Are you ready for a reshuffle?
When the Government says they’re going to do a ‘reshuffle’, they don’t mean dance moves (unfortunately). We’re going to give you a starter kit on everything you need to know about what a Cabinet reshuffle is.
Let’s start with some key titles and phrases before we get into it:
Who are the Frontbenchers?
Frontbenchers (when referring to the Government) are the most senior members of Parliament from the governing party (which is the Liberal/National Coalition). They are Ministers that have been assigned a ‘portfolio’ (which is an area of government they are responsible for). Examples of portfolios are health, defence, education, and foreign affairs. In the Senate and the House of Representatives, they are responsible for introducing bills and answering questions during question time. If you were to ever watch Parliament while in action, you would see the frontbenchers sitting — you guessed it, at the front.
Then who sits at the back?
Backbenchers! Their roles in the Senate and the House of Representatives are primarily debating and voting on bills (that are introduced by the frontbenchers), as well as bringing issues from their electorates or state to Parliament's attention.
Now keep those titles and roles in mind for this next bit. Let’s get into the ‘reshuffle’.
Sometimes, there is a major reshuffle and lots of portfolios are changed. Other times, there can be minor reshuffles where a Minister simply gains or loses parts of their portfolio.
Why would the Prime Minister reshuffle though?
The PM may announce a reshuffle for a number of reasons. Sometimes (as it was in December) it’s because someone has resigned and their portfolio has become vacant. Other times (as is the case now) controversies are plaguing certain Ministers.
We are hearing it is likely that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce a reshuffle soon, with Attorney-General Christian Porter, and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, Linda Reynolds, to lose parts of their portfolios.
If this reshuffle goes ahead, it will be the Prime Minister’s second reshuffle in three months.
But if it means the best people are in those roles, isn’t reshuffling a good thing then?
Well, yes and no. Yes, it’s important to ensure that the best people are in those positions, and removing anyone who consistently underperforms, or is in the midst of a controversy is important. When reshuffles occur regularly however, the continuity of a portfolio’s relevant legislation is sometimes challenged. In some cases, like in the case of Porter’s industrial relations legislation, Ministers spend months negotiating with other parties and stakeholders to reach consensus on a bill. That work can be made more difficult when there are constant changes to the decision maker for that issue.
Reshuffling is certainly not a foreign concept for the Prime Minister, and it will be interesting to see what decision he makes over the coming days and weeks.