Turnbull shores up ranks for election

Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has shored up his cabinet ranks for election year, with a younger look, and increased National Party and female presence.

Mr Turnbull was forced to rejig his front bench following the retirement announcements of deputy prime minister Warren Truss and trade minister Andrew Robb, as well as resignations of minister of state Mal Brough and junior ministers Stuart Robert and Jamie Briggs.

Cabinet has been expanded by one to 22, with the Nationals getting a fourth seat at the table as Mr Turnbull banks on his Coalition partners campaigning strongly in regional Australia at this year's general election.

New deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash becomes the sixth woman in cabinet and the front bench gets fresher faces as Queensland Liberal Steve Ciobo, 41, takes over as trade minister from Mr Robb and Victorian Nationals' Darren Chester, 48, assumes the infrastructure and transport portfolios from Mr Truss.

But fellow National Luke Hartsuyker was a surprise casualty, being dumped from the wider ministerial lineup Mr Turnbull named yesterday.

The Prime Minister described it as a "dynamic team which combines youth, new talent, experience, continuity, and a real sense of innovation and enterprise".

Senator Nash adds regional development and regional communications responsibilities to her rural health portfolio.

Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has been promoted to the outer ministry, with international development and Pacific portfolios.

"I note for those of you who keep the score on these things, there are six women in the cabinet and 10 in the executive," Mr Turnbull told reporters on Saturday.

"Both deputy leaders (of) the Liberal and the National Party are women for the first time in the Coalition's history."

Liberal Senator Scott Ryan replaces Mr Hartsuyker as vocational and skills minister and former assistant minister Alan Tudge is promoted to minister for human services. Backbencher Dan Tehan has been promoted as defence material and veterans services minister, and Rockhampton-based backbencher Matt Canavan is now minister for Northern Australia.

Mr Turnbull has given other backbenchers Angus Taylor, Jane Prentice, Craig Laundy and Keith Pitt the chance to prove themselves with roles as assistant ministers.

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