Daniel Andrews gives Victoria First Cabinet with equal number of men and women
Women will make up 50 per cent of Victoria’s state government ministry for the first time.
Premier Daniel Andrews named his new cabinet on Tuesday, promoting three new women – including one who was elected to parliament just three days ago..
Mr Andrews has also elevated a man to his new-look ministry – a factional powerbroker who he dumped from cabinet in 2015 amid accusations the minister bullied a female staffer.
Mr Andrews said there would be a total of 14 parliamentary secretaries, with a 50:50 gender balance.
Among those expected to be named as parliamentary secretaries are Member for Essendon Danny Pearson and former Member for Brunswick and now upper house Member for Eastern Victoria Jane Garrett, who resigned as Emergency Services Minister in 2016 at the height of a dispute which saw Mr Andrews side with the United Firefighters Union against Ms Garrett.
Tim Pallas, Martin Pakula, Gayle Tierney, Richard Wynne, Robin Scott, Martin Foley, Marlene Kairouz, Luke Donnellan, Lisa Neville, Lily D’Ambrosio, Jill Hennessy, Jenny Mikakos, Jacinta Allan, Jaala Pulford and Ben Carroll will all remain in cabinet, although some of their portfolios may change.
“Today my colleagues have delivered something that has never been achieved in the history of our state – 50 per cent of cabinet are women,” Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.
“There is an equality agenda in our state’s most important decision-making body.”
Queensland became the first Australian state to achieve a gender equal cabinet when Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Labor government was sworn in for its second term in December.