Peter Dutton will continue in the role of Home Affairs Minister but immigration has been split off into a separate portfolio under David Coleman as part of ministerial changes following last week’s leadership spilll which saw Scott Morrison emerge as the country’s new Prime Minister.
In other news from the weekend, Julie Bishop resigned as Foreign Minister despite speculation last week she would remain in the post. Former Defence Minister Marise Payne has taken over the role of Foreign Minister.
Christopher Pyne has been made Defence Minister, Kelly O’Dwyer made Jobs and Industrial Relations Minister, Dan Tehan named Education Minister, and Melissa Price made Environment Minister. Deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg was named as Treasurer on Friday and Mathias Corman, who backed Dutton in the leadership spill, retained his job as Finance Minister.
Morrison has named former Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals MP, Barnaby Joyce, as a special envoy for drought assistance while former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reportedly been offered the role special envoy in Indigenous Affairs but is yet to agree to role, saying he wanted to know exactly what it would entail before he committed.
Meanwhile, the fall-out from last week’s events has continued with the latest Newspoll showing support for the Coalition Government had plummeted.
