Amanda Rishworth will become the new Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in a cabinet reshuffle that sees four women given new roles or promoted.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the pre-election reshuffle that comes as DIS Minister Bill Shorten retires from politics.
Along with Rishworth’s new role, Senator Katy Gallagher will take on the government services portfolio and Dr Anne Aly will become Assistant Minister for the NDIS.
Meanwhile, Sport and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells has been promoted to cabinet. Wells’ promotion means the Albanese frontbench has an equal number of men and women.
“Anika Wells has delivered the most significant reforms on aged care this century with the legislation that passed through both houses of Parliament at the end of last year and has delivered on the commitments that were made,” Albanese said on Thursday.
“There is now a nurse in a nursing home, as they used to be called, 99 per cent of the time. There are literally millions of hours of additional care being given to our older Australians who deserve to live their later years with dignity and with respect. My government has been determined to deliver just that, and Anika Wells has done an outstanding job as the Minister as well as in her sport portfolio.”
A swearing in ceremony will take place on January 20.
The new roles signify an additional workload for Gallagher, who is already the minister for finance, women and the public service.
For Aly, she takes on the role of junior assistant minister for the NDIS on top of her existing portfolios in early childhood education and youth.
Speaking on Thursday, Albanese paid tribute to Shorten for his “decades of service” and the difference he’s made in the lives of Australians.
“I wish Bill well in his future career. We acknowledge his service, in particular six years of having the honour of leading the Australian Labor Party. But as an effective Minister, as an advocate throughout the Labor movement, not just the parliamentary wing, but also as a leader of the trade union movement through the Australian Workers Union,” Albanese said.
Shorten is retiring from politics and will become Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra.