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- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shuffled leadership roles in the national cabinet
- Education Minister Dan Tehan will now head up trade
- Tehan has the pressure on him, amidst a weakened coal trade with China
- Alex Hawke will swap his position as Minister for International Development for Minister of Immigration
- Aged Care sector chief Richard Colbeck was also sidelined, but Morrison claimed it was not a ‘demotion’
- Health Minister Greg Hunt will take up responsibilities in aged care alongside Colbeck
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shuffled the roles of trade and immigration ministers in the national cabinet.
Announced on Friday, Dan Tehan will be appointed to trade — passing on his responsibilities in education.
Understandably, the pressure will be on Tehan to strengthen Australia’s relationship with China, amidst a weakened coal trade.
Alan Tudge will succeed Tehan’s past role in education.
Alex Hawke will assume the leadership for immigration — formerly serving as the Minister for International Development. Zed Seselja will serve as his successor.
On Thursday, long-serving Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann, retired from his position, firing off the reshuffle. Cormann began his tenure in 2013.
Cormann’s previous position has already changed hands, with Simon Birmingham taking the helm at finance and leadership of the Senate Government.
The frontbench will also see some new leaders, with Andrew Hastie and Amanda Stoker assisting ministerial roles.
Aged care
In 2018, a royal commission was launched into the government’s provision of quality and safety in the aged care sector.
After a heavy blow to aged care health from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the pressure has been rising on the government’s responsibility.
This cabinet reshuffle has also seen Aged Care Minister, Richard Colbeck, sidelined. Colbeck received harsh criticism following nearly 700 deaths of the elderly in Australian nursing homes throughout the pandemic.
In August, Colbeck was unable to explain how many deaths were caused by COVID-19 in Australian nursing homes — facing further criticism.
As Colbeck has been sidelined, Health Minister Greg Hunt will take on some of the work under the aged care portfolio.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison affirmed that Colbeck was not ‘demoted’.
“It’s not about politics. It’s about people and ensuring we have the biggest and best response to the aged care challenges that are very serious,” Morrison said on Friday.
Recently, the Morrison government poured over $1 billion into aged care funds.
“What I’m doing is putting more grunt, more resources, more capacity into dealing with the challenges in aged care,” Morrison added.
