meet the new ministry

The Age, Dewi Cooke and Misha Schubert, 29 November; The Australian, Canberra reporters, 29 November 2007; The Herald Sun, Peter Jean, Gerard McManus, Matthew Pinkney and Karen Collier,
29 November 2007; The Age, An edited transcript of Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd's press conference, 30 November 2007

Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd has announced that the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), The Hon
Julia Gillard MP, will become the new Australian Government Minister for Education.

Ms Gillard has also been named as the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
and the Minister for Social Inclusion. Mr Rudd, who says that there is a synergy between Ms Gillard’s portfolios, has
said that Ms Gillard will assist the ALP in building a ‘first class education system’.

He also stated that ‘the core of my future plan is building an education system which would be world-class. In fact, I
want Australia to have the world's best education system. That's our vision for the nation.’

The former Outer Ministry position of Minister for Vocational Education and Training, held by The Hon Andrew Robb MP
in the Howard Government, has been abolished. The former position as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training, previously held by The Hon Pat Farmer MP, has also been abolished.

Ms Kate Ellis, who will become Australia’s youngest minister, has been given the newly created portfolio of Youth and Sport. Ms Maxine McKew has been named as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Early Childhood Education and Childcare.

The announcement of the Ministerial appointments will also require a departmental re-shuffle, with education likely to become part of a new Department for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion. All
Ministers will be sworn in by the Governor-General on Monday 3 December.

For a full list of cabinet and ministry members, click here.

 

 

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