PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 22 AUGUST 1988
Following the resignation of Mr Hayden from the ministry on
17 August and in order to avoid protracted speculation, I am
announcing today changes within the Ministry which I will be
recommending to the Governor General. The Governor General
has agreed to my making such a statement at this time.
I do not believe it would be in the interests of an
efficient transition and the effective management of the
portfolios involved to bring the changes into effect
immediately, on the eve of the resumption of Parliament.
Accordingly, the changes I propose are prospective, to come
into effect at the beginning of the parliamentary recess
with the Ministers to be sworn on 2 September.
Pending that, ministers will continue in their present
portfolios while beginning to familiarise themselves with
their new assignments. Mr Duffy will continue for this
interim period to have responsibility for Foreign Affairs
and Trade, as already announced at the time of Mr Hayden's
resignation.
Caucus will meet in the week beginning 29 August to elect a
new member of the Ministry. The changes I will be
recommending are as follows:
Senator Evans to be portfolio minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade.
Mr Willis to be portfolio Minister for Transport
and Communications..
Mr Morris to be Minister for Industrial Relations.
Mr Morris will continue to be Minister Assisting
the Treasurer.
Senator Ray to be portfolio Minister for
Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs,
and also as Minister Assisting me for Multicultural
Affairs. He will also take over from Senator Evans
the role of Manager of Government Business in the
Senate. Two other Ministers to be sworn to the Transport
and Communications portfolio to work with Mr
Willis. These Ministers will be Mr Punch and the
new Minister chosen by Caucus.
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Mr Holding to be Minister for the Arts and
Territories. Mr Holding will also be Minister
Assisting the Minister for Immigration, Local
Government and Ethnic Affairs and Minister
Assisting the Prime Minister across the range of my
portfolio. in addition I have appointed Mr Howe as Minister
Assisting me on Social Justice issues. This is in
addition to Mr Howe's existing portfolio
responsibilities as Minister for Social Security.
Mr Holding has indicated to me that he would not be seeking
a Ministerial position after the next election. In this
context he believed it appropriate, at a time when these
changes are being made, to establish the opportunity for
continuity up to and beyond the next election in the
important portfolio responsibility of immigration and Ethnic
Affairs. I thank him for providing this opportunity and
welcome the fact that he will continue to be involved in
this area and have responsibility for it in the House of
Representatives. These adjustments will ensure that the Government continues
to have a Ministerial team of the highest calibre deployed
in a way which takes full account of its policy and
administrative priorities and the changing relative
workloads of portfolios. There will be no changes in the
number of departments or Ministers in the Cabinet and the
roles and tasks of portfolios will remain unchanged. The
changes continue the objective I announced following the
elections last July of enhancing Ministerial control.
Transport and communications are vital inputs to all
competitive Australian industries and as such this sector
will continue to be a major focus in the Government's
micro-economic reform agenda. Mr Willis will be able to
continue these processes with the augmented assistance of
two Ministers.
The appointment of Mr Howe demonstrates clearly the
importance of social justice issues to the Government and
their central role in the Government's decision-making
processes. It will also formalise the assistance which Mr
Howe has been giving me for some months on social justice
issues, which extend beyond the Social Security portfolio.
I have reviewed the responsibilities and workload of Home
Affairs within the Administrative Services portfolio and
have concluded that there is no longer a need for an
additional Minister to support Mr West. This arrangement
more closely reflects current workloads between portfolios,
especially now that the major tasks associated with the
Government's program of electoral reform are complete, and
the move to the new Parliament House, which is within the
portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for
Administrative Services, has taken place. 134.1
3.
I will be making a full statement of the details of the new
Ministry arrangements including the representation of
Ministers in the other Chamber, following the Caucus
election of the new member of the Ministry next week.
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