Revealed: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s other quiet reshuffle
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has quietly reshuffled another small team, amid a shock shake-up of her frontbench.
QLD Politics
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has quietly reshuffled her small team of “assistant ministers” amid a shock shake-up of her frontbench.
The government’s weekly gazette revealed Assistant Ministers Bart Mellish, Julieanne Gilbert, Lance McCallum and Brittany Lauga had their titles shifted around as part of the wider reshuffle.
Yeppoon-based Ms Lauga is now the Assistant Minister for Health, relinquishing education to Mackay-based Julieanne Gilbert.
Mr Mellish’s role as Assistant Minister for the Covid-19 economy was abolished and he instead takes on helping roles in veteran’s affairs and the public sector.
Ipswich-based Lance McCallum’s title was significantly shortened, though his core job remained the same. Instead of being the Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development and the now outdated 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030 he is simply the Assistant Minister for Energy.
And it can be revealed the heads of departments have had their own round of musical chairs amid the tumultuous week.
Newly minted Minister for Treaty and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Leeanne Enoch will keep her Director General, with Clare O’Connor moving with her from the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy.
This means Dr Chris Sarra, a Gurang Gurang/ Taribelang man who was heavily involved in shaping the Path to Treaty, has moved to become the Director General of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Dr Sarra takes over from Bob Gee who has moved at the Premier’s request to head up the Department of Youth Justice, Small Business and Employment.
Mark Cridland has relinquished the Department of Resources for the Department of Housing.
Warwick Agnew has moved from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training to Resources.
The rare reshuffle of the frontbench was described as a “new beginning” for the nearly decade old Labor government, with Ms Palaszczuk positioning the team to “take the fight to the LNP” at the next election — now just 17 months away.
The decision not to eject embattled frontbencher Yvette D’Ath from cabinet was derided by the Opposition as the government “reheating a bad lunch” as they labelled the reshuffle as the “same old clowns in the same old circus”.
Ms Palaszczuk said the shake-up was the “reset the government has needed”, signalling the focus was squarely on health, housing, and youth justice. “I’ve been listening out there to the community and we need to do better,” she said.
“I’ve heard this message loud and clear.
“We need to respond faster to issues we need to be collectively working together.”
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