Abbott ministry explained
The Abbott ministry (Liberal–National Coalition) was the 68th ministry of the Government of Australia. It succeeded the Second Rudd Ministry after a federal election that took place on 7 September 2013. It was led by Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.
Abbott announced his first ministry on 16 September 2013,[1] and the ministry was sworn in by the Governor-General on 18 September.[2] Abbott expressed regret at the low number of women in cabinet, but still received strong criticism on the lack of female representation in the ministry, including from members of his own party.[3] Abbott added a second woman to his cabinet in Sussan Ley following a reshuffle announced on 21 December 2014, and sworn in on 23 December.[4] [5] [6] [7]
Following the defeat of Abbott by Malcolm Turnbull in the Liberal leadership spill of 14 September 2015,[8] the ministry was replaced by the First Turnbull Ministry.
First Arrangement
The initial arrangement of the Abbott ministry remained virtually unchanged from the initial swearing-in of the Cabinet on 18 September 2013 until the reshuffle that was announced on 23 December 2014.
Cabinet
Outer Ministry
Party | Minister | Portfolio |
---|
| Liberal | Senator Mitch Fifield |
|
| National | | - Assistant Minister for Health
- Deputy Leader of The Nationals in The Senate
|
| National | | - Assistant Minister for Employment
- Deputy Leader of the House
|
| Liberal | Senator Michael Ronaldson |
|
| Liberal | | - Assistant Minister for Education
|
| Liberal | Senator Marise Payne |
|
| Liberal | |
|
| LNP | | - Assistant Minister for Defence
|
| Liberal | Senator Michaelia Cash |
|
| Liberal | | - Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
|
| Liberal | |
| |
Parliamentary Secretaries
Party | Minister | Portfolio |
---|
| Liberal | Senator Richard Colbeck | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
|
| LNP | Senator Brett Mason | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
|
| LNP | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer
|
| Liberal | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services
|
| Liberal | Senator Simon Birmingham | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
|
| Liberal | Senator Scott Ryan | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education
|
| National | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
|
| National | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
| |
Second Arrangement
The second arrangement of the Abbott ministry was sworn in on 23 December 2014 following a reshuffle announced on 21 December.
Cabinet
Party | Minister | Portfolio |
---|
| Liberal | Tony Abbott | - Prime Minister
- Leader of the Liberal Party
|
| LNP | Warren Truss | - Deputy Prime Minister
- Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
- Leader of the Nationals
|
| Liberal | Julie Bishop | - Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
|
| Liberal | Senator Eric Abetz | - Minister for Employment
- Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Public Service
- Leader of the Government in the Senate
|
| LNP | Senator George Brandis | - Attorney-General
- Minister for the Arts
- Vice-President of the Executive Council
- Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
|
| Liberal | Joe Hockey |
|
| National | Barnaby Joyce | - Minister for Agriculture
- Deputy Leader of the Nationals
|
| Liberal | Christopher Pyne |
|
| CLP | Senator Nigel Scullion | - Minister for Indigenous Affairs
- Leader of the Nationals in the Senate
|
| LNP | Ian Macfarlane |
|
| Liberal | Scott Morrison | - Minister for Social Services
|
| Liberal | Malcolm Turnbull | - Minister for Communications
|
| Liberal | Sussan Ley | - Minister for Health
- Minister for Sport
|
| Liberal | Bruce Billson | - Minister for Small Business
|
| Liberal | Andrew Robb | - Minister for Trade and Investment
|
| Liberal | Kevin Andrews |
|
| Liberal | Greg Hunt | - Minister for the Environment
|
| LNP | Peter Dutton | - Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
|
| Liberal | Senator Mathias Cormann |
| |
Outer Ministry
Party | Minister | Portfolio |
---|
| Liberal | Senator Mitch Fifield | - Assistant Minister for Social Services
- Manager of Government Business in the Senate
|
| National | Senator Fiona Nash | - Assistant Minister for Health
- Deputy Leader of The Nationals in The Senate
|
| National | Luke Hartsuyker | - Assistant Minister for Employment
- Deputy Leader of the House
|
| Liberal | Senator Michael Ronaldson | - Minister for Veterans' Affairs
- Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC
- Special Minister of State
|
| Liberal | Senator Simon Birmingham | - Assistant Minister for Education and Training
|
| Liberal | Senator Marise Payne | - Minister for Human Services
|
| Liberal | Michael Keenan |
|
| LNP | Stuart Robert | - Assistant Minister for Defence
|
| Liberal | Senator Michaelia Cash | - Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
- Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women
|
| Liberal | Jamie Briggs | - Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
|
| Liberal | Josh Frydenberg |
| |
Parliamentary Secretaries
Party | Minister | Portfolio |
---|
| Liberal | Senator Richard Colbeck | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture
|
| LNP | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science
|
| LNP | Steven Ciobo | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Investment
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer
|
| Liberal | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services
|
| Liberal | Bob Baldwin | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
|
| Liberal | Senator Scott Ryan | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training
|
| National | Darren Chester | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
|
| Liberal | Paul Fletcher | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications
|
| Liberal | | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
|
| Liberal | Alan Tudge | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
|
| National | Michael McCormack | - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
| |
Whips
House of Representatives
First Arrangement
Party | Whip | Title |
---|
| Liberal | | - Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives
|
| Liberal | | - Government Whip in House of Representatives
|
| LNP | |
| National | | - Nationals Chief Whip in the House of Representatives
|
| LNP | | - Nationals Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives
| |
Second Arrangement
The whips of the House of Representatives were rearranged following Tony Abbott's sacking of Phillip Ruddock on 13 February 2015.
Party | Whip | Title |
---|
| LNP | Scott Buchholz | - Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives
|
| Liberal | Nola Marino | - Government Whip in House of Representatives
|
| Liberal | |
| National | Mark Coulton | - Nationals Chief Whip in the House of Representatives
|
| LNP | George Christensen | - Nationals Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives
| |
Senate
See also
Notes
a Senator Arthur Sinodinos stepped down from his position as Assistant Treasurer on 19 March 2014 while his possible involvement in alleged corruption in New South Wales were being investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. During this period, Sinodinos' duties were partially fulfilled by Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann. Sinodinos officially resigned as Assistant Treasurer on 19 December 2014.
b Malcolm Turnbull resigned as Minister for Communications on 14 September 2015 with the intent of challenging Tony Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party. In the ballot held later that evening, Turnbull was elected to the leadership.
Notes and References
- News: Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry. 16 September 2013. The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 2013.
- Web site: Abbott Ministry . . . 18 September 2013 . 22 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130926165842/http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/ministry_list_20130918.pdf . 26 September 2013 .
- News: Crowe. David. Liberals' 'despair' at jobs for boys. 17 September 2013. The Australian. 17 September 2013.
- News: Tony Abbott's revamped Ministry sworn in at Government House. news.com.au. News Corp Australia. 23 December 2014. 23 December 2014. 14 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150914052514/http://www.news.com.au/national/tony-abbotts-revamped-ministry-sworn-in-at-government-house/story-fncynjr2-1227164880085. dead.
- Web site: Cabinet reshuffle: Tony Abbott promotes Sussan Ley to Health, David Johnston axed. News.com.au. 21 December 2014. 21 December 2014.
- News: The shape of things to come: New Health Minister Sussan Ley's 'slush fund' speech shows she has fight. Chung, Frank. 21 December 2014. 21 December 2014. News.com.au.
- News: Tony Abbott cabinet reshuffle moves Scott Morrison out of immigration. 21 December 2014. 21 December 2014. Taylor, Lenore. Guardian Australia.
- (14 September 2015). "Malcolm Turnbull wins Liberal leadership ballot over Tony Abbott" – ABC News. Retrieved 14 September 2015.