New faces & super ministries
Winners and losers emerge from last week's leadership stoush as Gillard's sixth cabinet is sworn in at Government house. Tim Lester & Mark Kenny discuss the picks.
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Julia Gillard has promised a zero-tolerance approach to disloyalty, reshuffling her frontbench line-up, promoting three women among four first-time junior ministers while announcing a series of mega portfolios for proven performers.
There are also two new appointments in a 20-member cabinet pared back from the 21 previously.
The team has been crafted to reward loyalists in the aborted Rudd coup and salvage Labor's battered image with voters with now less than six months to go to the September 14 poll.
Illustration: Ron Tandberg.
After weeks of internal haemorrhaging, a drawn but determined Prime Minister described the period as ''self-indulgent''. ''Like Australians around the nation, I was appalled by the events of last week,'' she said.
''Our eyes were on ourselves rather than on doing what we should have, being focused on the nation, it was an unseemly display.''
But while recriminations have been severe for most involved, the three-time Rudd backer, Anthony Albanese, has not only held his key post as manager of government business and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, but has picked up Simon Crean's former responsibilities for Regional Development.
Mr Crean was sacked last Thursday after demanding a spill, while resignations were effectively forced out of Martin Ferguson, Kim Carr and Chris Bowen.
''I have always been able to work with minister Albanese well,'' Ms Gillard said. ''He has been very central to the life of this government and I believe he will serve very well and with a very strong sense of loyalty into the future.''
Gillard supporters scored the bulk of the prizes.
Former Special Minister of State Gary Gray has taken a step up to cabinet, filling the crucial economic post as Minister for Resources and Energy.
A former ALP national secretary, the WA-based MP was once a climate change sceptic who claims to have revised his thinking while working for the oil and gas giant, Woodside, before entering Parliament. ''At Woodside I became acquainted with the business case for managing climate issues and I became more aware of the work that underpinned the science,'' he said.
In a further sign of the value Labor is placing on winning the battle for western Sydney, Jason Clare was the other elevation to cabinet, with no addition to his portfolio of Justice, Home Affairs and cabinet secretary.
The biggest expansion of title was in the new job of Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, Craig Emerson. To his duties, Dr Emerson has added Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.
Tony Burke has had Arts added to Environment and Sustainability.
Ballarat MP Catherine King, South Australian senator Don Farrell, Queensland senator Jan McLucas, and NSW MP Sharon Bird join the outer ministry
Green groups criticised the Climate Change Department being absorbed into the Department of Industry and Innovation.
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