More women than men will serve in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s new Cabinet, including several taking ministerial and outer ministry positions for the first time.
The Cabinet is 55 per cent female with 12 out of 22 roles going to women (not including the PM), marking a significant shift from a decade ago when the Abbott Government featured one lone woman.
Across the Cabinet and Outer Ministry, 50 per cent of roles went to women.
With 57 per cent of the Labor caucus now women, a majority-female cabinet was to be expected.
Albanese’s first cabinet was 43 per cent female, with 10 of the 23 cabinet minister positions going to women back in 2022, while the previous cabinet under the Morrison Government was 33 per cent women.
There have been several notable changes and promotions for women, as well as what could be described as demotions.
Anne Aly has been appointed Mininster for Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs, joining the ministry for the first time.
Former Tasmanian Labor Leader and freshly minted Federal MP Rebecca White comes into the ministry just one week after being elected, as the Assistant Minister for Health, Indigenous Health and Women.
Michelle Rowland becomes the new Attorney-General in the new ministry after Mark Dreyfus was dumped from the role. Amanda Rishworth takes on employment and workplace relations, Tanya Plibersek takes Social Services (losing the Environment portfolio), Anika Wells takes Communications and Sport and Murray Watt is appointed Mininster for the Environment.
Albanese confirmed the Cabinet positions that would be staying the same: including Richard Marles as Deputy PM and Minisnter for Defence, Senator Penny Wont as Foreign Affairs Minister, Jim Chalmers as Treasurer, Katy Gallagher, as minister for finance and public service, Don Farrells as Mininster for Trade, Tourism and Special Mininster of State.
In the outer ministry, Jess Wash becomes Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth, while Jenny Macalister becomes Mininster for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Some disappointments here included Ged Kearney not being promoted. Ged Kearney does not take on the Mininster for Health role, while the assistant minister position has gone to Labor’s new MP, Rebecca White. Kearney instead becomes Assistant Mininster for Social Services and Assistant Minister for Prevention of Family Violence. Mark Butler stays on as Minister for Health and Ageing and Disability and now also takes on the NDIS.
The new ministry includes:
- Richard Marles, Deputy PM and Minister for Defence
- Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Jim Chalmers, Treasurer
- Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services
- Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State
- Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, CyberSecurity and the Arts
- Mark Butler: Minister for Health and Aged Care, Disability and the NDIS.
- Chris Bowen: Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
- Catherine King: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
- Amanda Rishworth: Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
- Jason Clare: Minister for Education.
- Michelle Rowland. Attorney-General.
- Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Social Services.
- Julie Collins, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
- Clare O’Neil, Minister for Housing, Homelessness as well as Minister for Cities.
- Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia.
- Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water.
- Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians.
- Anika Wells, Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport.
- Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs.
- Anne Aly, Minister for Small Business, and will also be Minister for International Development and Multicultural Affairs.
- Tim Ayres enters the cabinet as Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science.
The outer ministry includes:
- Matt Keogh will continue as Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel.
- Kristy McBain: Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories and NDIS, and Minister for Emergency Management.
- Andrew Giles: Minister for Skills and Training.
- Jenny Mcallister: Minister for the NDIS.
- Daniel Mulino enters the ministry as the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.
- Jess Walsh: Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth
- Sam Rae: Minister for Aged Care and Seniors.
The assistant minister and special envoys list includes:
- Patrick Gorman, Assistant Minister for the Prime Minister, and assistant Minister for the Public Service, Employment and Workplace Relations.
- Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Immigration, Foreign Affairs and Trade.
- Andrew Leigh, Assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and Treasury.
- Ged Kearney, Assistant Minister for Social Services and assistant minister for prevention of family violence.
- Emma McBride, Assistant Minister for suicide prevention and health.
- Senator Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Resources, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and for agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
- Josh Wilson, Assistant minister for climate change and energy and assistant Minister for Emergency Management.
- Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for Justice and multicultural affairs and assistant minister for international education.
- Rebecca White, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health and Assistant Minister for Women.
- Andrew Charlton, Cabinet Secretary, will also serve as Assistant Minister for Science, technology and the digital economy.
- Nita Green, Assistant Minister for Northern Australia, assistant minister for tourism and assistant minister for Pacific Island affairs
- Peter Khalil, Assistant Minister for Defence.
The “special envoys” include:
- Susan Templeman, special envoy for the arts, defence, veterans’ affairs and northern Australia
- Dan Repacholi, special envoy for men’s health. A “new position” and described by Albanese as “something that he is very passionate about and something that I think he will make an extraordinary contribution in”.
- Josh Burns, special envoy for social housing and homelessness.
- Marion Scrymgour, special envoy for remote communities.
- Kate Thwaites, special envoy for climate change, adaptation and resilience, with Albanese noting his hope she will have “particular tasks” if Australia successful in bid for the COP meeting.
- Tim Watts: special envoy for the Indian Ocean.