UK Shine Managing Director to lead Pulse in Australia

Sydney, June 6, 2013: Richard Brett, currently the Managing Director of Shine Communications in the UK, will join Pulse Communications in the newly-created role of Group Managing Director in October. Pulse Communications is the brand and consumer agency of Ogilvy PR Australia.

The appointment follows an extensive international search of candidates for one the most coveted positions in public relations in Australia. Mr Brett has helped grow Shine to become Europe’s most awarded single-office marketing communications agency.  Shine was recently awarded ‘Best UK Consultancy to Work For’ by The Holmes Report.  It was also named by The Sunday Times as ‘Best Small Company to Work For’ in 2012 and was shortlisted for Agency of the Year by both PRWeek and the PRCA.

An MBA with more than 15 years’ experience covering all areas of business management, business strategy, marketing, marketing communications and digital marketing, Mr Brett has previously worked in senior in-house and agency roles, including as the Global Vice President, Marketing and Communications for Samsonite, where he oversaw the delivery of a multi-million dollar global program to turn it into a high-end lifestyle travel and accessories company.

Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR’s CEO and acting MD of Pulse, said the appointment followed an exhaustive process.

“Pulse is a very special agency. We wanted to ensure that we had the best person for this job. Ogilvy PR needs someone who could work with a client list that includes many of the world’s biggest brands, lead and inspire the outstanding team as well as establish new benchmarks for the profession in Australia,” stated Ms Moore.

“Richard’s experience attests that he is an innovator, a communicator, a motivator, an instigator and most of all a great people leader.  We are absolutely delighted to welcome him to Ogilvy.  He is without doubt the most credentialed person we have ever had at Pulse,” she said.

Mr Brett said he saw the role as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together his skills and experience in areas of business management, business strategy, marketing, marketing communication and digital marketing.

“The industry is undergoing a period of immense change and it is tremendously exciting to be given the opportunity to drive that change in Australia,” Mr Brett said.

“The world of digital communication is one that offers incredible opportunity for innovation, particularly in the consumer space. With Pulse having some of the world’s premier consumer brands among its clients I am very much looking forward to utilising that innovation to develop campaigns that will make a positive difference to our clients.”

Ogilvy PR Australia is part of Ogilvy PR and STW, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications group.

Ends.

For more information contact:

Sandra Renowden, STW PR, ph: +61 403 823 218

About Ogilvy Public Relations

­­­­­­­­­­­Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ogilvypr.com.au or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypraus.

Does Eureka remain unfinished business? Peter FitzSimons to deliver 2013 republican lecture in Melbourne

MEDIA RELEASE

**PUBLIC LECTURE WEDNESDAY JUNE 5**

An Australian Republic is coming back on the agenda, and who better to put it squarely in the public’s sights than Peter FitzSimons.

The award-winning author and journalist will deliver the 2013 National Republican Lecture at Monash University on Wednesday, June 5, as part of a determined new push to get Australians talking about our identity as Australians, our deep democratic ethic and our republican values.

The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has recently begun a new campaign aimed at restarting a conversation with Australians about who we are and what we can be.  The campaign, designed to get the republic back on the agenda, was successfully trialed in Tasmania, where it received the endorsement of the leaders of the three major parties, and was recently launched in New South Wales to a 350-strong crowd at a fundraiser with Malcolm Turnbull, Tom Keneally and Jane Caro.

Republic Clubs are forming on university campuses throughout Australia, with fundraisers, forums and stalls being held or scheduled in all states. With support from Tim Fischer to Malcolm Turnbull, Wayne Swan and Christine Milne, the ARM has been delighted with the public endorsements of the campaign across the political divide.

Mr FitzSimons urged the public to start thinking about the issue.

“We need to start that conversation,” he said. “We need to examine, in a sensible, rational manner, just what it means to be an Australian and just what we think it should mean in the future.

“We need to take a fresh look at where we have come from and what we want to look like in the 21^st Century,” Mr FitzSimons said. “We need to talk about those democratic, inclusive and egalitarian ideals that we have developed over our history and how today the old, colonial link to the British monarchy is not only out of date, but broken as an institution that can represent modern, multicultural Australia.”

David Morris, ARM’s National Director, said the lecture was a chance for people to hear from one of Australia’s pre-eminent public voices on his reasons for supporting a republic.

“This is the first time we have held the annual lecture outside Canberra, which is symbolic of our desire to take the politics out of the debate,” Mr Morris said.

“The desire for change is gathering momentum again, and one of the main reasons is that it is seen as a genuinely non-partisan push by people wanting a new, inclusive vision for our future.”

FitzSimons’s latest book Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution examines the characters involved, the reasons behind the 1854 rebellion and its democratic consequences and implications.

The National Republican Lecture will be followed by a fundraiser dinner amongst the artworks of a “Direct Democracy” exhibition at the Monash University Museum of Art. The exhibition, which runs until July 6, ‘explores the changing nature of our engagement with the democratic tradition’ and includes works by Australian and international artists.

 

**LECTURE EVENT DETAILS**

When:  WEDNESDAY JUNE 5^TH AT 6PM

Where: H Building, Lecture Theatre 1.16, Monash University,

Caulfield Campus, 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East

The Lecture will be followed by a fundraising dinner, please visit http://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/3756104 for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

For more information please contact:

Jessica Minear

Jessica.minear@ogilvy.com.au

T: 03 8638 2193

M: 0417 311 306

 

 

Senior Washington DC practitioner to head Social@Ogilvy in Australia

Sydney – May 16, 2013: Yianni Konstantopoulos, former strategy and business development leader at  Washington DC agency Blue State Digital, will join Ogilvy Public Relations (PR) Australia in the newly-created role of Group Managing Director for social@Ogilvy in July 2013.

The appointment follows an extensive international search for one of the most sought-after social and digital media positions in Australia. Yianni joins Ogilvy PR from Blue State Digital, which is one of the world’s leading digital strategy agencies with clients across nonprofits, brands and campaigns to build communities that take action.

Ogilvy PR/Australia CEO Kieran Moore said the appointment followed an exhaustive process.

“It was vital that we got the right person to fill this position. The digital space is one which has changed and grown enormously over the past few years and we wanted to ensure that social@Ogilvy continued to lead Australia. Yianni is well-suited to help our clients fully leverage social media to build their businesses – from marketing, communications, CRM, sales enablement and shopper marketing,” Moore said.

“We needed someone who could work with a client list that includes many of the world’s biggest brands and lead and inspire our outstanding team. Yianni’s career shows he is that person and we’re absolutely delighted to welcome him to Ogilvy PR.  We look forward to him not only continuing the great work that Social@Ogilvy is doing but to really shaking up the digital space in Australia,” she continued.

Konstantopoulos will work with the wider Ogilvy & Mather family to provide world leading social media solutions, including social consulting, social listening, social media marketing and communications, measurement, social shopping, social care and social selling.

“Ogilvy PR already has some of the world’s and Australia’s biggest brands among its client roster and I’m looking to using our collective digital expertise to create innovative campaigns that excite the public and align with clients’ business and communication objectives,” said Yianni . “At the end of the day, it’s about engagement and impact and I’m thrilled to join the Ogilvy PR team who share that perspective.”

Before joining Blue State Digital, Yianni held senior positions at Washington creative design studio, Avendi Media and international executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles.  He has also consulted to both the World Bank and the United Nations.

social@Ogilvy is part of Ogilvy PR Australia, a joint venture between WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications group.

Ends.

For more information contact: Sandra Renowden STW Group

Ph: +61 403 823 218

About social@Ogilvy:

social@Ogilvy is the largest social media marketing communications network in the world. Named 2011 Global Digital/Social Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, the practice leverages social media expertise across all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines, offering an extensive list of services within the foundational business solutions – Listening and Analytics; Social Business Solutions; Social Media Marketing and Communications; Social Shopping; Social CRM; Social Care; and Conversation Impact. For more information, visit social.ogilvy.com and connect with us at www.facebook.com/socialogilvy, www.twitter.com/socialogilvy, www.slideshare.com/socialogilvy or visit our Twitter profile @socialogilvyau

About Ogilvy Public Relations

­­­­­­­­­­­Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. Ogilvy PR is a unit of Ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY), and one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world.  For more information, visit our website at www.ogilvypr.com or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypr.

 

 

Swan spends to leave Labor legacy in school education and DisabilityCare – but cuts elsewhere to deliver surplus in four years

Budgets give governments the opportunity to re-launch themselves to the voting public. And if ever a government needed re-launching it’s this one. Despite its many worthy and good policy triumphs, for reasons that are too well-traversed to reprise here voters appear ready to reject Labor on Saturday, 14 September. So this budget was the last big set piece opportunity the Gillard Government had to set out its claims on power before the election campaign proper kicks off in just over 11 weeks, and the last opportunity it largely controlled.

Treasurer Wayne Swan’s sixth and quite possibly last budget was structured to protect as many of the Government’s landmark policies as possible: by setting out the decade-long costs of some of the Government’s initiatives he has made it that much harder for a likely Treasurer Joe Hockey to cut treasured reforms like DisabilityCare Australia and the education funding changes named for a prominent Sydney businessman; by attaching $24 billion in infrastructure investment to projects voters and Liberal premiers actually want Swan is building a legacy for himself and the PM that is unlikely to be dismantled in any substantial way.

After last year announcing four years of surpluses, a statement which he has since had to go back on, the Treasurer this year has charted a “a pathway to surplus” that will see a deficit in the current financial year, the budget year and the year after, a balanced budget in 2015-16, and a budget written in black ink only in 2016-17. Justifying this, he says the European way, the way of austerity is “not the Australian way”.

But despite that sentiment this is not the usual pre-election budget of tax cuts, assorted ‘bonuses’ and pension increases. There are tax increases – most notably the already announced ½ per cent increase to the Medicare levy to pay for DisabilityCare Australia, and a crackdown on corporate tax loopholes that not many voters will worry about – but only modest overall spending increases.

Peter Costello’s baby bonus is to be abolished and replaced with a much smaller allowance under Family Tax Benefit A, which will provide a tax break of just $2,000 following the birth of a first child and $1,000 for any further children, which might be considered a brave decision in an election year. These “structural changes” as the Treasury calls them are part of a steady unwinding of the Howard-Costello era entitlements – some voters might be angry to see them go but Hockey will be secretly pleased, making his probable job post 14 September that much easier.

But perhaps the bravest decision of this budget is that to introduce paid parking to all Australian Government owned car parks on National Land in the ACT suburbs of Parkes, Barton, Russell and Acton, which is estimated to bring in $73.3 million over three years. The outrage in Canberra has already begun.

High turnover quickest way to the bottom

Kieran Moore  From:The Australian  April 29, 2013 12:00AM

A RECENT article in The Australian’s Media section spoke of how entry-level salaries in the advertising industry were paying no more than they did a decade ago, failing to keep pace with inflation and driving young talent to other industries.

Fortunately, things are somewhat better in public relations.

While most in the advertising and public relations industries would agree that things are relatively tough out there, the smart agencies decided many years ago that salaries were only one element to having an engaged team.

Paying below par is crazy – firstly, because you don’t attract the best and brightest and, secondly, if you do manage to attract them they disappear pretty quickly. Once the word gets around, you find the people you have spent time and money nurturing and teaching will be lured off by big money offers as fully, or at least partly, formed practitioners.

The old adage “pay peanuts and you get monkeys” still remains true.

The smart move is to benchmark salaries against industry norms and offer a good salary commensurate with the person’s experience.

It’s an exciting time to be in the industry. The digital landscape changes on an almost daily basis. With the rise of mobile, digital and social media public relations practitioners are an integral part of marketing strategies on every level. We expect even our entry level starters to have a skill set which wasn’t invented a few short years ago. It’s simply short-sighted to expect highly skilled and smart operators to come with a low price tag.

High turnover is costly, both in monetary and morale terms, and most smart organisations realise it’s the quickest way to the bottom.

But I am also firmly of the view that the people who work only for the money are usually the ones that you are generally happiest to wave goodbye. Sure, they have to be paid in line with their peers but experience has shown that it is other, less tangible, things that keep the good ones working harder than I sometimes think we have a right to ask.

If you aspire to attract the best and the brightest and expect a lot of your people, then start offering a lot. But, and I think this is crux of the issue, I suspect the best and the brightest also want to know that there’s some sort of a deal going on: we expect them to perform and they expect us to do more than just pay them. Most people want to be challenged and to be allowed to challenge. They want to be trained and mentored from when they start and even as they move up the ranks. They want to work bloody hard but still have plenty of fun.

Recently I was involved in some research on Gen Ys – the group born after 1980 who people decry as being commitment phobic – and found that when asked which factors would put them off a potential employer, the top deal-breaker, with 88.4 per cent, was if a company didn’t offer a competitive salary but in second and third were if the company did not make an effort to be environmentally responsible (77.5 per cent) and if the company did not make an effort to engage with the community (64.5 per cent).

Respondents were also asked if they would consider changing employers if they discovered the company they worked for was being socially or environmentally irresponsible, to which 68.8 per cent answered “yes”.

The research is far from definitive but backs up the findings of other researchers who have consistently found that younger workers are looking for more than just cash.

In my opinion, I believe the best and the brightest also relish the opportunity to work on the biggest brands and the most exciting campaigns. And when they leave – and some of them do, and sometimes for big money offers – they want to know that they are much better off for the experience. And, if we are lucky, they come back with more experience and a broader outlook on life.

The corporates call it an Employee Value Proposition – but really, it is just good business.

Kieran Moore is the Australian chief executive of Ogilvy Public Relations

 

“The Give and The Get” of Ogilvy PR

The experts call it an Employee Value Proposition, but for Ogilvy Public Relations’ CEO Kieran Moore it’s “the give and the get.”

Moore unveiled the company’s EVP on Tuesday (April 23), explaining to the Ogilvy PR team that it was seen as the way to inform current and prospective employees of the values and expectations that Ogilvy PR had of its employees and of what values and benefits the employees could expect in return – the give and the get.

“It’s how we position ourselves as an employer so we continue to attract, engage and retain the best people,” Moore said. “It’s at the heart of what makes us stand out among PR consultancies in Australia. It’s supported by our values and our vision and it clearly calls out the kind of people who will thrive and enjoy their time here.”

Moore also unveiled an Employee Benefits Booklet which outlined the “get” part of the deal and stressed to staff that the EVP was a “living policy” designed to be updated and improved through on-going feedback.

Ogilvy PR is currently aligning all its processes and actions with the four pillars of the EVP: Grow, Know, Mojo and Show.

‘Grow’ outlines to employees the opportunities for learning and professional growth within the company – opportunities which come from fellow employees, from the international Ogilvy network, from clients and from the organisation’s regular lunchtime lecture program.

“Know” represents the need for employees to work hard, to challenge themselves, to be creative and curious, to question and collaborate.

“Mojo” is the buzz and benefits of working for a family of boutique agencies under the umbrella of a national and international network, while “Show” represents the time taken to nurture relationships with colleagues, clients and the community, along with the recognition and excitement that comes from great work.

As Moore says: “At Ogilvy PR we take our work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Corporate Affairs Roundtable Lunch

(L-R) Ogilvy Public Relations’ Mathew Jones and David Bell, the Hon Warwick Smith AM, and Ogilvy Public Relations CEO Kieran Moore at the Sydney Business Chamber Corporate Affairs lunch in Sydney on 18 April.

Mr Smith, the Chair of the Australia-China Council, spoke about emerging opportunities in Asia, and what Australian businesses can and should be doing to take advantage of the growth in our region and on our doorstep. The event also marked David Bell’s first week with Ogilvy. David joined Australia’s largest public relations company as Group Managing Director – Corporate after a long career in banking and telecommunications, including heading up the Australian Bankers Association.

Ogilvy Public Relations is a proud and long-time sponsor of the lunch series, which invites speakers from a broad range of fields and backgrounds to address an audience of corporate affairs professionals from Australia’s largest and only truly global city. The topic was one that is very appropriate for Ogilvy, the first international marketing and PR firm to open in China, and the first to open an office in Myanmar.

Ogilvy Public Relations Australia works with its partner agencies across the region on behalf of international and Australian organisations looking to undertake cross-border activity that requires communications, public affairs and public relations support. For more information about our work in Australia and Asia please contact David Bell on 02 8281 3200.

PRIA Reinvigorates and Revamps Golden Target Awards

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), the national industry body for public relations and communication professionals in Australia, has announced significant changes to its annual Golden Target Awards (GTAs).

“Established in 1981 and ever evolving to keep pace with the PR and communication industry, I am delighted to announce that chair Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR Australia, Tracy Jones, Creative Territory (NT) and Adam Thomson, Leverage PR (SA) have joined forces to reinvigorate our Awards” said Terri-Helen Gaynor, National President, PRIA.

In consultation with a number of the industry’s best, some significant changes have been made to the Award categories, entry process and the length of entries. The changes have come about to ensure that the GTA’s continue to reflect the constant changes within the PR and communication industry.

The number of sector categories has been reduced from 16 to 11 with some categories redefined to better reflect the nature of the work and campaigns within the Australian PR industry.   This year’s GTAs will introduce a number of new “Best Of” categories including Young PR Professional of the Year, PR Consultancy of the Year and In-House PR Professional/Team of the Year.   Another new category, Best Use of Analytics, recognises the value of research and insight in creating compelling, audience and insight-led campaigns.

Entry for the awards has been simplified, with a single entry replacing the previous two-step process.  The entry word length has been halved from 2000 words to 1000 words and the Awards have been pushed to quarter three of this year with entries opening on July 1, 2013.

“The Awards which have a long history of recognising PR excellence have been revamped to reflect the dynamic nature of the PR and communications industry. We believe these changes will give the Awards an injection of excitement and energy. We are really excited about the changes and believe that they will generate a great platform to celebrate the great work of many great PR practitioners in Australia” said Kieran Moore, Chair of the Golden Target Awards Committee.

For Full Category Descriptions Click Here

For Further Comment:

Terri-Helen Gaynor MPRIA

National President

Public Relations Institute of Australia

Ph: 0409 870 022

E: THGaynor@reputation.net.au

Mattel’s triple word score for Ogilvy Public Relations

April 4, 2013: Mattel, one of the world’s largest toy companies, has appointed Ogilvy Public Relations to work on an integrated marketing communications campaign for one of its most iconic brands Scrabble, across ambient, social and traditional media.

The Ogilvy PR team from Melbourne won the Mattel account in a competitive four-way pitch and will start work immediately.

Ogilvy PR Melbourne’s Managing Director, Alexandra Kelly, said: “We are thrilled to have won such an exciting project that gives us such incredible scope to help reshape this brand. Our campaign is all about disrupting tired brand perceptions and helping Australians fall in love again with one of the most iconic and enduring brands in the last 60 plus years.”

Damian Black, Mattel Senior Brand Manager, said:  “We were really excited about Ogilvy’s fresh thinking during the pitch process – we were looking for an idea and an agency that could shake up perceptions and create new relevance for us – not simply produce traditional product based PR solutions. We’re looking forward to seeing the campaign unfold.”

The Mattel account adds to an impressive list of clients for Ogilvy PR Melbourne including BP, the Victorian Department of Health, febfast and Melbourne Airport amongst others.

Ogilvy PR Australia is a joint venture between WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications group.

Ends.

For more information contact:

Sandra Renowden

STW Group

Ph: +61 403 823 218

About Ogilvy Public Relations

­­­­­­­­­­­Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ogilvypr.com.au or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypraus.

Gillard Cabinet reshuffle

In the wake of last week’s leadership debacle and the consequent series of high profile Cabinet resignations, the Prime Minister has this morning announced the changes to her Ministry. Parker & Partners thought you would find some background on the reshuffle and its policy implications useful. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information.

With one notable exception, today’s reshuffle rewards those party members who stood by Julia Gillard and publically put their faith in her to lead the Labor Party to the September 14 election.

That exception is Anthony Albanese who maintains his current role as Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, whilst adding to his portfolio responsibility as Minister for Regional Development and Local Government.

Albanese supported Rudd at last year’s challenge, yet unlike fellow Rudd supporters did not offer his resignation and, according to the Prime Minister, nor was it requested. Commentators see Albanese as a Minister “too good to lose” and perhaps the most capable Minister in the Gillard Cabinet.

Albanese will be charged with continuing the solid work undertaken by Simon Crean in the Regional Development and Local Government portfolio; a Ministry of particular importance as its creation was one of the original provisos established by the independents when they chose to support Labor in the hung parliament. However Albanese had responsibility for these areas prior to 2010, when Regional Development was part of the Infrastructure and Transport portfolio.

Albanese is a strong and talented player within the Government. Despite his display of favor toward Rudd, he will quickly put the past behind him and focus on his new responsibilities and his quest to help Gillard win the coming election. Crean was passionate about Regional Development and performed well as Minister. For Albanese, his past experience will serve him well, and he will quickly pick up where Crean left off.

Albanese will be assisted by Catherine King in the Outer Ministry as Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories, and as Minister for Road Safety. This is the first Ministerial position for the Member for Ballarat. During her time in Parliament King has been a strong supporter of rural issues.

Another super-ministry has been created for Craig Emerson, now known as Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research; Minister for Trade and Competitiveness; and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Asian Century Policy. While new to higher education, Emerson has previously held the role of Shadow Minister for Innovation.

Of all changes announced by the Prime Minister, it will be the decision to combine these portfolios which will draw the most comment, particularly as the Higher Education and Research portfolios have now had five Ministers in just two months. Besides requiring a large business card, some will suggest that Emerson also requires superpowers if he is to bring himself up to speed on all the inherent issues and complexities of these portfolios.  Others will alternatively see this combination as further evidence of the Gillard Government’s view that education is the key to national prosperity with the links between education, innovation, trade and international competitiveness finally gaining traction.

Emerson will be assisted by two junior Ministers, namely Sharon Bird who rises from Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Higher Education and Skills; and Don Farrell (one of the “faceless men” who backed Gillard to take the top job in 2010) who becomes Minister for Science and Research as well as Minister Assisting on Tourism.

Tony Burke adds Arts to his current portfolio of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. While seen as a jumble of responsibility by some, this is in effect no different to the mix as previously held by Simon Crean. He will also receive assistance in the Arts portfolio from Michael Danby as Parliamentary Secretary.

In a move which is expected to be welcomed by the resources industry, Gary Gray joins the Cabinet as Minister for Resources and Energy, along with Minister for Tourism and Minister for Small Business. Gray is the Member for Brand in Western Australia and from 2001 to 2007 was a senior executive with the major resources company Woodside.

Gray was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2007, winning the seat vacated by Kim Beazley in 2010.  He is familiar with the mining industry, and familiar with controversy – relating in particular to his association with the Government’s decision to allow up to 1,715 457 visas for overseas workers for the three-year construction of Gina Rinehart’s $6.5 billion Roy Hill Project in WA’s Pilbara.  The decision caused a union backlash potentially threatening Gray’s chances at preselection.  In his defence, the Prime Minister described Gray as a “valuable member of the Government” who was a “dedicated, hard-working and effective minister”. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott described Gray as one of Gillard’s “most capable Ministers” and one of the few “who understood the mining industry”.

Gray’s previous roles as Special Minister of State and Minister for the Public Service and Integrity quite sensibly become the responsibility of Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

Jason Clare retains his current roles as Minister for Justice; Minister for Home Affairs; and Cabinet Secretary, however is elevated from an observer to a participant in the Cabinet discussions, meaning he gets a vote.

Jan McLucas takes on the role as Minister for Human Services. This will be her first appointment to Cabinet.

In another significant change, the Department of Climate Change will be merged with the Industry Department. Greg Combet will consequently carry the title of Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation. His Parliamentary Secretary Yvette D’Ath will also have a revised title.

Combet entered Parliament in 2007 after an eight year stint as Secretary of the ACTU.  He was quickly assigned to the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement and later as Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change.  Consequently, he is well versed and experienced in the issues relevant to this merged Department.  Combet is tagged as a potential future leader, and is expected to play a key role as the ALP focusses on the coming election.

A series of other Parliamentary Secretary appointments have also been made:

• Andrew Leigh becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
• Matt Thistlethwaite becomes Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs.
• Amanda Rishworth becomes Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water
• Shayne Neumann becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General and Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing.

After months of leadership speculation and internal politicking, it can only be hoped that these changes will lead to stability within the Government, and therein the ability to focus attention on the needs of the nation. The 43rd Parliament only has five months in which to operate until (assuming a September 14 election) writs are issued and Parliament is dissolved. This will be a testing time for the Government and the ALP in general. Whilst party members will be trying to show that the past is behind them and the internal turmoil is resolved, the Opposition will ensure that the electorate is never allowed to forget the events of 21 March.

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