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West Australian
4 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
WA voices left out of crucial economic and security cabinet committees
West Australians have been overlooked on two of Anthony Albanese's most important cabinet committees on the economy and national security, despite the State's key role in both areas. In a bureaucratic Brisbane line, there are no WA representatives in the Prime Minister's new make-up of the powerful expenditure review and national security cabinet committees. That's despite Western Australia's resources riches, critical minerals and Indian Ocean frontier being vital to the difficult issues the Albanese Government is confronting in its second term, including the energy transition and geostrategic uncertainties. Membership of the cabinet committees was made public last week. There have been minimal changes to the two bodies. Mr Albanese chairs the expenditure review committee with Treasurer Jim Chalmers as his deputy on the group that makes budget decisions. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Health Minister Mark Butler and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King all keep their ERC positions. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth has joined in place of Michelle Rowland, after the latter switched portfolios from communications to Attorney-General. Daniel Mulino is also a new face at the table after he took over as assistant treasurer following the political retirement of Stephen Jones. Mr Albanese and Mr Marles lead the national security committee. Its only new face this term is Ms Rowland, who replaces former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. The NSC membership also includes Senator Wong, Dr Chalmers, Senator Gallagher, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy. Mr Albanese has repeatedly spoken of the importance of WA to Australia's economic and national security and is also acutely conscious of the State's contribution to his own political position. West Australian voters sent 11 Labor MPs to Canberra at the May election, out of 16 seats. 'The Albanese Labor Government is very proud of our increased WA representation at the election,' a spokesman for the Prime Minister said. 'That means more voices in Canberra speaking up for the great state of Western Australia. Importantly, that has seen greater representation in Cabinet, where decisions are made.' Anne Aly took on responsibility for small business, multicultural affairs and foreign aid after the election and joined Resources Minister Madeleine King in cabinet, doubling WA's representation. Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said it was 'ridiculous' that neither was on 'the two most important decision-making bodies' in the government. 'We should have someone on the ERC because we generate so much revenue for the country. And we should have someone on NSC because we are the home of AUKUS which cannot fail but is at risk at the moment,' he said. 'We need a bigger voice, and the Prime Minister is ignoring us.' Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the resources portfolio was increasingly important in the nation's security discussions and that should be reflected at the highest echelons. 'Mining should be front and centre in government decision-making, with the resources minister included in the national security committee given the sector's vital role in strengthening economic resilience and supporting national security,' she said. She pointed to the sector's enormous logistics capability, supported by connected infrastructure and strategic assets. The head of Defence's national support division, Major-General Jason Walk, warned last week that China's stranglehold on critical minerals supply chains left Australia vulnerable and urged greater military cooperation with the resources sector to prepare for conflict. Scott Morrison came under fire in 2021 for not including Melissa Price, then the defence industry minister, in his national security committee, when the number of West Australians on the powerful grouping dropped from three to one. By the end of the Coalition's time in office, Michaelia Cash, then attorney-general, was the only WA representative on either cabinet committee, with none on the ERC. The Brisbane line was a WWII strategy — rejected by WA-based prime minister John Curtin — to prioritise defence of the heavily populated east coast areas south of Brisbane.
7NEWS
17-05-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Albanese government to put nature watchdog back on the agenda, confirms Murray Watt
Australia's new environment minister has wasted no time in setting his agenda. Just one week into his new role, Murray Watt is signalling a major overhaul of the country's s environmental laws. Riding the wave of the newly re-elected labor government's win, Watt said he would prioritise changing environment laws, and also potentially ditch the 'Nature Positive Plan' title in the government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. 'Our environment laws aren't working for our environment, business or the community,' Watt posted to X on Saturday. 'They need an overhaul, and I've spent week one speaking to a range of interests about it.' Watt, formerly the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, replaced Tanya Plibersek last week, who served as environment minister for three years. Plibersek had been close to establishing an independent Environment Protection Agency in 2022. However, the plan was shelved by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in November, and again in February. During the recent election campaign, Albanese recommitted to introducing a federal nature watchdog — but indicated it may diverge from the core design of Plibersek's original proposal. 'This is a very high and immediate priority for the government,' Watt told The Guardian. 'It's why on day one on the job, I was on the phone to all of the key stakeholders talking about this. It's why I'm headed to WA next get those conversations started.' Watt also confirmed he is reconsidering the language used to frame the reforms, including whether to continue referring to the policy as the 'Nature Positive Plan.' 'I am considering the type of language we use to describe these reforms,' he said. 'I think the more we can explain these concepts in terms that Australians can understand and buy into, I think that does improve our chances of building public support for them.'
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Rivals for a long time': Chris Uhlmann suggests Tanya Plibersek's career 'on hold' after being dropped from senior ministry
The political career of Tanya Plibersek has been put "on hold", according to Sky News contributor Chris Uhlmann, after she was dropped in one of the biggest changes to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's new cabinet. Mr Albanese revealed his new ministry on Monday afternoon following his election win, with the frontbench largely remaining the same. It includes Michelle Rowland after her promotion to Attorney-General, Health Minister Mark Butler, who will also take on the NDIS following Bill Shorten's retirement from politics, Amanda Rishworth, who moves to Employment and Workplace Relations, and Anika Wells, who moves to Communications. The top six ministers will remain—Richard Marles in Defence, Penny Wong in Foreign Affairs, Jim Chalmers as Treasurer, Katy Gallagher in Finance and Don Farrell in Trade. Ms Plibersek, though, was relegated from Environment Minister to Social Services, with Murray Watt moving from Workplace Relations to take on her role. Uhlmann said he believed Ms Plibersek's career had stalled working within the Albanese government due to her rivalry with the Prime Minister, but that it was important she still had a role in parliament. "Losing your ministry is not as bad as losing your job in Parliament. As far as Tanya Plibersek is concerned, it's no secret at all, of course, that the Prime Minister and Tanya Plibersek have been rivals for a long time," he told Peta Credlin on Monday. "She had to stay in cabinet. She has the talent to do it. She's got the support inside the party to do it. But yes, at the moment under this Prime Minister, her career is on hold." There have been long-running rumours of tension between Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese over internal Labor Party struggles. The disconnect caught the public eye at Labor's campaign launch in Perth last month, when Ms Plibersek went in for a hug while Mr Albanese extended his arm for a hand shake. Uhlmann also took aim at the outgoing Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, blasting him for launching a fiery verbal spray against deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and labelling his conduct ungrateful. Both Mr Husic and former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus were unceremoniously dumped from the cabinet due to an overrepresentation of the New South Wales right faction, with Mr Marles reportedly instrumental in the axing of both figures. The Sky News contributor said he was 'surprised' about the way Ed Husic dealt with his demotion at the hands of the Victorian and NSW right factions and criticised him for 'throwing all the toys out of the cot, which he clearly did'. The ousted minister claimed his outspoken criticism of the Albanese government's handling of the Gaza war cost him his cabinet position and explosively branded Mr Marles a 'factional assassin'. Uhlmann said Mr Husic's outspoken appearance on Insiders and getting former prime minister Paul Keating to "write in his favour" would significantly reduce his chances of future ministerial aspirations. 'If Ed Husic wanted a long stay in the party and a top job in the future, then I think he's put his cause back with the way he's behaved and he should think of all the people who lost their jobs and lost their place in Parliament," he said. 'He should probably look at the way that Keith Wolahan dealt with the way that he left Parliament, with real dignity and grace, and I think that there are a lot of people hurting at the moment. Losing your ministry is not as bad as losing your job in Parliament." Turning his attention to the fresh additions in Mr Albanese's new look front bench, Uhlmann lauded the elevation of second term MP for the Sydney seat of Parramatta, Andrew Charlton, and third term MP for the Melbourne seat of Fraser, Daniel Mulino. 'Andrew Charlton's credentials speak for themselves," Uhlmann said, referring to Mr Charlton's tenure as senior economic advisor to former prime minister Kevin Rudd, with the MP now set to replace Mark Dreyfus as cabinet secretary. 'Dan Mulino, I do know well and is a really decent man, a highly intelligent one. 'He's an intellectual powerhouse, a really decent man and can I say, by the way, as he stood for a couple of weeks on pre-poll, he was subjected to the same abuse that a lot of Labor right candidates were subjected to by volunteers from the Socialist Alliance, Muslim votes, and the Greens." Mr Mulino will be promoted directly from the backbench as part of a factional arrangement and will serve as Asistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.
