During the election campaign, Tony Abbott made much of the fact he would take a stable team into government, if elected. So who is in Team Abbott?
The Cabinet
Tony Abbott – Prime Minister Has led the Coalition since 1 December 2009. Was a senior member of the Howard Government. Has been member for Warringah, on Sydney’s North Shore, since 1994.
Warren Truss – Deputy Prime Minister, Infrastructure and Transport Has represented the seat of Wide Bay in southern Queensland since 1990. Is known for being quietly spoken and shunning the limelight. Was Minister for Trade in the Howard Government.
Julie Bishop – Foreign Affairs and Trade WA-based MP for Curtin is the Deputy Liberal Party Leader. Was Minister for Education, Science and Training and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Women’s Issues in the Howard Government.
Joe Hockey – Treasurer Has been the member for North Sydney since 1996. Held a number of Ministries in the Howard Government. His father was born in Bethlehem of Armenian and Palestinian parentage.
Eric Abetz – Employment and Workplace Relations The Liberal Senator for Tasmania serves as the Coalition’s Leader in the Senate. Held a number of ministries in the Howard Government. Was a lawyer before becoming a politician and was born in Germany.
George Brandis – Attorney General, Arts Was elected as a Senator for Queensland in 2002. Served as Minister for Arts and Sport in the Howard Government.
Christopher Pyne – Education Has been the member for Sturt in South Australia for two decades, having been elected as a 25-year-old. Served as Minister for Ageing in the closing stages of the Howard Government. Has four children and is an AFL fan.
Kevin Andrews – Families, Housing and Human Services Has been the member for Menzies in Victoria in 1991. Held a number of ministries in the Howard Government. Has five children and describes himself as an avid cyclist.
Bruce Billson – Small Business, Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs Became the member for Dunkley in Victoria in 1996. Served in Defence portfolios in the Howard Government.
Nigel Scullion – Indigenous Affairs NT Senator is the Deputy Leader of The Nationals. Was the Minister for Community Services in the Howard Government. Was born in England, spent time in Malaysia and Africa but moved to the NT in 1985.
Barnaby Joyce – Regional Development, Local Government and Water Has successfully moved from the Senate to win the seat of New England in NSW, vacated by Independent Tony Windsor. Ran his own accountancy firm in the western Queensland town of St George for a decade.
Ian Macfarlane – Energy and Resources Has held the seat of Groom, in southern Queensland, since 1998. Served as a minister in the Howard Government.
David Johnston – Defence Was elected as a Senator for WA in 2001. Was Minister for Justice and Customs in the final year of the Howard Government. Is a former lawyer, has worked in both Perth and Kalgoorlie and is a West Coast Eagles AFL fan.
Malcolm Turnbull – Communications and Broadband Has been the member for Wentworth since 2004. Was deposed as Liberal Leader by Tony Abbott by a single vote in 2009. Had a successful life before entering politics, working as a journalist and a lawyer before becoming a businessman.
Peter Dutton – Health and Ageing Became the member for Dickson in Brisbane’s north in 2001, defeating Cheryl Kernot. Served as Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer in the Howard Government. Was a police officer before entering parliament and is the father to three young children.
Greg Hunt – Climate Action, Environment and Heritage Has been the member for Flinders in Victoria since 2001. His father, Alan, was a state politician for more than 30 years. Is a keen sportsman who runs marathons, and enjoys ocean swimming.
Scott Morrison – Productivity and Population, Immigration and Citizenship Was the MD of Tourism Australia before becoming the MP for Cook, in NSW, in 2007. Has had a high-profile during the Coalition’s time in Opposition as the spokesman on immigration.
Sophie Mirabella – Innovation, Industry and Science Has been the member for Indi, in north-western Victoria, since 2001. Her parents were Greek migrants and she spent her teenage years working in the family milk bar. Worked as a barrister before becoming a politician. At time of writing, Sophie Mirabella’s seat of Indi was still in doubt
John Cobb – Agriculture and Food Security Was first elected to the seat of Parkes in NSW but moved to the seat of Calare after a redistribution. Served as a minister in the Howard Government. Grew up on the family property in central western NSW.
Outer Ministry
Bob Baldwin – Regional Development, Tourism Was first elected as MP for Paterson, in the Lower Hunter Valley in NSW, in 1996. Lost his seat at the 1998 election but won it back in 2001 and has held it ever since. Came to Australia from England as a child.
Mathias Cormann – Assistant Treasurer, Financial Services and Superannuation Was first elected as Senator for WA in 2007. Was born in Belgium but migrated to Australia in the 1990s. Is a qualified pilot.
Luke Hartsuyker – Youth and Sport, Regional Communications Became the member for Cowper, on the NSW mid-north coast, in 2001. Completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Newcastle University and is a member of CPA Australia. Is married with two sons and likes to surf.
Sussan Ley – Employment Participation, Childcare and Early Childhood Learning Became the member for Farrer, in southern and western Queensland, in 2001. Was born in Nigeria to British parents and migrated to Australia as a 13-year-old. Holds a commercial pilots’ licence.
Brett Mason – Universities and Research Was elected as a Senator for Queensland in 1998. Served as a Parliamentary Secretary to Tony Abbott in the Howard Government. Before becoming a politician, was a Commonwealth prosecutor and lectured in criminology at QUT.
Marise Payne – Indigenous Development and Employment, Housing, COAG Was elected as a Senator for NSW in 1997. Joined the Liberal Party in 1982 and was the National Young Liberal Movement’s first female president. Is a St George Illawarra and Geelong Cats fan.
Mitch Fifield – Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector Was elected as a Senator for Victoria in 2004. Worked as a senior political advisor to Howard Government Treasurer, Peter Costello. Served as a reservist in the Australia Army Psychology Corps.
Michael Keenan – Justice, Customs and Border Protection Became MP for Stirling in Western Australia in 2004. Was the Deputy Director of the Liberal Party in WA from 2000-2001. Has a Master of Philosophy (International Relations) from Cambridge University.
Stuart Robert – Defence Science, Technology and Personnel Became MP for Fadden on Queensland’s Gold Coast in 2007. Attended the Australian Defence Force Academy and served in the Defence Force for 12 years. Grew up on a sugar cane farm in Bundaberg.
Michael Ronaldson – Veterans’ Affairs Served as MP for Ballarat between 1990 and 2001 before becoming a Senator for Victoria in 2004. Was a Parliamentary Secretary in the Howard Government. Is married with three children and lives in Ballarat.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells – Ageing and Mental Health Was elected as a Senator for NSW in 2005. Worked as a lawyer for 20 years with the Australian Government Solicitor. Was born in Wollongong before attending the ANU in Canberra.
Bronwyn Bishop – Special Minister of State, Seniors Became the MP for Mackellar, based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, in 1994. Joined the Young Liberals in 1961 while a law student. Served as a Minister in the Howard Government.
Parliamentary Secretaries
Arthur Sinodinos – Assisting the Prime Minister Was elected as a Senator for NSW in 2011. Served for nine years as then Prime Minister John Howard’s Chief of Staff. Is the son of Greek migrant parents.
Teresa Gambaro – International Development Assistance and Citizenship and Settlement Was the MP for Petrie between 1996 and 2007 and then re-entered Parliament as member for Brisbane in 2010. Has two young adult children and was the daughter of Italian migrants.
Darren Chester – Roads and Regional Transport Has been the member for Gippsland in Victoria since winning a by-election in 2008. Lives in Lakes Entrance with his wife and four children.
Tony Smith – Tax Reform, Deputy Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee Has been member for Casey, in Melbourne’s outer East, since 2001. Was Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the Howard Government.
Fiona Nash – Regional Education Was elected as a Senator for NSW in 2004. Has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Mitchell College, Bathurst.
Ian Macdonald – Northern and Remote Australia, Defence Force Has been a Queensland Senator since 1990. Describes himself as a “proud and passionate North Queenslander” who lives in Ayr, south of Townsville.
Don Randall – Local Government Has represented two WA seats – Swan between 1996 and 1998 and Canning since 2001. Is married with two children and his family runs a bakery.
Simon Birmingham – Murray-Darling Basin, Environment Became a Senator for South Australia in 2007. Grew up on his family’s horse agistment property near Gawler in Adelaide’s north.
Andrew Southcott – Primary Healthcare Was first elected to the House of Representatives for Boothby, South Australia, in 1996. Was previously a surgical registrar in vascular surgery.
Andrew Laming – Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health Became member for Bowman on Brisbane’s Bayside in 2004. Worked as a health planning specialist in the East Timor Transitional Authority in 2001. Is a qualified personal trainer and enjoys triathlons.
Michaelia Cash – Status of Women, Immigration Became a Senator for WA in 2007. Was a solicitor before entering politics.
Richard Colbeck – Innovation, Industry and Science, Fisheries and Forestry Became a Senator for Tasmania in 2001. Lived on a dairy farm as a youngster.
Scott Ryan – Small Business and Fair Competition Was elected as a Senator for Victoria in 2007. He enjoys reading history, biographies and US politics and is a keen traveller and scuba diver.
Jamie Briggs – Supporting Families Became member for Mayo, in South Australia, in 2008. Was a senior advisor to then Prime Minister John Howard between 2004 and 2007.
Photos courtesy of the Liberal Party website.
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