Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced changes to his Cabinet and Ministry, with new relevant Minsters being welcomed by the Australian Hotels Association (AHA).
The changes have seen Tony Burke become Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for the Arts and Leader of the House. In addition, Matt Thistlethwaite will become the assistant minister for immigration and Senator Murray Watt will take on the employment and workplace relations portfolio.
In announcing the changes, the Prime Minister said: “Tony, of course, is a senior Minister who’s been focused on a range of portfolios, has done a great job in Employment and Workplace Relations. He has held similar portfolios in the past and he’s someone who will bring that experience to what remains a challenging portfolio.
“Murray will continue the important work in this portfolio, including the commitments that we spoke about yesterday at the state conference of the ALP about Same Job, Same Pay, and also will be the lead Minister in Cabinet, of course, responsible for Skills and Training.”
In welcoming the appointments, AHA CEO Stephen Ferguson said: “Minister Burke worked closely with the AHA on ensuring casual workers could remain casual under the recent Closing Loopholes amendments.
“Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite is a strong supporter of hotels and the roles they play in local communities.
“Likewise, Minister Watt understands the important role pubs play in regional areas in particular, and we are excited about the potential for further strengthening our industry under his guidance.
“We look forward to working closely with them as we approach the upcoming election.
“The AHA also thanks outgoing Immigration Minister Andrew Giles for his service and we look forward to continuing our work with him in his new portfolio of Skills and Training.”
