AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2000
Qld: Two Queenslanders help with new look federal Cabinet
BRISBANE, Dec 20 AAP - Incoming federal Employment Minister Mal Brough today refused
to accept that finding jobs for every Australian who wanted one was unrealistic.
"If you don't have the ultimate goal that that's what you want to achieve, then you
are going to be selling out on people," Mr Brough said.
"I'll work tirelessly as part of the ministry to try to achieve that and I don't think
the public should demand or expect anything less from a minister that's going to be looking
after employment services."
Mr Brough and fellow Queensland Liberal Ian Macfarlane were both promoted to junior
ministerial positions yesterday as part of a reshuffle by Prime Minister John Howard.
The reshuffle leaves Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Warren Truss as the only Queenslander
in Cabinet.
Mr Brough, the MP for the Sunshine Coast-based seat of Longman, replaces Tony Abbott
as Employment Services Minister.
He defended Mr Abbott's Work for the Dole program today.
"Work for the Dole, which Tony Abbott was instrumental in building on, has been a fantastic
program for giving people connection back into the workplace," Mr Brough told ABC radio.
He said he hoped to bring new energy to the ministry after the departure of senior
ministers John Moore and John Herron.
"It's not about being able to do anything better but this is a job that takes an enormous
amount of energy, an enormous amount of time and I guess that's what I hope to be able
to bring to it - new focus, new ideas," Mr Brough said.
Ian Macfarlane, who will become small business minister, said the departure of Mr Moore
and Mr Herron was an opportunity to bring in some "new enthusiasm".
"But really, from my perspective anyway, it's going to be a few years before I can
match the ability of people like John Moore," he said.
AAP rad/jhm/mg
KEYWORD: RESHUFFLE QLD
2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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