Reshuffling the Coalition (1 Viewer)

[Generator]

All eyes on Hill as Liberal contenders and pretenders await PM's favour

The above is nothing more than a rehash of past articles, but it's still a good starting point for such a thread.

So, soon Hill may be heading off to the UN and Minchin may be the Government's Leader in the Senate. I guess that I should be lamenting the possible loss of a wet, but given Hill's record whenever the chips are down, I don't think that there is much reason to regret his passing (in a political sense) should he leave. It is a bit of a blow for any possible revival of the Republican movement, though, but that isn't exactly a pressing issue at this point in time.

Something that may come to a head as a result of this reshuffle (whenever it may occur) will be the issue of the distribution of Ministerial positions within the Coalition. That should prove to be quite interesting if the Liberal backbenchers decide to press the point.

The new Howard government ministry following today's reshuffle (24/01/06):

Cabinet
Prime Minister: John Howard
Trade and Deputy Prime Minister: Mark Vaile
Treasury: Peter Costello
Foreign Affairs: Alexander Downer
Attorney-General: Philip Ruddock
Finance and government leader in the Senate: Nick Minchin
Communications: Helen Coonan
Health: Tony Abbott
Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs: Mal Brough
Defence: Brendan Nelson
Education, Science and Training, assisting prime minister on women's issues: Julie Bishop
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs: Amanda Vanstone
Agriculture: Peter McGauran
Employment and Workplace Relations: Kevin Andrews
Transport and Regional Services: Warren Truss
Environment and Heritage: Ian Campbell
Industry, Tourism and Resources: Ian Macfarlane

Outer ministry
Local Government, Territories and Roads: Jim Lloyd
Arts and Sport: Rod Kemp
Human Services: Joe Hockey
Small Business and Tourism: Fran Bailey
Veterans' Affairs: Bruce Billson
Ageing: Santo Santoro
Community Services: John Cobb
Assistant Treasurer and Revenue: Peter Dutton
Workforce Participation: Sharman Stone
Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation: Eric Abetz
Special Minister of State: Gary Nairn
Vocational and Technical Education: Gary Hardgrave
Justice and Customs: Chris Ellison [...]

(More, including Parliamentary Secretaries)

 

[leetom]

Get rid of Vanstone I reckon, she's demonstrated her ineptitude too many times. Don't know who to replace her with though, they're all zombies on that backbench.

 

[Generator]

Something may happen today -
Departing minister's diplomatic silence

Edit: The Australian (surprise, surprise) seems to be on to something. If not, I'm going to laugh given the prominence of this 'spread' -

Hill to quit, clearing way for reshuffle
Refused to be Downer's chauffeur

 

[Rafy]

Hill's press-conference just commenced.

EDIT: "I have decided to retire from parliament"

He refuses to confirm the UN appointment. Only to say that if there was a position that the government wanted him to fill, he would certainly consider it.

Reporter: Have you been offered a position at the United Nations?
Hill: No.

 

[Rafy]

Hmm,

" It is expected Senator Hill [...] will be replaced by either Finance Minister and fellow South Australian Nick Minchin or Health Minister Tony Abbott."

Suprising to mention Abbott i would have thought. He seems quite comfortable where he is now in health. Abbott belongs in a portfolio where he can have a go at the states (thats not possible if he moves to defence), a department that affects the majority of the population and has many critics (i.e health, education etc).
His talents would be wasted in defence.

(THe above is from the government's viewpoint of course; My personal view is as he is a devout catholic i would rather not see him in a potfolio such as health)

 

[withoutaface]

Hmm,

" It is expected Senator Hill [...] will be replaced by either Finance Minister and fellow South Australian Nick Minchin or Health Minister Tony Abbott."

Suprising to mention Abbott i would have thought. He seems quite comfortable where he is now in health. Abbott belongs in a portfolio where he can have a go at the states (thats not possible if he moves to defence), a department that affects the majority of the population and has many critics (i.e health, education etc).
His talents would be wasted in defence.

Abbot is a religious whackjob imo, and while a capable politician he should be kept well away from anything he can apply his religious beliefs to (read: ru486), and Minchin is a greatly talented politician.

 

[leetom]

lol Rudd. And to think people complain about his lengthy airtime. Grandiose, funny- top opposition that is.

 

[Rafy]

The contenders

 Senator Nick Minchin, SA - Finance Minister, could move to Defence.

 Tony Abbott, NSW - Health, but could take Defence if Minchin chooses to stay in Finance.

 Julie Bishop, WA - Ageing, but tipped for either Family and Community Services or another social policy portfolio.

 Andrew Robb, Victoria - former party director well-regarded by Howard, likely to get an outer ministry spot.

 Malcolm Turnbull, NSW - outspoken advocate of tax reform who has impressed Howard.

Will Howard reveal his future on national day?

By Kerry-Anne Walsh
January 22, 2006

SPECULATION is emerging in influential pockets of the Liberal Party that the Prime Minister will use an important Australia Day address and an imminent ministerial reshuffle to send powerful signals about his future.

The two events, at the critical midpoint in the three-year electoral cycle, would be used by John Howard to send a clear message about whether he stays to contest the 2007 poll or steps down this year.

Mr Howard flies into Canberra on Tuesday afternoon, after a ceremony in Sydney that morning to receive the Commonwealth Games baton.

He is tipped to promote Senator Nick Minchin into Defence - although it is understood Senator Minchin loves the Finance portfolio - and move Tony Abbott from Health and give it to Brendan Nelson.

Mr Abbott, who is highly regarded by Mr Howard, would retain a senior cabinet portfolio, possibly Defence if Senator Minchin chose to stay in Finance.

Rising back-bench stars Malcolm Turnbull, from NSW, and Andrew Robb, from Victoria, were praised by Government insiders yesterday, pointing strongly to their probable elevation to the front bench.

Liberal MPs says that if the reshuffle is minor, it would signal that Mr Howard is only plugging holes until his successor, most likely Treasurer Peter Costello, chooses his own favourites.

An overhaul of all front-bench spots by tossing out underperforming ministers, shifting current ones and promoting new talent would mean Mr Howard was bedding down his new team to take to the election.

One source suggested Mr Howard once toyed with outlining a departure timetable during this week's 40th anniversary of the resignation of Sir Robert Menzies.

Others point to the vice-like grip Mr Howard has on his Government, his continuing enthusiasm for the job and busy schedule as clear indications that the plan was no longer a considered option.

Government insiders have played down reports Mr Howard had informed Family and Community Services Minister Kay Patterson that she would not be retaining her portfolio and cabinet spot.

There are, however, strong suggestions that Minister for Ageing Julie Bishop may replace Senator Patterson or be given a more substantial portfolio.

 

[Generator]

Minister quits ahead of Howard reshuffle

Minister quits ahead of Howard reshuffle
By Phillip Hudson, Michelle Grattan
January 22, 2006


Victoria's most senior female Liberal, Kay Patterson, will quit the Howard cabinet today and announce she will leave politics at the next election.

The Family and Community Services Minister yesterday telephoned Prime Minister John Howard to tell him she would stand down after four years as a cabinet minister.

Senator Patterson, 61, revealed her decision last night to The Sunday Age, saying she believed it was "the right time" to stand down while her "integrity, sense of humour and zest for life are still intact".

[continued - see link]

or

Kay Patterson quits Cabinet

 

[Rafy]

And now a sacking.

"Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation Minister Ian Macdonald said today he has been told by Mr Howard he will not be included in the ministry after the reshuffle expected to be announced this week."

http://smh.com.au/news/national/two-more-howard-ministers-out/2006/01/22/1137864790897.html

 

[withoutaface]

I'd personally like to see Minchin stay in finance because he's the best man to rein in government spending, and put Abbot in defence because he can't apply his religious views to it.

 

[Generator]

It would be good to see Abbott away from a portfolio that allows for the odd crusade, but who would replace him?

A number of commentators seem to be suggesting that Nelson would be the key contender, and I guess that as a health minister at least we will know where he stands with respect to the issues themselves (see this link to a 1994 article for some examples).

Edit: The above link is also quite good in that it is suggestive of the problems that Nelson currently faces as an ambitious Liberal given his background.

 

[leetom]

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said Mr Howard was sweeping out the moderates to form a far-right ministry.

"What becomes clear through this reshuffle is that Howard is desperately protecting his own incompetent supporters, such as Alexander Downer, and at the same time launching a purge of Liberal moderates," he said.

Mr Rudd said all three ministers "forced out" were moderates and supporters of Treasurer Peter Costello.

"This is turning out to be John Howard's night of the long knives against the few remaining Liberal moderates in the federal party," he said.

"This also represents the final conversion of the once mainstream Liberal Party into a much more extreme conservative party."

Just Rudd bombast or should this be of concern? There is a small group of longtime Liberal Party members who criticise the present position of the party.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Just Rudd bombast or should this be of concern? There is a small group of longtime Liberal Party members who criticise the present position of the party.

A bit of both I'd say. Nowadays I have to tell myself to listen to what he's saying even though it is 90% ridiculous sounding hyperbole, in case there is a bit of substance buried in there. That's a problem Beazley has I think. He tries to make things sound heavier and more important than they are in order to make people pay attention, but in doing so people tend to see it as exaggeration. Labor needs to articulate issues in such a way as to communicate points of public interest without going overboard. They need to appear more realistic and subsequently a bit more 'professional' about their arguments.


Talking about Abbott, I'd like to see him away from a portfolio in which his personal beliefs have room to run free. (That rules out health and education.)

 

[Generator]

Nelson to be defence minister
I'll edit this entry with a report that details the reshuffle in full later.

Edit: Prime Minister - Ministerial Changes

 

[gerhard]

fucking abbott is still health

 

[MoonlightSonata]

So this is our new education minister.

Managing partner of Clayton Utz? (Western Australian branch, but still). She must have some guts in her!

 

[Generator]

Another reshuffle appears to be near -

Vanstone, Kemp get the push in reshuffle