
The coronavirus hangover
Better economic forecasts still leave a fraught recoveryFriday, December 18, 2020
by
Nick Feik
Shuffling the deckchairs
In time for summer, Morrison announces his new cabinet
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a cabinet reshuffle today. Image © Lukas Coch / AAP Image
In time for our final newsletter of the year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison this afternoon announced his cabinet reshuffle. Most ministerial posts haven’t changed hands, though there are some significant ones. The major moves are these: for good reason, Richard Colbeck has been demoted to aged-care services (while aged care proper has been brought into cabinet under Greg Hunt). Dan Tehan is the new trade minister and Alan Tudge takes the education and youth portfolio, with Simon Birmingham as minister for finance. Interestingly, the “young Liberal powerbrokers” touted by Janet Albrechtsen in The Australian this week – her “Aussie Squad” of Tim Wilson, Andrew Bragg, James Paterson and Jason Falinski – all missed out. It’s fair to say that Morrison’s government isn’t blessed with talent, so this should be read as a slap in their collective faces.
Alex Hawke has been promoted to minister for immigration. Paul Fletcher will take on cities and urban infrastructure, on top of communications and arts. Jane Hume becomes minister for superannuation, financial services and the digital economy. Zed Seselja will be minister for international development and the Pacific. And Amanda Stoker, Luke Howarth, Jonathon Duniam and Andrew Hastie have been given assistant ministerial appointments.
Morrison and the other senior members of the government will be happy to have survived the year, and must be glad to see the end of it.
The potential spread of Sydney’s northern beaches COVID cluster will be a cause for renewed concern, to be added to the other major challenges facing the government (the economy, China, climate-change policy and IR proposals, and more), so we hope Morrison and co get a good rest. They’ll need it.
Finally, we are sad to announce that Paddy Manning, your guide to Australian politics for the past three years, is stepping down from his role as contributing editor for The Monthly Today. We will recruit his successor soon and be back with you early in the new year.
It has been a great pleasure (not to mention an education, in the best way) to work with Paddy over this period. He is departing to work on his PhD about News Corp and his book about Lachlan Murdoch, and will continue to make freelance contributions to The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.
We are grateful to Paddy, and leave the last word in The Monthly Today in 2020 to him:
“Dear readers, it’s been an amazing privilege and a wild ride watching and analysing three years of Australian politics up close at The Monthly, a period which included one prime ministerial knifing, one unlosable election, one global pandemic (and recession), three budgets, 50+ bubble-bursting pub tests and more scandals than you can poke a stick at. Thanks for reading!”
|
The coronavirus hangover
Better economic forecasts still leave a fraught recoveryBad investments
What will it take for the Coalition to give up its fossil-fuel addiction?Perfect storm brewing
Australia’s export industries are being smashed, and not just by ChinaPaying the price
Australia’s megaphone diplomacy has its costsNGV Triennial 2020
With a mix of eye-catching works, the second NGV Triennial blends the avant-garde with the populistHealing story
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s ‘Spirit’ pays tribute to collaborators‘Jack’ by Marilynne Robinson
History and suffering matter in the latest instalment of the American author’s Gilead novels‘The Dry’ directed by Robert Connolly
Eric Bana stars as a troubled investigator dragged back to his home town in a sombre Australian thriller
Comments
Comments are moderated and will generally be posted if they are on topic and not abusive. View the full comments policy .