THERE has been a shake up in the Cabinet of South Australia following Member for Sturt Geoff Brock stepping down from his ministerial duties.
Mr Brock’s departure left three minister roles empty, one portfolio has been expanded and even more created.
Deputy Premier Susan Close has stepped down as Minister for Defence and Space Industries and taken on the newly created role of Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion has seen his role expanded into a new housing super portfolio that would cover all aspects of housing, housing infrastructure, urban development and planning, including the ministerial responsibilities related to the oversight of SA Water.
The coordination of these critical and connected portfolio areas under one minister was designed to ensure a focus on delivering good decisions that allow additional homes to be constructed as quickly as possible
The new Department of Housing and Urban Development will be led by David Reynolds, who is the current Department for Trade and Investment chief executive, and former Under Treasurer.
After the resignation of Mr Brock, the government will continue to have an independent voice in the cabinet, with Dan Cregan appointed as Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services as well as Special Minister of State.
As Special Minister of State, Mr Cregan will lead the government’s implementation of nation-leading political donation reform.
He will have responsibility for electoral matters more broadly, the Electoral Commission of South Australia, as well as parliamentary resources.
Minister Nat Cook has taken on a new role as Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, while retaining her Human Services portfolio.
Ministers Joe Szakacs and Tom Koutsantonis have split Mr Brock’s portfolios.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the reshuffle was to help the government capitalise on some massive opportunities.
“As a state, we are at a critical juncture,” he said.
“We have a nation-leading economy, low unemployment and a huge pipeline of work coming our way which has the capacity to result in a more complex economy, delivering better jobs and higher wages to South Australians.”
Though he said housing was a big challenge and the new housing super portfolio would help coordinate efforts.
“We are already pulling every lever to build more homes, and Minister Champion’s new housing super portfolio will give us the opportunity to make sure we are utterly co-ordinated in those efforts,” he said.
Cabinet members and their portfolios are:
Peter Malinauskas
-Premier
Susan Close
-Deputy Premier
-Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
-Minister for Climate, Environment and Water
-Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy
Kyam Maher
-Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General
-Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector
Tom Koutsantonis
-Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Energy and Mining
Stephen Mullighan
-Treasurer
-Minister for Defence and Space Industries
Zoe Bettison
-Minister for Tourism
-Minister for Multicultural Affairs
Chris Picton
-Minister for Health and Wellbeing
Katrine Hildyard
-Minister for Child Protection
-Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence
-Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing
Nat Cook
-Minister for Human Services
-Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well
Clare Scriven
-Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development
-Minister for Forest Industries
Blair Boyer
-Minister for Education, Training and Skills
Andrea Michaels
-Minister for Small and Family Business Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs
-Minister for Arts
Joe Szakacs
-Minister for Trade and Investment
-Minister for Local Government
-Minister for Veterans Affairs
Nick Champion
-Minister for Housing and Urban Development
-Minister for Housing Infrastructure
-Minister for Planning
Dan Cregan
-Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services
-Special Minister of State
Emily Bourke
-Assistant Minister for Autism
Rhiannon Pearce
-Assistant Minister for Junior Sport Participation
