MINISTER for Agriculture, Tony Burke, has kept his rural portfolio in the ministerial reshuffle announced by the Prime Minister in the wake of Joel Fitzgibbons' resignation.
Details of the front bench reshuffle were released on Sunday.
Earlier, Senator John Falkiner, previously the Special Minister of State, had been announced as Mr Fitzgibbons' replacement.
Mr Fitzgibbon quit his defence portfolio following a string of events shrouding his conduct as a minister.
The latest were revelations during a late-night Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday that Mr Fitzgibbons' ministerial office was used to host a meeting between an American health insurance firm, represented by his brother, and the boss of Defence health.
Staff from Mr Fitzgibbons' office were reportedly in attendance.
Labor insiders earlier had predicted the reshuffle would not affect Mr Burke's current position as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, despite being touted after the election as one of the Labor Party's young rising stars.
His performance, however, did not rank highly in a recent famonline.com.au poll, which saw more than 60 per cent of respondents rate it as very poor or terrible.
The Age on Sunday reports that moving into new roles are:
- John Faulkner (55, NSW) — Defence Minister. Previously Special Minister of State.
- Joe Ludwig (49, Qld) — Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State. Previously Minister for Human Services.
- Chris Bowen (36, NSW) — Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, and Minister for Human Services.
- Craig Emerson (54, Qld) — Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. Continues as Minister for Small Business.
- Nick Sherry (53, Tas) — Assistant Treasurer. Previously Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Governance.
- Brendan O'Connor (47, Vic) — Minister for Home Affairs.
- Warren Snowdon (59, NT) — Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery.
- Kate Ellis (31, SA) — Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth.
- Greg Combet (51, NSW) — Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and the Minister Assisting Minister for Climate Change.
- Maxine McKew (55, NSW) — Parliamentary secretary for infrastructure, regional development and local government.
New to the executive are:
- Mark Arbib (37, NSW) — Minister for Employment Participation.
- Gary Gray (51, WA) — Parliamentary secretary for Western and Northern Australia.
- Jason Clare (37, NSW) — Parliamentary secretary for employment.
- Mark Butler (38, SA) — Parliamentary secretary for health.
- Richard Marles (41, Vic) — Parliamentary secretary for industry and innovation.
On the way out:
- Joel Fitzgibbon (47, NSW) — Former minister for defence.
- Bob Debus (65, NSW) — Former minister for home affairs.
- Jan McLucas (51, Qld) — Former parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.
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