I am pleased to announce today the recommendations that I will make to the Governor-General for appointments to the fourth Howard Ministry. The swearing-in of the Ministry will take place on Tuesday morning, 26 October 2004 at Government House, Canberra.
I have also decided to make some significant changes to the structure of departments to reflect the Government's priorities in its fourth term. There will be a greater focus on promoting skills training and development to fulfill our election commitments. Income support for those of working age will be linked to employment programmes and services to reduce welfare dependence and increase workforce participation. A new Department of Human Services will be created to oversight and improve the delivery of important government services. A number of agencies will be incorporated within departments so that ministers and secretaries can take more effective responsibility for policy development and programme delivery.
The Cabinet remains unchanged from the strong team that I took to the election. While there will be some changes in ministerial responsibilities, the performance of individual ministers and the changes to the Ministry over the last year did not suggest a need for more extensive changes. Reflecting the depth of talent available to the Coalition, I have decided that there will be two new appointments to the outer Ministry, the Hon De-Anne Kelly MP, the Member for Dawson, and Mr Peter Dutton MP, the Member for Dickson. Seven new parliamentary secretaries will also be appointed.
I record my thanks and appreciation to the Hon Danna Vale MP for her service as Minister for Veterans' Affairs. She was responsible for significant improvements in veterans' programmes and services.
I also wish to acknowledge the contribution of the Hon Larry Anthony MP. He was elected to Parliament in 1996 and was a minister for over five years. He rendered valuable service not only to the constituents of Richmond, but also in the areas of trade, community services, family and children's policies and services.
I would also like to record my appreciation of the contributions of the Hon Ross Cameron MP and the Hon Trish Worth MP both of whom were parliamentary secretaries in the last term.
I would also like to thank the Hon Peter Slipper MP, Senator the Hon Judith Troeth and the Hon Jackie Kelly MP for their work as parliamentary secretaries. Jackie Kelly indicated that she did not wish to be considered for appointment this term.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon John Anderson MP, will remain as Minister for Transport and Regional Services. The Hon Jim Lloyd MP will remain as Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads. Mr John Cobb MP will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary.
The Hon Peter Costello MP will remain as Treasurer, the Hon Mal Brough MP will continue as Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer and Mr Chris Pearce MP will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary.
The Hon Mark Vaile MP will remain as the Minister for Trade and the Hon Alexander Downer MP will remain as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Hon Bruce Billson MP will be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs and Trade).
I have reappointed Senator the Hon Robert Hill as Leader of the Government in the Senate and he will remain Minister for Defence. He will be assisted by the Hon De-Anne Kelly MP who will also become Minister for Veterans' Affairs. The Hon Teresa Gambaro MP will remain Parliamentary Secretary in the portfolio.
Senator the Hon Nick Minchin will continue as Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Finance and Administration. Senator Minchin will also remain Vice President of the Executive Council. Senator the Hon Eric Abetz will remain as Special Minister of State. The Hon Dr Sharman Stone will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary.
The Finance portfolio will be expanded through the creation of a new Department of Human Services which will bring together six agencies that in total administer $80 billion of human services each year: Centrelink, Health Insurance Commission, Child Support Agency, Health Services Australia, Commonwealth Rehabilitation Services and Australian Hearing. The new department reflects the strong commitment of the Government to reinvigorate public administration and improve the delivery of services to the many Australians who have contact with these agencies. Immediate priorities will include improving the flow of clients from Centrelink to the Job Network; increasing the speed with which injured employees are referred for assessment, intervention and rehabilitation support; and further developing a client-focussed participation network across government agencies.
The new department will ensure that the development and delivery of government services is placed under strong ministerial control with clear lines of responsibility through the Secretary. Existing boards will continue to provide advice to the Minister with the aim of establishing a single Advisory Board on Human Services by early next year. The new department will ensure that the Government is able to get the best value for money in delivery with an emphasis on continuous service improvement and a whole of government approach. The Hon Joe Hockey MP will be appointed Minister for Human Services.
The Australian Government Information Management Office will be incorporated within the Department of Finance and Administration.
The Hon Tony Abbott MP will remain Minister for Health and Ageing and will be reappointed Leader of the House. The Hon Julie Bishop MP will continue as Minister for Ageing. The Hon Christopher Pyne MP will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary.
The Hon Philip Ruddock MP will be Attorney-General and Senator the Hon Chris Ellison remains Minister for Justice and Customs.
Senator the Hon Ian Campbell will be reappointed Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Mr Greg Hunt MP will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary. The National Oceans Office (to remain in Hobart) and the Australian Greenhouse Office will become divisions within the Department of Environment and Heritage.
Senator the Hon Helen Coonan will continue as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and Senator the Hon Rod Kemp will remain as Minister for the Arts and Sport.
The Hon Warren Truss MP will be reappointed Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald will be Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation. Senator Richard Colbeck will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary.
Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone will continue as Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs. The Hon Peter McGauran MP will become Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs and will remain Deputy Leader of the House.
The Hon Brendan Nelson MP will be reappointed Minister for Education, Science and Training. He will take responsibility for science matters within the portfolio which will now also be responsible for the income support programmes available to students, apprentices and young people. This reflects the Government's commitment to a more integrated and proactive approach to the education and training needs of young people. The Government is determined that greater emphasis is to be placed on the value of vocational education and training, with school students given greater assistance from employers to choose the career path to which they are best suited.
The Hon Gary Hardgrave MP will be appointed to the new position of Minister for Vocational and Technical Education to oversight the implementation of the Government's election commitments in the area of skills training including the establishment of 24 new technical colleges. He will work directly with the Government's industry partners, private and public training providers, and the states and territories in funding and delivery of vocational education. From July 2005 the Australian National Training Authority will be abolished and its responsibilities taken into the department, bringing about significant administrative savings. A Ministerial Council on Vocational Education will be established to ensure continued harmonisation of a national system of standards, assessment and accreditation, with goals agreed in a Commonwealth-State Funding Agreement. The Hon Gary Hardgrave MP will also be reappointed Minister assisting the Prime Minister. Mr Pat Farmer MP will be appointed to the education portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary and will have special responsibility for Western Sydney.
Senator the Hon Kay Patterson will remain as Minister for Family and Community Services. The focus of the department will be on providing policy advice, income support and assistance to families and their children, senior citizens and community groups. The department will now also be responsible for women's issues. The Office of the Status of Women will be incorporated into the department. Senator Patterson will remain Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues. Mrs Sussan Ley MP will be appointed to the portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary (Children and Youth Affairs).
The Hon Ian Macfarlane MP will be reappointed as Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources and the Hon Fran Bailey MP will become Minister for Small Business and Tourism. The Hon Warren Entsch MP will remain Parliamentary Secretary in the portfolio.
The Hon Kevin Andrews MP will be reappointed as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service. The Minister will be responsible for advancing the Government's strong commitment to continued reform of workplace relations to boost Australia's productivity, competitiveness and flexibility. The Minister will work closely with the Minister for Small Business and Tourism to ensure that the reforms are responsive to the needs of small and home-based businesses, the self-employed and independent contractors.
The role of the department will be expanded to include assisting Australians to move from welfare dependence to employment. Maximizing sustainable economic growth requires lifting labour force participation as well as national productivity. The department will bring together responsibility for income support payments for working-age Australians (including Newstart, Parenting Payment and the Disability Support Pension) with the extensive range of programmes designed to help people meet their obligations to try and find a job. The department will focus on providing intensive assistance, training and work experience to those who receive welfare payments with the goal of enabling them to participate in the workforce to the full extent of their capacity and family responsibilities.
Mr Peter Dutton MP will be appointed Minister for Workforce Participation.
The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission will become part of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Mr Gary Nairn MP will be appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. During the election campaign I made a strong commitment on behalf of the Coalition to further tackling Australia's number one environmental issue, the preservation of our scarce water resources. To emphasise the high priority attached to water policy and to facilitate cooperation with the States and Territories, a National Water Commission (NWC) will be established in my portfolio. The NWC will administer the Water Smart Australia and National Water Standards programmes: the Water Wise Communities programme will be administered in the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Mr Kerry Bartlett MP, the Member for Macquarie, will remain Chief Government Whip. He will be assisted by Mr Stewart McArthur MP and Mrs Joanna Gash MP as Government Whips.