Australia news live: Anthony Albanese says Tanya Plibersek ‘very positive’ about new role after being shifted from environment portfolio
Plibersek ‘very positive’ about moving from environment to social services, PM says
The PM opens to questions, and the first two questions are about Asked Pliberswho has just lost her environment portfolio to take up social services.
Asked if he sees Plibsk having that role until we next go to the election, Albanese says:
I am just announcing it today. You are asking me of people moving on. This is the ministry that I am announcing today. I hope it continues for three years across the board.
He said Plibersek was “very positive” about the portfolio.
Key events
The Australian Conservation Foundation has congratulated Murray Watt on being appointed the new minister for environment and water, while urging Labor to “get on with the job” of reform.
Its Ceo, Kelly O’Shanassysaid nature in Australia was “under intense pressure and the national nature law is not working”.
The Albanese government went to the 2022 election promising thorough reform of the law. That promise remains unfulfilled. It’s time to get on with the job.
There can be no more delays, caving to lobby groups and carving out industries: the Albanese government must fix Australia’s nature laws in the first year of this term of parliament.
O'shancey also sorasis Chris Bowenwho was returned as climate and energy minister, to continue to coordinate the clean energy transition.
At the 2025 election voters chose renewables, storage and climate solutions over nuclear delay and distraction … It will be crucial for this government to stop approving new coal and gas if Australia is to be a credible host of a climate COP next year.
Stephanie Convery
I’m going to hand you over to my lovely colleague Caitlin Cassidy now, who will take you through the rest of this afternoon’s news.
And if you had trouble keeping up with all those ministry announcements and would just like the summary version, here’s our full report:
Free trade agreement discussion expected while Albanese is in the Vatican
The prime minister says he expects to discuss tariffs with other world leaders while he visits the Vatican for the new pope’s inauguration.
Albanese says:
We tried to have a free trade agreement with Europe, and it will be good to have a discussion further about whether that can be advanced. We chose not to conclude that because it wasn’t in Australia’s national interest, but quite clearly in today’s uncertain world, with tariffs and trade issues being so central, no doubt there will be discussions.
And I will take the opportunity as well as having what will be an incredible honour for me, I have got to say. It was Mother’s Day yesterday, and … my mum would be pretty chuffed at the idea that her son will be going as prime minister to see the inauguration of a pope in the Vatican City.
PM says he will attend inauguration of Pope Leo XIV
Albanese has confirmed has been invited to the inauguration of the new pope this week and intends to attend.
Albanese says:
I have been invited to the formal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. It is taking place on Sunday.
My intention – we are sorting out logistics at the moment – is to travel from Jakarta to Rome and to the Vatican City to be able to attend and represent Australia at that event which will be so important for Catholics around the world and those of faith here in Australia as well.
Josh Butler
There’s also a number of interesting assistant ministry and envoy roles announced.
And repacholithe towering Hunter MP, gets an envoy role responsible for men’s health after starting some national conversations on that issue in his first term; Josh Burnsthe well-regarded third-termer, will be special envoy for social housing and homelessness, issues he’s strongly advocated for in his Melbourne seat.
Rebecca Whitethe former Tasmanian Labor leader, comes right into the ministry as the assistant for health, Indigenous health and women. Peter Khalil is the new assistant defence minister, while popular Queenslander Nita Green becomes the assistant minister for tourism, the Pacific and northern Australia.
Andrew Charltonthe rising economic star, is the new cabinet secretary and assistant minister for science and technology.
Anika Wells’ portfolios a ‘natural fit’ as commonwealth responsible for sport infrastructure, PM says
My colleague Josh Butler has asked the prime minister about Anika Wells being given the communications and sport portfolios.
He asks:
Is that a circuit-breaker to get through some further restrictions or further reforms on gambling advertising? And as she will also have to implement the under-16 social media ban later in the year, is the prime minister confident that age assurance trial is running as it should be?
Albanese responds to the second but doesn’t address the first question:
I am [confident in Anika]. We’re putting sport with infrastructure. It is one of the changes that we will make to put sport across from health. The commonwealth’s major responsibility for sport is essentially infrastructure. It will go in the department that includes infrastructure, includes communications and will include sport. It was a natural fit to have Anika Wells. There is this thing happening in 2032 in Brisbane and that will be a big focus of sporting activity leading up to then and Anika has played a really important role as well as a Queenslander in getting that together and that will be an important part of her remit and we want continuity there.
Josh Butler
Rising stars of Labor left enter cabinet in important roles
Some additional changes beyond what we expected in this ministry change.
Murray Wattthe well-regarded Queensland left senator, will follow his work in the tricky employment portfolio by having to take on the tricky task of shepherding through the “nature positive” changes and Labor’s plan for an environmental protection agency.
The former environment minister Asked Pliberswho was unable to get those changes through, will get another challenging portfolio in social services. Mark Butler will get the NDIS in this reshuffle, where he’ll work with Plibersek in responding to disability portfolio issues.
Anne Aly and Tim Ayrestwo rising stars of the left, also enter cabinet in important portfolios – Ayres taking Ed Husic’s portfolio of industry, and Aly taking small business as well as multicultural affairs.
Albanese says home affairs and attorney general’s department will continue to be same
Asked if the attorney general’s department and home affairs will still be the same thing, Albanese says it will, and “we will have some cross-swearing in so that people can work seamlessly on it”.
He says:
We want to make sure that people can have access to all of the information at the appropriate time. There were issues arose out of information-sharing during the caravan incident, let’s call it, and we want to make sure we get it right and learn from that experience.
The “caravan incident” he’s referring to is, of course, this one:
PM expresses confidence in Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister to manage NDIS
Albanese is asked about the NDIS portfolio in the wake of Bill Shorten leaving politics. Shorten, in this question, was characterised as “someone who was also very hardline when it came to some of the misuse and abuse of the NDIS”.
Albanese says the NDIS is moving into the overall health portfolio and that:
Mark Butler has a great interest in this area. He has had an interest for a long period of time, but Jenny McAllister has shown in the work that she has done in emergency management, in the short period of time that she has been in the ministry, [that] she is someone who has a capacity to have a great attention to detail and that is precisely what’s required when it comes to the reform of the NDIS.
We want to make sure that the NDIS fulfils what its intention was, that everyone has the best opportunity to contribute to Australian society and that people with a disability don’t get left behind. But we also want … some of the activity that we’ve seen, that Bill Shorten began, making sure that some of that waste and inefficiencies weren’t there, because that’s not serving the people with disability. I am very confident that Mark and Jenny are ideally suited to perform that task.
Plibersek ‘very positive’ about moving from environment to social services, PM says
The PM opens to questions, and the first two questions are about Asked Pliberswho has just lost her environment portfolio to take up social services.
Asked if he sees Plibsk having that role until we next go to the election, Albanese says:
I am just announcing it today. You are asking me of people moving on. This is the ministry that I am announcing today. I hope it continues for three years across the board.
He said Plibersek was “very positive” about the portfolio.
