The Opposition says Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used her frontbench reshuffle to reward the men who installed her as Prime Minister.
Mr Gillard’s new-look Cabinet was revealed yesterday after earlier confirming that former prime minister Kevin Rudd would be given the Foreign Affairs portfolio.
Former foreign affairs minister Stephen Smith has moved aside to allow Ms Gillard to fulfil her promise to Mr Rudd, the man she deposed as prime minister and Labor leader.
Labor MPs Bill Shorten, Mark Arbib, David Feeney and Don Farrell delivered the numbers that allowed Ms Gillard to topple Mr Rudd, and all four were promoted in yesterday’s frontbench reshuffle.
Mr Shorten becomes Assistant Treasurer, while Senator Arbib has been given extra ministerial responsibilities. Senator Feeney and Senator Farrell were both handed parliamentary secretary posts.
Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne says the men were not promoted on merit.
“The rewards for slicing and dicing of Kevin Rudd have come thick and fast,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Rudd said it was a great honour to be Foreign Minister and said he could work with Ms Gillard even though she replaced him as Prime Minister.
… as Wilkie threatens to derail mining tax:
Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has threatened to block the Federal Government’s proposed mining tax unless a thorough review of it is conducted.
Mr Wilkie was the first independent to back Labor in the hung Parliament and it appears the issue could cause the first face-off between Mr Wilkie and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
He has labelled the tax as “rushed” and “flawed” and says he will oppose the legislation when it is introduced in the House of Representatives unless the Government conducts more consultation with industry and experts.
Mr Wilkie says there needs to be more discussion about which companies the tax applies to and whether the tax should encompass commodities other than coal and iron.
He says the tax should be included for discussion in a tax summit planned for next year.
