It’s raining fewer men in Parliament today, as the Labor party is swearing in a record amount of women. “This is the largest number of women ever in an Australian cabinet with 10 women in the cabinet,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as per The Guardian. He also detailed that there are now 13 women in the ministry and 19 women frontbenchers.
“This is an exciting team, a team which is overflowing with talent, with people who are absolutely committed to making a difference,” stated Albanese.
Some of the more notable folks in this new government include Tanya Plibersek, who’s been moved from being the Shadow Education Minister to being the Environment and Water Minister. This move has been labeled as “fantastic” by the likes of Labor Environment Action Network’s Felicity Wade. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that she expressed, “Tanya is one of the most senior members of the government with a stellar track record of delivering in her portfolios. She’s well-liked, a great performer, and the environment couldn’t have done any better.”
Another significant cabinet member is Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. She is the first Aboriginal woman to be a member of the cabinet and be responsible for a federal ministry. “I feel elated and daunted at the same time,” she said, as reported by The Guardian. “I actually have a very long history in the Aboriginal affairs space. So I feel ready to take on the challenge.”
And in news that might shock former Minister for Women Tony Abbott, the Labor party hasn’t given this role to a man. The ABC has noted that Katy Gallagher now has this portfolio. She is also Minister for the Public Service and Finance Minister. Moreover, on May 23, Lawyers Weekly outlined that she was sworn in as the next Attorney-General. On May 31, she tweeted, “This is a govt that won’t waste a day when it comes to delivering on our plan for a better future for all Australians.”
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