PM Announces Newcomer as Social Services Minister

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has appointed a lesser known former WA State MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the PM, Christian Porter, as the new Minister for Social Services.

Prior to winning the Federal seat of Pearce in WA at the 2013 election, Christian Porter served as a Minister in the State Government, variously holding portfolios of Attorney General, Minister for Corrective Services and Treasurer of Western Australia.

“He is a formidable lawyer with strong public finance experience.He has a strong record of managing large budgets and making service delivery much more efficient,” Turnbull said in announcing the new Ministry.

New Social Services Minister, Christian Porter.

Porter takes over from Scott Morrison who has been appointed Treasurer in what the PM described as a time of renewal in Australia.

Announcing his reshuffle in Canberra, the Prime Minister revealed that Joe Hockey had not sought a place in the new ministry and the deposed Treasurer is expected to resign in due course.

Former Liberal Social Services and Defence Minister Minister Kevin Andrews has been dumped from Federal Cabinet and is to be replaced by Marise Payne as the first woman to be an Australian Minister for Defence.

Andrews was not offered an alternative portfolio. He told a media conference before the Prime Minister announced his reshuffle that he would stay on the back bench and will contest the next Federal election saying he hoped to “serve again with renewed vigour”.

A disappointed Andrews said he was leaving the defence portfolio despite arguing in recent days that he should stay in order to ensure continuity with mammoth projects such as an $89 billion naval shipbuilding plan and a new white paper on long-term defence policy.The current Minister for Health, Sussan Ley remains in the portfolio. George Brandis has lost the controversial role as Minister for the Arts. The role has moved to Senator Mitch Fifield who will also be the Minister for Communications.

Sunday’s reshuffle sees five women now in Cabinet.

Australia’s youth support, advocacy and research organisations had issued a joint call for the new Prime Minister to create a Minister for Youth Affairs in this weekend’s cabinet reshuffle. However this did not eventuate.

“Creating a Minister for Youth Affairs will show young Australians their government values them,” Leo Fieldgrass, National Director of AYAC, the national youth peak body said.

Meeting at a National Youth Sector event in Melbourne on Thursday, representatives from 18 national, state and territory youth-focused organisations all agreed a Youth Affairs Minister would help the Government better address crisis issues facing young people.

Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten said that he was pleased to see a greater emphasis on science and innovation by the Turnbull Government, however he was disappointed that the Prime Minister had not appointed a Minister for Disability.

He said given the progress of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the sector deserved its own ministry.