00:00An eight-member cabinet, the Chief Minister wouldn't settle for anything less.
00:07You start getting to the point that Ministers have five, six or seven portfolios each.
00:12And we've been in that world in the past when the Assembly only had 17 members.
00:17They'll still have their work cut out for them.
00:20Andrew Barr retained economic development and tourism and trade.
00:24And Yvette Berry keeps education, housing and sport.
00:27But Rachel Stephen-Smith will take on the new mantle of Finance Minister,
00:31along with Health and the Public Service.
00:33And Chris Steele takes the reins as Treasurer, long held by the Chief Minister.
00:38I did indicate in the last term that I would not be Treasurer forever
00:42and that there would be a time to hand over the portfolio.
00:46That time is now.
00:48The Chief Minister also says it'll allow him to focus on the promised pipeline of projects
00:53through an expansion of major project Canberra, now to be called Infrastructure Canberra.
00:58That will be a core part of my responsibilities,
01:02but also in part experience and wisdom where I can value add.
01:07Meanwhile, Suzanne Orr returns to Cabinet after time on the backbench
01:12with Indigenous Affairs, Environment and Energy and Community Services.
01:16Michael Pedersen was also promoted, with portfolios including Business and Arts,
01:21as was Marisa Patterson, who takes over Mick Gentleman's old role,
01:25overseeing Police and Emergency Services.
01:28And Tara Chain will take up Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury's former role as Attorney-General.
01:33There is now, I think, a time and a need for some action
01:37and some reform to be seen in the sector,
01:40and particularly across the criminal justice sector.
01:44The Government also sees the need for change in the way the ACT public sector operates.
01:49I think there have been some areas where we feel we have been let down
01:53and we want to take a renewed focus on shaping the ACT public service.
02:02This is not about cutting public service jobs,
02:04and in fact we're committed to things like insourcing our cleaners at Canberra Health Services,
02:09ensuring that we grow our health workforce.
02:12They'll have just a few weeks to get across the detail
02:15before the new Assembly's first sitting week in early December.
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