Your new ministers …

Michael Stedman Mercury

ALLISON Ritchie and Lin Thorp have been appointed to Cabinet in a reshuffle announced this morning. Under the changes, Ms Ritchie will become Minister for Planning and Workplace Relations while Ms Thorp will take on the newly formed portfolio of Human Services, which includes responsibility for housing, child protection and other matters that were once incorporated with health. The change will free up Deputy Premier and Health Minister Lara Giddings to take on the added role of Attorney General. Treasurer Michael Aird will also become the Minister for Economic Development. As expected, Lisa Singh was overlooked for promotion. Read more here

Who’s in charge of what, What the Premier says …
David Bartlett: Premier; Minister for Education and Skills
Lara Giddings: Deputy Premier; Attorney-General; Minister for Justice; Minister for Health
Michael Aird: Treasurer; Minister for Economic Development; Minister for Racing
David Llewellyn: Minister for Primary Industries and Water; Minister for Energy and Resources; Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection
Michelle O’Byrne: Minister for Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts; Minister for Tourism; Minister for Sport and Recreation
Jim Cox: Minister for Police and Emergency Management; Minister for Local Government
Graeme Sturges: Minister for Infrastructure
Allison Ritchie: Minister for Planning and Workplace Relations
Lin Thorp: Minister for Human Services

What Premier David Bartlett says:

Government
Media
Statement
September 16, 2008

DAVID BARTLETT
Premier

Premier Announces New-Look Cabinet

Premier David Bartlett has today announced the appointment of two additional ministers in the Legislative Council as part of a return to a nine-minister Cabinet.

Under the changes:

• Rumney MLC Lin Thorp becomes Minister for Human Services;

• Deputy Premier Lara Giddings remains Minister for Health and takes on the responsibilities of Attorney-General;

• Pembroke MLC Allison Ritchie becomes Minister for Workplace Relations and Planning;

• Treasurer Michael Aird adds the Economic Development portfolio to his responsibilities; and

• Michelle O’Byrne becomes Minister for Tourism.

Mr Bartlett said the ministerial changes achieved three key aims – a better spread of the ministerial workload, allowing the Government to focus on its priorities and increasing ministerial accountability.

“One of my primary goals in announcing these changes and returning the ministry to nine is to spread the ministerial workload,” he said.

“I do believe that ministers have been carrying too heavy a load to ensure all the Government’s priorities receive all the attention they require.

“The Workplace Relations and Planning portfolios are very important to me but over the last four months I’ve been Premier, I simply haven’t been able to devote the time that they deserve.

“I have great confidence that Allison Ritchie will be a good minister and that she will do justice to these critical areas of Government.

“Similarly, Lin Thorp will be able to devote her full attention to the huge Human Services portfolio and I am expecting big things from her.

“This will allow Lara Giddings to take on the role of Attorney-General in addition to Health.

“Lara will take on the full responsibility for driving and implementing the State Government’s 10-point plan for improving trust in democracy.

“This is a very important priority for me and I want the Deputy Premier to drive it. As Attorney-General, Lara will also be promoting a progressive social and law reform agenda.

“I also see a logical fit in adding Economic Development to Treasurer Michael Aird’s responsibilities and he will be able to continue pushing our aggressive economic plans.”

In light of the additions to the ministry, Mr Bartlett announced the Parliamentary Labor Party had today endorsed a motion of in-principle support for joint sittings of the Houses of Parliament during Question Time.

The Government will move the motion in both Houses on the next sitting day seeking their support and for the issue to be referred to the Working Arrangements of the Parliament Committee to amend standing orders required to allow the joint sittings.

“I want all Members of the Legislative Council to have the opportunity to ask questions of me and the other eight ministers each and every day the Parliament sits,” Mr Bartlett said.
“I want all my ministers to be fully accountable in the House of Assembly, where government is formed.

“The Legislative Council has demonstrated a clear capacity and interest in scrutinising the actions of Government, having recently announced around a dozen select committee inquiries.

“I welcome that scrutiny and I want to go further, giving each and every Member of the Legislative Council the opportunity to question every Minister on each sitting day in the interests of transparency and good government.”

Mr Bartlett said should the Legislative Council refuse to support the motion, the Government would move a second motion to have Ministers from the Legislative Council brought before the House of Assembly for Question Time.

However, the Premier said he hoped the Legislative Council would support the Government’s first motion in the interests of unfettered accountability.

“I also expect the full support of Will Hodgman and Nick McKim on the Government’s plan to ensure Ministers are properly scrutinised,” Mr Bartlett said.

“Failure by the opposition parties to provide anything but total support would prove their public statements on good governance and transparency to be rank political opportunism and would demonstrate that their leaders are not men of ideas.”

The official swearing-in will take place at Government House at 11am tomorrow. Minister O’Byrne will be absent and will be sworn-in as Minister for Tourism on Monday at which time the official Cabinet photograph will be taken.

Download: DB_Historical_index_of_ministers_in_Leg_Councill.doc