Key changes and industry reactions from the Albanese cabinet reshuffle

Julie Collins has retained her position as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s reshuffled ministry.

Minister Collins was elected in 2007 as the first female member for Franklin and she has held that safe Labor seat in southern Tasmania ever since.

She was first sworn into the agriculture ministry on July 29, 2024 alongside the small business portfolio.

With the small business brief now handed to Anna Aly, Minister Collins can focus solely on supporting Australia’s farmers, fishers and foresters.

Anthony Chisholm will continue as Assistant Minister.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has been reassigned to the Environment and Water portfolio, and Tanya Plibersek has been removed from her Environment role under the new arrangement.

ALBANESE CABINET AS OF MAY 12, 2025

Anthony Albanese - prime minister

Richard Marles - defence

Jim Chalmers - treasurer

Penny Wong - foreign affairs

Katy Gallagher - finance, public service, women, government services

Don Farrell - trade and tourism, special minister of state

Tony Burke - home affairs, immigration and citizenship, cyber security, arts

Jason Clare - education

Chris Bowen - climate change and energy

Murray Watt - environment and water

Michelle Rowland - attorney-general

Pat Conroy - defence industry, Pacific island affairs

Madeleine King - resources, northern Australia

Catherine King - infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government

Malarndirri McCarthy - Indigenous Australians

Clare O'Neil - housing, homelessness, cities

Tanya Plibersek - social services

Amanda Rishworth - employment and workplace relations

Anika Wells - communications, sport

Mark Butler - health and ageing, disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Julie Collins - agriculture, fisheries and forestry

Anne Aly - small business, international development, multicultural affairs

Tim Ayres - industry and innovation, science

OUTER MINISTRY

Jess Walsh - early childhood education, youth

Daniel Mulino - financial services, assistant treasurer

Sam Rae - aged care and seniors

Matt Keogh - veterans' affairs, defence personnel

Kristy McBain - regional development, local government and territories, emergency management

Jenny McAllister - National Disability Insurance Scheme

Andrew Giles - skills and training

Ms Plibersek, who has a frosty relationship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese despite being one of Labor's most senior women, has been shifted from her environment portfolio to social services.

Amanda Rishworth takes Minister Watt's previous employment and workplace relations portfolio.

It comes after Mr Albanese went over the top of Ms Plibersek's authority to quash environmental laws she negotiated with the Greens after protests from stakeholders in resource-rich Western Australia.

Mr Albanese retained his frontline team of Defence Minister Mr Marles, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell.

Michelle Rowland will become the new attorney-general after Mark Dreyfus was knifed by his own right faction in a power play by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

Other ministers keeping their portfolios include Malarndirri McCarthy (Indigenous Australians), Tony Burke (home affairs), Mark Butler (health), Chris Bowen (energy), Jason Clare (education) and Clare O'Neil (housing).

Anne Aly was elevated to cabinet from the outer ministry, making her the sole Muslim MP in the senior leadership team after Ed Husic fell victim to factional warfare.

Dr Aly's promotion reflects a greater focus on WA after the state helped deliver Labor government for the second consecutive federal election.

Tim Ayres was also promoted to cabinet while Jess Walsh, Daniel Mulino and Sam Rae entered the 30-person ministry.

The ministry will be sworn in at Government House on Tuesday.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of his ministry, with Julie Collins returning as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio, and 

NFF President David Jochinke said both Ministers Collins and Chisholm brought valuable experience and a sound understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

“We need strong leadership to tackle the big issues facing farmers, and that work must start now,” Mr Jochinke said.

The NFF also congratulated Don Farrell on retaining the trade portfolio, and welcomed the appointments of Murray Watt to environment and water, Anika Wells to communications, Tim Ayres to industry and innovation, and Amanda Rishworth to employment and workplace relations. The NFF also congratulated Dr Andrew Leigh who will continue as Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury.

Mr Jochinke said early engagement with Ministers would be crucial.

“We’re calling on the Prime Minister and Minister Collins to visit drought-hit regions within the Government’s first 30 days. Farmers are doing it tough and they need to see leadership on the ground."

Updates from the Liberal Party

Sussan Ley has become the first female leader of the federal Liberals after being picked to lead the opposition following the coalition's resounding election defeat.

The former Liberal deputy defeated ex-shadow treasurer Angus Taylor 29 votes to 25 in a partyroom ballot of 54 members on Tuesday in Canberra.

Updates from the Nationals

The Nationals re-elected David Littleproud as their leader on Monday following a challenge from conservative senator Matt Canavan.