Queensland’s premier has sworn in a new cabinet after a surprise reshuffle amid controversies within the health, housing and youth justice portfolios.
Speaking to reporters outside the state’s Government House on Thursday, Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had listened to Queenslanders and understood the need to “refresh” the cabinet.
“I’ve been listening to Queenslanders about several issues. Those key issues have been in the areas of health, housing and justice, and this is exactly the reset the government has needed,” Palaszczuk said.
Yvette D’Ath has been removed as health minister and was on Thursday sworn in as attorney general and the minister of domestic and family violence – a role previously held by Shannon Fentiman.
Fentiman will retain her role as minister for women, while taking on the health and mental health portfolios.
Asked why D’Ath was removed as health minister, Palaszczuk said she was “an incredible attorney general” when she previously held the position and was better suited to that job.
“I want fresh eyes and I want fresh energy. It is my decision about where ministers go,” she said. “And it is my view that Shannon Fentiman is the best person to be the health minister.”
Fentiman rejected suggestions of the health portfolio being a “poisoned chalice”.
“I’m going to work hard each and every day to drive better performance in our healthcare system,” she said.
D’Ath denied she was betrayed by the premier and said cabinet changes were part and parcel of politics.
“Every one of us go into that job not knowing how long you’ve got in that job,” she said.
Former environment minister Meaghan Scanlon, the youngest member of cabinet and seen within Labor as a rising star, has been sworn in as housing minister.
The 30-year-old said that, as a renter, she understood the issues confronting many Queensland tenants.
The youth affairs portfolio, which was also held by Scanlon, was axed in the shakeup. The opposition’s youth affairs spokesperson, Sam O’Connor, accused the government of forgetting about young Queenslanders.
“On behalf of young Queenslanders, I am calling on the premier to rectify her mistake immediately,” he said.
Quandamooka woman Leeanne Enoch has lost the housing portfolio but been sworn in as Indigenous affairs minister and minister for treaty. She has also kept her communities and arts portfolios.
Enoch said she was “relishing” the opportunity to “bring all of that lived experience into these very important and profound conversations about who we are as Queenslanders”.
Di Farmer has retained her role as employment minister, while taking on the troubled youth justice portfolio.
Farmer said she planned to meet with experts and conduct an audit of youth justice programs to ensure they were operating effectively.
“We need to make sure every program is actually delivering results,” she said. “I feel really passionate about this portfolio … There are many opposing views in youth justice.”
The previous youth justice minister, Leanne Linard, has become the minister for environment and science while staying on as multicultural affairs minister.
Crawford has been removed from Indigenous affairs but has retained his seniors and disability portfolio while taking on an additional child safety portfolio.
Digital services will be awarded to the transport minister, Mark Bailey.
The opposition was swift in its criticism of the changes. The shadow attorney general, Tim Nicholls, said the reshuffle was “the same circus with the same clowns”.
“Queenslanders see right through this desperate attempt to reheat the chaotic Palaszczuk Labor government,” he said.
Asked whether further cabinet reshuffles were likely, Palaszczuk said there was a lot of talent on the backbench.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen between now and the election. There could become a vacancy,” she said.
“There are a lot of assistant ministers that are very capable of being ministers … they’re getting a lot of training.”
However, no backbenchers were promoted to cabinet in Thursday’s reshuffle.
