THE CABINET reshuffle that followed Kevin Rudd’s return as Labor leader and Prime Minister was largely reported in the media in terms of whether Rudd’s supporters were rewarded while his opponents were punished. Other issues that gained some attention were the level of experience leaving the Cabinet due to the resignations of Julia Gillard and some of her key supporters, and the number of women promoted to Rudd’s Cabinet.
But perhaps a simpler, more relevant question is just who are the ministers and their shadow counterparts? What type of background do they have? And how does the new Cabinet compare with the Shadow Cabinet of the Coalition? The table below gives us a guide to the ministerial teams.
These teams will very likely change after the election, whichever party wins or loses. An election is the ultimate test of performance under pressure and leaders reserve the right to use the results of that test to promote good performers and demote others. And there’s also always the chance that some of the occupants of these posts might not be re-elected.
But, for now, going into the election, this is how the government and the alternative government compare in terms of key ministerial leadership position.
100% of Kevin Rudd’s Cabinet comes from one of the following five occupational backgrounds: 1) lawyer, 2) political staffer (especially electorate officers, party positions or ministerial advisers), 3) unionist (a major way into parliament through the ALP), 4) journalist or 5) lobbyist.
50% of the Coalition shadow cabinet come from just one of these occupations – lawyer. In the Coalition team, there were three who had a different occupational background: as a farm worker and accountant (Barnaby Joyce), a police officer (Peter Dutton) and a farmer and tourism board head (Warren Truss).
But on the Labor side especially, all of those who are in senior positions in the ministry, even those who have spent most of their working life in another occupation, have tended to go into some type of political staffer role just before they enter parliament. It seems insider political knowledge and networks are now almost a prerequisite for high office. Either that or the traditional route of the law.
In terms of gender equity, as has been commented on quite widely, Rudd’s cabinet has more women - six compared to just two in the Coalition team. And in terms of age, the average age of both cabinets will be over 50 years (Rudd's cabinet average age is 51, the Coalition's is 54).
Compare these data to the Australian Bureau of Statistics profile of the ‘average Australian’ - which is a 38 year old woman who is most likely to be a sales assistant, office worker or teacher. The median age for Australian men is 36 and common occupations are, again, sales assistant, along with truck driver, electrician, and retail manager.
We can see that Cabinet members come from a very different set of experiences and backgrounds.
Kevin Rudd’s Cabinet:
|
Name |
Portfolio |
Previous ministerial role(s) |
Previous occupation(s) |
|
|
Prime Minister |
|
Diplomat 1981-88; Chief of Staff to the Hon. W Goss 1988-91; Director-General, Cabinet Office (Qld) 1991-95; Senior China Consultant, KPMG Australia 1996-98. |
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Treasurer |
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Research and media officer to the Hon JA Crosio, MP 1994-95; Industrial officer, Finance Sector Union 1995-2000; Senior adviser to the Hon. PC Scully, MLA (NSW) 2000-01; Chief of Staff 2001-04. |
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Minister for Foreign Affairs |
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Journalist, ABC Current Affairs 1969-72. Education Officer, Labor Council 1972-78. Journalist, The Bulletin 1978-83. Member, Legislative Assembly (NSW) 1983-2005 (see Parliamentary service above). Consultant, Macquarie Bank 2005-12 and Mallesons 2006-12. Director, Dymocks Pty Ltd 2007-12. Director, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney 2009-12. |
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|
Minister for Trade
|
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Solicitor 1993-94. Federal Legal Officer, Transport Workers' Union of Australia (TWU) 1994-98; Federal Assistant Secretary 1998-2000. Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 2000-07. |
|
|
Attorney-General, Special Minister of State, Minister for Emergency Management, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity |
|
Field officer, Northern Land Council, Darwin 1979-81. Research Fellow, National Research Institute of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 1982. Solicitor 1982-85. Ministerial adviser to the State Attorney-General, State Minister for Planning and State Minister for Corrections (Vic.) 1985-87. Barrister 1987-2007. Appointed Queen's Counsel 1999. |
|
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Minister for Defence |
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Solicitor, lecturer and tutor 1978-83. Principal Private Secretary to the State Attorney-General, WA 1983-87. Party official 1987-90 (see Party positions above). Adviser to the Treasurer, the Hon. PJ Keating, MP 1991. Adviser to the Minister for Science and Technology, the Hon. RV Free, MP 1991. Adviser to the Prime Minister, the Hon. PJ Keating, MP 1991-92. |
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Minister for Health and Medical Research
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Women's Officer, University of Technology, Sydney. Domestic Violence Unit, NSW Ministry for the Status of Women. Electorate officer. |
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Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
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Social Welfare Officer and Research Officer, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association 1980-90; National Industrial Officer, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association 1991-95; Policy consultant. |
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Minister for Education Minister for Workplace Relations |
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Director, Australian Super (formerly Superannuation Trust Australia) 1998-2007. National Secretary, Australian Workers' Union 2001-07. Director, Victorian Funds Management Corporation 2005-07. |
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Minister for Employment,
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Union official 1986-2001. Assistant National Secretary, Australian Services Union 1993-2001. |
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Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Minister for Disability Reform
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Researcher, Australian National University 1976-78. Economics Research Specialist, Legislative Research Service, Parliamentary Library, Canberra 1978-81. Research Coordinator, Labor Resource Centre 1981-85. Adviser to the Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon. DR White, MLC 1985-88. Director, National Health Strategy 1990-93. Director, Australian Urban and Regional Development Review 1993-95. |
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Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Minister for the Arts
|
|
Sales and shop assistant 1982-91. Electorate officer to Senator GF Richardson 1993-94. Electorate officer to Senator MG Forshaw 1994-95. Director, Aticus Pty Ltd 1996-97. Union organiser, Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association 1997-2003. Member, Legislative Council (NSW) 2003-04. |
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Minister for Finance and Deregulation
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Industrial officer 1990-94; Senior Policy Adviser to the Minister for Land and Conservation (NSW), the Hon. KM Yeadon 1995-96; Barrister and solicitor 1996-1999; Legal officer 1999-2002. |
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Minister for Climate Change, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water
|
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Union official 1992-2007. |
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Minister for Resources and Energy, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Small Business
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National Secretariat, ALP (ACT) 1986-2000. Executive Director, Medical Research Foundation 2000-01. Senior Executive, Woodside Energy 2001-07. |
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Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister for Higher Education
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Teacher 1979-89 and 1992-93. Ministerial adviser and policy analyst. |
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Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Minister for Community Services, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development |
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Administrative Officer, ALP (Tas.) 1987-90. Administrative Assistant, Minister for Health's Office 1990-92. Administrative Officer, Department of Health 1992-94. Administrative Officer to the Leader of the Opposition (Tas.), the Hon. MW Field, MHA 1992-94. Electorate Officer to Senator J Coates 1995-96. Adviser to Senator SM Mackay 1996-98. Business Support Officer, Hydro Tasmania 1998. Personal Assistant and Adviser to the Premier of Tasmania, the Hon. JA Bacon, MHA 1998-2003. Manager, Ministerial Unit, Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts (Tas) 2003-05. Adviser to Senator CL Brown 2005-06. State Secretary, ALP (Tas) 2006-07. |
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Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories
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Social worker, Ballarat Children's Homes and Family Services 1988-92. Research officer to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health 1993. Industry policy officer, Australia New Zealand Food Authority 1993-94. Assistant Director, Population Health Division, Commonwealth Dept of Health and Aged Care 1997-98; Assistant Director, National Public Health Partnership. Director, Injury Prevention, Population Health Division, Commonwealth Dept of Health and Aged Care 1998-99. Senior Manager, KPMG Consulting 1999-2001. |
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Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
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Bank officer 1980-81; Research officer to the Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services, the Hon. T Uren, MP 1985-89; Party official 1989-95; Senior Policy Adviser to the Premier (NSW), the Hon. RJ Carr 1995-96. |
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Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
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Automotive electrician 1978-90. Electorate officer to EJ Fitzgibbon, MP 1990-96. Part-time TAFE lecturer. Small business operator. |
Percentage of Cabinet who are females = 6/20 (30%)
Average age = 51 years
Percentage who have previously worked as a political staffer, lawyer, unionist, journalist or lobbyist = 20/20 (100%)
Percentage who have been lawyers = 4/20 (20%)
Percentage who have been union officials = 7/20 (35%)
Tony Abbott’s Shadow Cabinet:
|
Name |
Shadow portfolio |
Previous ministerial role(s) |
Previous occupation(s) |
|
|
Prime Minister |
|
Journalist; Press secretary and political adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr JR Hewson 1990-93; Executive Director, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy 1993-94. |
|
|
Treasury |
|
Director of Policy to the Premier of New South Wales. Banking and finance lawyer, Corrs Chambers Westgarth. |
|
|
Foreign Affairs and Trade |
|
Barrister and solicitor 1979-98. Managing partner, Clayton Utz, Perth, WA 1994-98. Chair, Town Planning Appeal Tribunal of WA 1994-98. Senate Member, Murdoch University 1997-98. Director, Special Broadcasting Services Television 1997-98. Director and Fellow, Australian Institute of Management 1997-98. |
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Attorney-General, Arts |
|
Barrister from 1985. Appointed Senior Counsel, November 2006; Queen's Counsel, June 2013. |
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|
Defence |
|
Barrister and solicitor. |
|
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Health and Ageing |
|
Police officer 1990-99. Company director from 1993. |
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Employment and Workplace Relations |
|
Barrister and solicitor. |
|
|
Families, Housing and Human Services |
|
Research solicitor, Law Institute of Victoria 1980-81; Co-ordinator, Continuing Legal Education, Law Institute of Victoria 1981-83; Associate to the Hon. Sir James Gobbo, Supreme Court of Victoria 1983-85; Barrister-at-law, Victoria 1985-91. |
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Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs
|
|
Manager, Corporate Development, Shire of Hastings 1993-94. Ministerial Adviser to the State Minister for Natural Resources, the Hon. CG Coleman, MLA (Vic) 1994-96. Policy Adviser to the Federal Shadow Minister for the Environment, Senator CR Kemp 1995. |
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Climate Action, Environment and Heritage |
|
Articled Clerk, Malleson Stephen Jacques 1991-92. Associate to Chief Justice of the Australian Federal Court 1992. Fulbright Scholar and Teaching Assistant, Yale University 1992-94. Senior Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, AJG Downer, MP 1994-95. Senior Adviser to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, AJG Downer, MP 1995-96. Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. AJG Downer, MP 1996-98. Chief, Australian Electoral Observer Mission to Cambodia 1998. Senior Fellow, Centre for Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Melbourne 1998-99. Engagement Manager, McKinsey and Co 1999-2001. Director of Strategy, World Economic Forum, Geneva 2000-01. |
|
|
Regional Development, Local Government and Water
|
Farm worker 1989-91. Accountant 1991-94. Rural banker 1994-98. Self-employed accountant 1998-2005. |
|
|
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Energy and Resources |
|
Farmer. President, Queensland Graingrowers Association. President, Grains Council of Australia. |
|
|
Innovation, Industry and Science |
Solicitor and articled clerk 1995-97. Barrister 1998-2001. |
|
|
|
Productivity & Population, Immigration & Citizenship |
National Manager, Policy and Research Property Council of Australia 1989-95. Deputy Chief Executive, Australian Tourism Task Force 1995-96. General Manager, Tourism Council 1996-98. Director, NZ Office of Tourism and Sport 1998-2000. State Director, Liberal Party (NSW) 2000-04. Managing Director, Tourism Australia 2004-06. Principal, MSAS Pty Ltd 2006-07. |
|
|
|
Education, Apprenticeships and Training |
|
Research assistant to Senator AE Vanstone 1987-90. Solicitor 1991-93. |
|
|
Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction |
|
Animal health officer, Vic. Dept of Agriculture 1972-74. Agricultural economist, Vic. Dept of Agriculture 1974-79. Part-time tutor, La Trobe University 1976-79. Economist, National Farmers' Federation 1980. Executive Director, Cattle Council of Australia 1981-84. Executive Director, National Farmers' Federation 1985-88. Deputy Federal Director, Liberal Party 1988-89. Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. AS Peacock 1989-90. Federal Director, Liberal Party 1990-97. Consultant, Ammirati Puritas Lintas 1997. Senior Executive, PBL 1997-99. Board member, Sinclair Knight Merz 1998-2001. Chief Executive Officer, Acxiom Australia 1999-2001. Chairman, Acxiom Australia 2001-04. Business adviser 2001-04. |
|
|
Indigenous Affairs |
|
Graduate, Australian Rural Leadership Program. Professional fisherman and owner/operator of various marine service industries. Field assistant, geophysical observer and managerial positions in the mining industry. Company director. Chair, Northern Territory Seafood Council 1994-2001. Chair, Northern Territory Seafood and Maritime Training Advisory Board 1994-98. Chair, Australian Seafood Industry Council 1996-2001. Deputy Chair, International Coalition of Fisheries Association 1998; Chair 1999. |
|
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Infrastructure and Transport
|
|
Farmer. President, Australian Council of Rural Youth 1973-74. Member, Queensland Graingrowers' Association State Council 1979-90. Chair, Sugar Coast Burnett Regional Tourism Board 1985-89. Deputy Chair, Bulk Grains Queensland 1985-90. |
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|
Communications and Broadband |
|
Journalist 1975-79. Barrister and solicitor 1980-83 and 1986-88. Grazier 1982-2004. General Counsel and Secretary, Consolidated Press Holdings Group 1983-85. Managing Director, Turnbull and Partners Ltd 1987-97. Chairman, OzEmail Ltd 1994-99. Director, FTR Holdings Ltd 1995-2004. Chairman and Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Australia 1997-2001. Partner, Goldman Sachs and Co 1998-2001. |
|
|
Agriculture and Food Security |
|
Jackaroo, overseer and manager 1968-74. Farmer and grazier from 1976. President, NSW Farmers Association 1998-2001. |
Percentage of Cabinet who are women = 2/20 (10%)
Average age = 54 years
Percentage who have previously worked as a political staffer, lawyer, unionist or lobbyist = 17/20 (85%)
Percentage who have been lawyers = 10/20 (50%)
Sources:
Main source: Parliament of Australia biographies of Members and Senators, http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian_Search_Results?q=&mem=1&par=-1&gen=0&ps=0
And also individual members’ and senators’ websites for additional information where needed.