The blabbering minstrel debuts

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At the Herald Sun no less:

SCOTT Morrison says he will be a “fresh and optimistic” Prime Minister.

In an exclusive sit-down interview — his first since becoming Prime Minister — the former treasurer admits his party must heal but vows to fight Bill Shorten on fairness.

“Fairness means many different things to many different people but to me it means that if you have a go, you’ll get a go,” Mr Morrison said.

“That’s what we bring to the world, that optimistic attitude where everyone can have a go.

“A fair go doesn’t mean everybody gets the same things, a fair go assumes you are going to have that go.”

He’s fun, he’s homey and he can talk under wet cement without saying a damn thing.

Welcome to the rule of the blabbering minstrel.

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Here’s the full circus:

Scott Morrison – prime minister

Josh Frydenberg – treasurer

Marise Payne – foreign affairs

David Coleman – immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs

Peter Dutton – home affairs

Melissa Price – environment

Dan Tehan – Education

Michael McCormack – deputy prime minister, infrastructure, transport, regional development

Michael Keenan – human services, digital transformation

Bridget McKenzie – regional services, sport, local government, decentralisation

Christopher Pyne – defence

Steve Ciobo – defence industry

Darren Chester – veterans’ affairs, defence personnel, minister assisting the prime minister for the centenary of Anzac

Simon Birmingham – trade, tourism, investment

Christian Porter – attorney general

Alex Hawke – special minister of state

Mathias Cormann – finance, public service, leader of the government in the Senate

Greg Hunt – health

Matt Canavan – resources and northern Australia

David Littleproud – agriculture; water

Kelly O’Dwyer – jobs, industrial relations and women

Michaelia Cash – small and family business, skills and vocational education

Karen Andrews – industry, science and technology

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Paul Fletcher – families and social services

Angus Taylor – energy

Ken Wyatt – senior Australians and aged care; Indigenous health

Alan Tudge – cities, urban infrastructure and population

The ABC wraps the big changes:

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced his new ministry with former defence minister Marise Payne replacing Julie Bishop who announced she would quit as Foreign Affairs Minister.

The former deputy Liberal leader said she will stay on as an MP.

Mr Morrison’s other challenger for the leadership, Peter Dutton, will keep his job as Home Affairs Minister but it has been split to separate Immigration, with that job going to David Coleman.

“David has a keen understanding of the many different backgrounds and the many different issues that need to be managed to ensure that Australians who have come from so many backgrounds get that fair go I spoke of,” Mr Morrison said.

He said his team was chosen to ensure stability but also to “begin the work of healing that is needed” after the leadership change.

Mr Morrison has announced Christopher Pyne will replace Senator Payne as Defence Minister and Steve Ciobo steps into the Defence Industry role.

Simon Birmingham will take over Mr Ciobo’s former job as Trade Minister.

Mr Morrison has split the Energy and Environment role into two separate ministries, Melissa Price has been promoted into Cabinet and becomes Environment Minister.

Angus Taylor, who was among those who backed Mr Dutton in the leadership challenge, has been given the Energy role.

“The Minister for getting electricity prices down, also to be known as the Minister for Energy, will Angus Taylor,” Mr Morrison said.

“I’m looking for more and new innovative ways for Angus Taylor to bring a greater opportunity to bring the prices down and I’m sure he will be doing that,” Mr Morrison said.

He cited price and reliability but did not mention emissions reduction as part of the Minister’s task.

The PM has appointed Dan Tehan as the new Education Minister.

He will be tasked with helping to resolve the ongoing row with the Catholic sector about school funding.

“In terms of education, there are some clear issues that we are still seeking to resolve.

“I can assure you that Dan will pick up the work that was being done by Senator Birmingham to ensure that we can move quickly to resolve any concerns that have been raised,” he said.

Mr Morrison had already announced his new deputy Josh Frydenberg will be Treasurer.

There is a new role for former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce as special envoy for drought assistance and recovery.

“We have an ability for our members who have served in leadership roles in the past to be drawn on, to engage with Australians on some of these big challenges,” Mr Morrison said.

“I am pleased that Barnaby has agreed to take on the role.”

He has indicated former PM Tony Abbott could also have a similar job but that has not been settled yet.

In a sign of the ongoing policy tension, Nationals MP Keith Pitt has announced he has resigned from the ministry because of his concerns over energy prices.

Former frontbencher Craig Laundy asked not to be considered for the ministry.

After Malcolm Turnbull had been under pressure to announce a population policy, Mr Morrison announced that Alan Tudge will have population added to his Cities and Urban Infrastructure portfolio.

He has also elevated industrial relations to Cabinet with Kelly O’Dwyer in charge, calling it a big signal about “how important we think it is to productivity”.

Nothing for Tony Abbott except, perhaps, the agenda. The personnel changes suggest a coal war on energy; a culture war on immigration and lot’s of focus on drought.

Beyond that who knows?

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About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal. He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.