Australia’s new cabinet has been formed following the general election and would be sworn in on May 13, reelected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday.
“I intend to recommend to the governor general, Her Excellency Sam Mostyn, the following makeup of the ministry to be sworn in tomorrow at 9 a.m. (23:00 GMT).
“It will be followed by a full ministry meeting here in Parliament House,’’ Albanese told a briefing.
The process of distributing ministerial portfolios occurred in the normal way of the caucus, Albanese added.
The Australian Labour Party secured 92 seats in the parliament’s lower house, the highest in the party’s history, and is expected to hold at least 28 seats in the upper house, the prime minister said.
Albanese said that the key ministerial positions from the previous cabinet would be retained by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Others are Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Tony Burke and Education Minister Jason Clare.
At the same time, the prime minister made a number of changes to ministerial portfolios.
In particular, the position of attorney-general of Australia would be taken by former Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, while former Minister for Employment.
Workplace Relations Murray Watt will head the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.
Australia’s general election was held on May 3.
The ruling Australian Labour Party won 92 out of 150 seats in the parliament’s lower house.
It allows Albanese to once again take the post of prime minister and form a new government with members of his faction for the next three years.
The leader of Australia’s Liberal-National Coalition, Peter Dutton, admitted the opposition’s defeat and congratulated Albanese on his victory. (RIA/NAN)
