Cabinet Unpacked: Current Cabinet Composition

Cabinet. What is it? In Australia’s Federal Parliament, Cabinet is the leading body of senior ministers which meets once a week to discuss policy issues. This includes the Prime Minister and all senior ministers, that is ministers with a ‘portfolio’. Portfolios include Climate Change and Water, Defence, Education, Trade and more.

Cabinet is considered to dominate Parliament, with most legislation passing the House of Representatives without hassle due to party solidarity, but who are these people in Cabinet? What have they done before in Parliament? Which constituency do they represent?

This series intends to give information on every current member of Federal Cabinet, including their constituency, past roles in parliament and legislation presently concerning the minister.

Below is a list of the twenty-six positions in Cabinet and which member of parliament currently holds the position:

-Prime Minister: Kevin Rudd
 
-Deputy Prime Minister: Julia Gillard
 
-Attorney-General: Robert McClelland 

-Cabinet Secretary: Joe Ludwig
 
-Special Minister of State: Joe Ludwig
 
-Treasurer: Wayne Swan 

-Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Tony Burke

-Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy: Stephen Conroy
 
-Minister for Climate Change and Water: Penny Wong
 
-Minister for Defence: John Faulkner
 
-Minister for Education: Julia Gillard
 
-Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations: Julia Gillard 

-Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts: Peter Garrett
 
-Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs: Jenny Macklin 

-Minister for Finance and Deregulation: Lindsay Tanner 

-Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law: Chris Bowen
 
-Minister for Foreign Affairs: Stephen Smith
 
-Minister for Health and Ageing: Nicola Roxon 

-Minister for Human Services: Chris Bowen
 
-Minister for Immigration and Citizenship: Chris Evans
 
-Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government: Anthony Albanese 

-Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research: Kim Carr 

-Minister for Resources and Energy: Martin Ferguson
 
-Minister for Social Inclusion: Julia Gillard 

-Minister for Tourism: Martin Ferguson
 
-Minister for Trade: Simon Crean

(Information for list of Cabinet ministers from: http://www.pm.gov.au/The_Ministry/Cabinet)