issue could carry quite some milage. Watch this space.
For the full list of positions - see this SMH page
Brendan Nelson takes on Defence. I guess the troops now will have to pay the full cost of their army gear. Officer ranks are available only to full-fee paying soldiers. Julie Bishop is the new minister for Education.
Malcolm Turnbull is now Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. I think Howard is taking the old advice "Keep your friends close... and your enemies closer" on behalf of Peter Costello - perhaps as a "reward" for backing off the leadership challenge.
A move that I thought was actually quite good, was to shift Indigenious Affairs out of the Immigration Portfolio, and into the Family and Community Services portfolio. It was always a little offensive to consider the Indigenious Affairs with the affairs of "Foreigners". Instead, since most of the Aboriginal affairs relate to community services anyway, it makes much more sense to combine it. This portfolio will be overseen by Mal Brough.
Anyway, this new cabinet will take a little getting use to, but it will prove to be an interesting year.
Stealing the thunder of Howard's shuffle, is Senator Julian McGauran's defection from the Victorian National Party, to the Liberal Party. McGauran is a bit of an idiot - known largely for flipping the Opposition the bird in the first senate Coalition majority senate vote. The QLD Nats are furious - and Mark Vale (Nationals Leader) has called for his resignation to keep the senate position National. Howard has flatly discouraged this (obviously, an extra Lib senator is one less variable in his master plan). However, cracks are beginning to widen in the Coalition, and this potentially divisive issue could carry quite some milage. Watch this space.
For the full list of positions - see this SMH page
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