Premier plays musical chairs with prized cabinet spots
Savannah Meacham and Fraser Barton |
Major changes have been unveiled in the Liberal National Party’s first Queensland cabinet in almost a decade after a political backflip.
Premier David Crisafulli’s frontbench was officially sworn in on Friday featuring new-look ministries and plenty of reshuffling.
Mr Crisafulli promised during the recent election campaign to keep his shadow ministry intact if elected.
But days after being sworn in as premier, the LNP leader revealed a handful of senior MPs had kept their frontbench roles.
His cabinet received a major shake-up after the government ended Labor’s nine-year reign, with one shadow minister missing out on a portfolio.
However Mr Crisafulli baulked when asked if his rejigged cabinet marked a broken election promise.
“I wanted stability, and you’ve got that. The 20 faces that were serving before will be serving after,” he said on Friday.
“And they’ve got a unified and focused desire to make sure that we deliver better for Queenslanders.”
In what Mr Crisafulli called a promotion, health spokesperson Ros Bates moved to finance, trade, employment and training after requesting a fresh start.
Former shadow attorney-general Tim Nicholls is the health minister.
“Ros said to me she’d serve in any capacity but she did want a new challenge – boy, oh boy, have we given her a challenge,” the premier said.
“Her focus on finance and trade will show the world that Queensland is open for business again.”
Deb Frecklington is the new attorney-general.
She will also take over the renamed justice and integrity portfolio, with the LNP government planning to release a corruption watchdog report into former Labor deputy premier Jackie Trad.
Shadow education spokesman Christian Rowan missed a ministry after being demoted to leader of the house.
“Like any team, there are times that you need to do a different job, and what I’m asking of Dr Rowan is to turn a dysfunctional parliament into one that Queensland has been proud of,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Andrew Powell is the only new frontbench face after also serving as a minister in the last LNP government – Campbell Newman’s administration from 2012 to 2015.
Mr Powell received a “super portfolio”, with tourism now combined with environment, science and innovation.
Laura Gerber, Dale Last and Dan Purdie are the only MPs to retain their portfolios, keeping youth justice, natural resources and police respectively.
Ms Gerber will also take charge of the new victim support portfolio.
Other new ministries include home ownership, customer services and open data.
Another is Olympic and Paralympic Games to be taken by former housing spokesperson Tim Mander, also overseeing sport and racing.
The cabinet does not feature ministries for climate change, the Great Barrier Reef or mental health, while agriculture has been replaced by primary industries with Tony Perrett at the helm.
There is also no treaty minister.
The decision comes after the LNP government scrapped the state’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry, prompting a backlash from indigenous communities across Queensland.
Fiona Simpson has been given her first ministry in 32 years in parliament, receiving women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships and multiculturalism portfolios.
Mr Crisafulli has asked his team to work through the weekend to prepare for its first cabinet meeting on Monday.
He is set to provide each minister with a charter letter, noting his expectations for their role and the targets they must meet.
Two parliamentary sitting weeks are to be held by Christmas with youth crime laws to be a priority.
With election counting nearly complete, the LNP is expected to have 53 seats to Labor’s 35.
AAP