Canberra: The new Australian government’s ministry has officially been sworn in.
The 30 members of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s frontbench, which includes a record-breaking 13 women, were sworn-in to their portfolios by Governor-General David Hurley at the Government House in Canberra, Xinhua news agency reported.
Of the 30, 23 will serve in Albanese’s cabinet, the innermost sanctum of the government where major policy decisions are made.
Wednesday morning’s ceremony made history, with Ed Husic and Anne Aly sworn-in as Australia’s first Muslim federal ministers and Linda Burney becoming the first Indigenous woman to serve as Minister for Indigenous Australians.
It comes 11 days after Albanese’s Labor Party claimed victory in the general elections on May 21.
A core team consisting of Albanese, Deputy PM Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher were previously sworn in on May 23, allowing them to work in the meantime.
On Wednesday they were re-sworn in, with Marles moving from the employment to defense portfolio and Gallagher adding the roles of Minister for Public Service and Minister for Women.
Announcing the ministry on Tuesday night, Albanese said it was “as inclusive as Australia itself.”
Ten of 23 cabinet ministers are women.
“This is the largest number of women who have ever served in an Australian cabinet,” he said.
“We have an overflow of talent on our side of the parliament … It’s the most experienced incoming Labor government in our history since federation.”
Mark Butler, who served as a minister in the last Labor government between 2010 and 2013, was sworn in as the Minister for Health and Aged Care, and Bill Shorten, Albanese’s predecessor as party leader, as the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Minister for Government Services.
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