Australia PM names record number of women in Cabinet
Australia's new cabinet was sworn in Monday with Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd naming a record number of six women and switching focus to the
economy ahead of upcoming elections.
With Labor trailing badly in the polls Rudd ruthlessly seized the
leadership on Wednesday, ousting the country's first woman prime
minister Julia Gillard three years after she had overthrown him.
The Labor Party, which is counting on Rudd's vaunted campaigning
skills, has seen an immediate bounce in popularity.
“I am delighted that in this cabinet of ours we will have the largest
number of women in any cabinet in Australian history,” Rudd said.
Victoria senator Jacinta Collins enters the cabinet as minister for
mental health, Catherine King will be minister for regional Australia
and Julie Collins takes the portfolios of housing, homeless and the
status of women. They join finance minister Penny Wong, health minister
Tanya Plibersek and families minister Jenny Macklin in the 20-member
cabinet.
The total number of women ministers rises from nine out of 30 under
Gillard to 11.
West Australian MP Melissa Parke was also appointed as the country's
first minister for international development, a non-cabinet job.
Rudd said the appointments were made purely on merit, not gender, and
pledged to boost the economy, but made no mention of an election date.
“The core task of this Australian government is to keep the economy
strong,” he said.
Rudd pledged to work for a “stronger, fairer Australia ... and never
ever, ever allow the fair-go to be thrown out the backdoor.” The top
jobs of foreign affairs, defence and the home ministry did not change
hands. New Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will take over the
communications portfolio and responsibility for the rollout of the
Aus$35.9 billion ($32.8 billion) high speed National Broadband Network.
He keeps his transport and infrastructure portfolios.
Tony Burke was shifted from environment to the politically explosive
immigration role.
Bill Shorten, who dumped Gillard and backed Rudd at the last minute
during the leadership tussle, added school education to his workplace
relations portfolio. Rudd brought key allies Joel Fitzgibbon and Kim
Carr back to the front bench as agriculture minister and industry and
innovation minister respectively. Despite the increase in female
ministers, analysts noted men would likely dominate the big issues with
Gillard gone.
“A more objective analysis... paying attention to the jobs allocated,
reveals it will be a close coterie of men who will be running the big
arguments, and handling the major problem areas between now and polling
day,” said ABC television's chief political correspondent Mark Kenny.
Governor-General Quentin Bryce swore in the ministers Monday
afternoon before a first cabinet meeting in Canberra.
Opinion polls suggest Labor has dramatically closed the gap on the
conservative Liberal-led opposition, which today has just two women
shadow cabinet members. A Galaxy poll published Sunday by News Limited
put the Liberals ahead with 51 percent against 49 percent in a race
between the two major parties.
The survey of 1,002 voters also revealed that 51 percent of those
polled believe Rudd would make a better prime minister than opposition
leader Tony Abbott (34 percent).
AFP |