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ABC News
ABC News
National
political reporters Georgia Hitch and Jake Evans

Who's in the new Labor government cabinet? Who got what role on the frontbench?

Anthony Albanese's first ministry has some old faces and some new ones. (ABC News)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new ministry and, while a lot of the roles are going to people as expected, some election losses and cabinet shake-ups have seen new faces enter the fold. 

Here's who got what position.

Defence Minister

Richard Marles is also Deputy Prime Minister. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles previously held the employment portfolio when Labor was in opposition but was long-tipped to become defence minister if the party was elected.

Mr Marles takes the job from former shadow defence minister Brendan O'Connor, who moves into skills and training.

He replaces now-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in the role.  

Foreign Affairs Minister

Penny Wong was sworn in to her role shortly after the election. (ABC News: Tamara Penniket)

Adelaide senator Penny Wong was already sworn in as the Foreign Affairs Minister before her and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's trip to Japan for the Quad Leaders' Meeting.

She has held the shadow portfolio for six years, since July 2016, while Labor was in opposition.

Senator Wong wasted no time following her appointment, immediately travelling with the Prime Minister to Japan for a meeting of the Quad and then to Fiji, where she addressed the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Treasurer

Jim Chalmers was first elected in 2013. (ABC News: Nicholas Haggarty)

Jim Chalmers is the new Treasurer but was one of the four sworn in just after the election.

He will be responsible for handing down the Labor government's first budget later this year.

Until now, Mr Chalmers had also been acting Home Affairs Minister in the interim ministry. 

Finance Minister

Katy Gallagher has already been sworn in as the Finance Minister. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

Katy Gallagher was chief minister in the ACT before being elected as a senator in 2016.

Senator Gallagher was sworn in last week as Minister for Finance, a signal that overhauling the budget would be one of the government's first priorities.

She will also be Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Women.

Attorney-General

Mark Dreyfus held the same shadow portfolio in opposition. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Mark Dreyfus will be the Attorney-General, a move that is in line with his shadow portfolio for the last term.

It is not his first time in the position — he was also the attorney-general during Julia Gillard's government in 2013.

The Victorian MP represents the seat of Isaacs and was first elected in 2007.

Home Affairs Minister

Clare O'Neil will be responsible for aged care. (ABC News: Nicholas Haggarty)

Clare O'Neil picks up one of the most senior ministries, previously being the shadow aged care minister.

Labor was left without a home affairs minister after Kristina Keneally lost her seat in a shock defeat for the party.

She will also be the Minister for Cyber Security.

This is the Victorian MP's first position in cabinet after serving in shadow positions since 2016.

Health Minister

Mark Butler will oversee the health portfolio. (ABC News: Nicholas Haggarty)

Mark Butler will become the Minister for Health and Aged Care, previously held by retiring Liberal MP Greg Hunt.

In his role, he will be responsible for the ongoing management of the COVID pandemic, including future vaccines or outbreaks.

Mr Butler is tasked with implementing one of Labor's key election promises — improving and reforming the aged care system, including providing nurses around the clock.

He will also face pressure from state and territory governments to permanently increase hospital funding.

Indigenous Australians Minister

Linda Burney is the first female Indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

Indigenous MP Linda Burney will take on one of her shadow portfolios as Minister for Indigenous Australians, but is not keeping her other shadow portfolio of Minister for Families and Social Services.

The Prime Minister has made clear implementing the Uluru Statement is one of his government's priorities and will be a key task for Ms Burney.

Senator Pat Dodson won't be in the ministry but has been tasked with assisting Ms Burney on the Uluru Statement

She is one of six First Nations MPs within the Labor caucus. 

Education Minister

Labor MP Jason Clare. (News Video)

Jason Clare, who hails from Western Sydney, was minister for home affairs and justice minister when Labor was last in government.

He takes the education portfolio from Tanya Plibersek, as housing moves to Julie Collins.

Resources Minister

Madeleine King was first elected in 2016. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Madeleine King will be Resources Minister, as well as representing the Northern Australia portfolio.

The West Australian MP was first elected in 2016 and has been in the shadow ministry since 2018.

Climate Change and Energy Minister

Chris Bowen will be responsible for implementing Labor's climate plan. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

Chris Bowen will be the new Minister for Climate Change and Energy and will be tasked with implementing the government's 2030 target of 43 per cent emissions reduction.

Given the makeup of the parliament and the presence of more Greens and pro-climate action independent MPs, it's likely the government will face pressure to go further than its election commitments.

Mr Bowen will have to navigate that environment and how Labor remains true to its campaign promises while working with the crossbench, particularly in the Senate, to pass legislation.

Environment and Water Minister

Tanya Plibersek was a cabinet minister under the last Labor government. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)

Tanya Plibersek shifts from her long-held position of education to become Environment and Water Minister

She previously held the status of women portfolio between 2007 and 2010 before moving on to become health minister.

The NSW MP was first elected to parliament in 1998.

NDIS Minister

Bill Shorten has held the shadow NDIS minister portfolio for a number of years. (ABC News: Nicholas Haggarty)

Bill Shorten will become the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme as well as the Minister for Government Services.

As well as overseeing the rapidly expanding scheme, which currently costs more than Medicare, the former Labor leader has also been vocal in his criticism of the previous government's so-called robodebt scheme.

During the campaign Labor promised to set up a royal commission into the scheme if elected, a process Mr Shorten will oversee.

Housing and Small Business Minister

Labor's Julie Collins. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)

Tasmanian MP Julie Collins will be Labor's Housing and Homelessness Minister, and Minister for Small Business

She has previously served in cabinet as housing minister in the dying months of the last Labor government.

Industry and Science Minister

Ed Husic will be responsible for industry and innovation. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Ed Husic will serve as the Minister for Industry and Science.

The NSW MP was first elected in 2010 and has served in a number of shadow ministry roles, including human services, agriculture and the digital economy.

Mr Husic will be the first Muslim cabinet minister in Australian history. 

Trade and Tourism Minister

Labor MP Don Farrell. (ABC)

Don Farrell is the new Trade and Tourism Minister as well as Special Minister of State.

His previous role in opposition as shadow minister for sport has been moved out of cabinet.

Senator Farrell has been in the parliament since 2008 and is one of several cabinet ministers with previous experience as a government minister.

He was sports minister towards the end of Labor's last term in government and lost his seat at that election.

He re-entered parliament in 2016 and returned to the Labor shadow frontbench.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister

Labor MP Catherine King. (AAP: Alan Porritt)

Catherine King is another Labor MP with previous cabinet experience, serving briefly in cabinet as minister for regional Australia, local government and territories before being forced into opposition.

She will hold the infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government portfolio.

Skills and Training Minister

Brendan O'Connor was Labor's shadow defence minister. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Brendan O'Connor held the shadow defence portfolio but has moved into the skills and training ministry to make way for Richard Marles to take up defence.

He's returning to the portfolio after previously serving as skills and training minister when Labor was last in government.

He has been in parliament since 2001.

Communications Minister

Michelle Rowland was shadow communications minister. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Michelle Rowland is one of only a few of Mr Albanese's new cabinet who has never held a ministry in government.

She retains the communications portfolio, which she represented for Labor while it was in Opposition.

Agriculture Minister

Murray Watt enters cabinet for the first time. (ABC News: Marco Catalano)

Murray Watt enters cabinet as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management.

Senator Watt was elected to the Senate for Queensland in 2016 and held the shadow portfolios for emergency management and Queensland resources before the election.

Social Services Minister

Amanda Rishworth was shadow minister for early childhood education. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

South Australian Amanda Rishworth will take on the Social Services portfolio in cabinet.

The youth and early childhood education portfolio that she held as a shadow minister has been taken out of cabinet.

Ms Rishworth has been an MP since 2007, representing the SA seat of Kingston.

Employment and Arts Minister

Labor MP Tony Burke. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Tony Burke keeps his portfolios of employment and workplace relations, as well as the arts ministry, which he held while in Opposition.

Mr Burke will also be Leader of the House of Representatives.

He has extensive experience as a minister and has been in Labor cabinets since Kevin Rudd's first term of government in 2007.

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