Industry welcomes ‘reset’ with ministry to be sworn in
Farid Farid and Tess Ikonomou |
Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as prime minister for the second time alongside a refreshed ministry, as the mining industry welcomes an environment “reset”.
The ceremony will be conducted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn and will take place at Government House on Tuesday morning.
The prime minister unveiled his new front bench on Monday following Labor’s landslide win at the May 3 election.
Mr Albanese labelled the environment as a significant policy area to his reform agenda, as conservation groups push for nature protection laws.
Murray Watt will move to the environment portfolio from employment and workplace relations, replacing Tanya Plibersek.
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies said Mr Watt’s appointment presented an opportunity to “reset” a portfolio that had confused and frustrated industry.
The Business Council declared it stood ready to help the government ensure environmental protections deliver for both the economy and nature.
Mr Watt’s promotion from agriculture to the environment portfolio was a step in the right direction, the Australian Conservation Foundation said.
“Nature in Australia is under intense pressure and the national nature law is not working,” the foundation’s chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy said.
“The Albanese government went to the 2022 election promising thorough reform of the law. That promise remains unfulfilled. It’s time to get on with the job.
“There can be no more delays, caving to lobby groups and carving out industries: the Albanese government must fix Australia’s nature laws in the first year of this term of parliament.”
But long-time environmental warrior and Greens founder Bob Brown said the appointment represented a regression in environmental protection.
“The only good thing coming out of (Mr) Watt’s appointment is that it will create many more jobs in environmental activism,” he said.
Ms Plibersek has been shifted to social services.
The writing had been on the wall after Mr Albanese went over the top of Ms Plibersek to dump environmental laws after lobbying from West Australian stakeholders.
The most senior ministerial positions in the Albanese government’s second term will largely stay the same, although Mark Dreyfus was dumped as attorney-general following factional dealings.
Anne Aly joins cabinet as the nation’s first Muslim female minister.
Dr Aly’s promotion reflects a greater focus on WA after the state helped deliver Labor a second consecutive federal election win.
AAP
