Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to seriously shake up cabinet
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has revealed three MPs as new members and promised a "serious shake up" of her government.
Following the portfolio resignations of long-serving ministers, the Labor caucus met on Friday to promote Yeerongpilly MP Simon Finn, Whitsunday MP Jan Jarratt and freshman Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt to the ministry.
Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten, who has held the portfolio since Labor came to power in 1998, told parliament yesterday he would step down from cabinet next week and retire at the next election. Local Government Minister Desley Boyle, a cabinet member since 2004, had also resigned, telling her local newspaper in Cairns this term would be her last.
Ms Bligh said she would be completely overhauling her team, which she would announce before Monday, with people sent to new ministries and the names of portfolios changed.
"In the task of allocating portfolios I will be using this as an opportunity to not only bring in some new faces but to reshuffle across the government," she said.
"By the swearing in on Monday I think you'll see a very significant number of changes.
"This is an opportunity for a serious shake-up, a serious reshaping and I'm going to take that opportunity."
While Ms Bligh has pledged to serve a full term and go to the polls in early 2012, the cabinet line-up she announces in the coming days will form the Labor leadership team for the next election.