J AUSTRALIA
PRIWE MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 2 November 1980
THE NEW MINISTRY
His Excellency the Governor-General has
authorised rr. e to announce details of the new Ministry
which will be sworn at Governr. ent House tomorrow.
It has been decided to reduce the number of
Departments by two and the number of Ministers by one.
This means there will now be twenty six Ministers and
twenty six Departments.
The full list of Ministers and their portfolios
is shown in the attached list.
As will be clear, the Departments to be
abolished are those of Productivity and the Special
Trade Representative. The environment functions of the Department
of Science and the Environment are to be placed in the
Home Affairs portfolio, and the productivity promotion
and technology related functions of the Department of
Productivity will be joined with Science to form a
Department of Science and Technology. The link between
the science and technology related functions is clear,
and advice to the Government from the Australian Science
and Technology Council was that there would be
considerable merit in joining them together in a
Department. The Patents Office and the Australian
Industrial Research and Development Incentives Board
will also be part of the Depar. tment of Science and
Technology. ./ 2
2.
The Minister for Industry and Commerce will
responsibility from now on for the defence factories
TrnL. r, located in the Productivity portfolio.
A reviscd Administrative Arrangements Order
2il!. be placed before the ExeeuLiv Council on Monday
and,, if approved, then be Gazetted.
Mr Lynch, as Minister for Industry and Commerce,
will cmntinue to have an overriding responsibility in the
indust-y policy field and in the co-ordination of policy
dev I~ pment generally. He will also be assisting me with
the management of Cabinet business and in chairing a number
of Cabinet committees. Senator Chaney has joined the Cabinet as
Minister for Social Security and will take on direct
resTpcsibility also for the Social Welfare Policy
Secretariat which is responsible for policy development
and re~-iew activity in the broad field of health and
welfare. I have asked Senator Chaney to give special
personal attention to policy development within his
portfolio and also to achieving greater co-ordination
of programs and services in the welfare field.
I am asking Mr Newman to continue in his
co-ordinating role in reporting to the Government on
matters of particular concern to Tasmania, including in
following up the Callaghan Report.
The practice will continue of appointing
Ministers Assisting in the portfolios of senior Ministers
where the workload is especially heavy. These appointments
are shown in the attached list.
3.
It has also been decided to appoint two Government
members as Parliamentary Secretaries to Ministers. Mr Wilson
will be my Parliamentary Secretary, and Mr Lloyd will be
Parliamentary Secretary to Mr Nixon. Their role as
Parliamentary Secretaries will include assistance to the
Minister with a range of his duties including with his
correspondence, liaison with other Members of Parliament,
and meetings with delegations and clients of the
Department and authorities within the portfolio, and other
represent ational activities.
Senator Carrick will be continuing as Leader of
the Government in the Senate and as Vice-President of the
Executive Council, and Mr Sinclair will be continuing as
Leader of the House. Senator Durack will continue as
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Mr McLeay approached me to ask. that he not be
considered for the Ministry on this occasion. He wished
to make room for a new Minister to be given an opportunity.
He said he would prefer to be given the opportunity to
serve in other capacities.
Mr Garland also indicated to me that he would
be interested in serving in another capacity if there
were the opportunity. The Government has decided, having
in mind his experience both inside and outside the
Parliament and particularly the important diplomatic and
negotiating role he played as Minister for Special Trade
Representations especially in relation to the EEC, to
appoint him as Australian High Commissioner to Britain.
It is planned that he take over this role from / 4
Sir James Plimsoll towards the middle of 1981. I take
this opportunity to record the Government's appreciation
of Sir James Plimsoll's long and distinguished service.
I pay tribute to Mr McLeay and Mr Garland for
their Parliamentary and Ministerial service.
I would also like to pay tribute to Mr Adermann
and Mr Groom who will not be serving in the new Ministry.
Each has contributed to the Government's work over recent
years. I thank them warmly for that and I am sure they
will continue to contribute significantly to public life.
I grea ly regret that Mr Robinson has chosen
not to serve in the new Ministry. He has been a valued
colleague.
COMMON14WEALTH GOVERNMENT
Fourth Fraser Ministry
*. Prime Minister
~ 2D puyPrime Minister and
M-in-' ster for Tr a 6e an d
Fescources Minister for ind3ustry an3
Com,, ier ce
Minister f Lor Co7, muijni cations
and LerdJer of the House
Minister for-lNational
* Developmrent and Eeg'
Vice-President of the
Executive Council and Leader
of-the Government in the
Senete
* 6Minister for Foreign Affairs
minister for Primary~ Industr
Treasurer
9. Nlinistcr for Ind3ustrial
Relations Mirister for Def C-nce
* 11. % linister for Fi-nance
* 12. Minister flor Erooretand
Y out-: h A fa 4rs &_ nd linister
Assisting the Prime Ml'inister
* 13. A'ttorrney-General
* 14. I'inister for-Social Security
Minister for Home A~ ffairs and
Env; i ronment
16. M'inister-f or Tr ans por t
17. Vin ister foL~ r He alth
18. 1,2 r. i s for E ct ion and
Mnster ASsistinr the Prime
Minister in Fec. ral AfJfairs
19. M'inister for 7irnmrnration and
EtlhniLcAfas Minister for Science and
Technolcov
21. Minister for Añ~ iinistrative
Servi ces and M-n-ister
As s i s. tl rl -ut he ts ter for
D eenc
22. l. Minister for Business, and
Consumer Affairs
23. nister for the Caital
' ierritor\' and -, er
A" Ssisting the ! Mi n~ iStcr for
~ str.~ and cmnc
24. trfor V'eteraens' Affaklrs
ainndi ser ; r~ cthc: THE PT HON.
7HE RT HON. MALrLOW_ 1 FRAiSER, C. H. M. P.
J. D. ANTHONY, 1N. P.
THE PT HON. PHILLIP LY -HPI. M.
THE RT BON. IAN SINCLAIR, M. P.
SENA'lOR THEHON. J. L. CARRICK
DiE H-ON. A. A. ST7= E, M. P.
THriE HON. P. J. NIXON M. P.
TH E HON. JOHN HOWARD, M . P.
THE HON7. ANDREW PEACOCK, M. P.
T'HE HON. D. J. KILLEN, M. P.
SENATOR_-THE HON. DAME NLARGARDT
GUILFOYLE, D. B. E.
THE HO. N. IAN. VINE-R.. P.___
SEINIATOR THE HON. P= YE IYJRACK, Q. C.
SENATOR THE HON. CH-AFEY
THE H9ON. P. 3. ELLICO'IT, Q. C. , M. P.
THE THE, TH E HON. H ( pN
HON. RALPH J. HUNT, M. P.
N. J. R. MACla-LTLAR, M. P.
WL. L IFIFE, M. P.
THiE HON. IAIQ MACPHEE, M. P.
THE HON. DAVID TH0) MS, H. M . P.
THE HON. KEVIN NTEWM'' AN,* M . P.
THE HON. J. C. MXPZMP
THE HON. M-ICHAEL, HODGMAN, HM. P.
SENATOjk'R THE [ iON1. A t-NESSNE1' R
Y 44
F 9 Minister fror Pbz-rigina1 Affairs
an. i Miniscter Assistinc the
Mnister f11or-razi _ nal
Develoor-n-int anid Energy
26. Minister for Housing an3
Constr'uction a-rd Minister
Assisting the Ninister for
Trade arid Resurces SENAIDR THE HON. PtE=, R BAUMEP
THE H01\. D. T. MOVEIGH, M. P.
* Minister in the Cabthet
3 Noveimber 11980