<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>336553</docID> <postdate>2025-01-16 10:45:42</postdate> <headline>Sports role boosted, tasks divided as minister departs</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-336554" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20241211166654164416-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Aged Care and Sport Minister Anika Wells has earned a promotion to cabinet. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Kat Wong</strong> and <strong>Tess Ikonomou</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>A retiring minister's portfolio has been divided between three colleagues as the prime minister freshens up his cabinet ahead of the federal election.</strong></p> <p>With political stalwart Bill Shorten set to step away from parliament in the coming days, his National Disability Insurance Scheme and government services portfolios have been reallocated, in a boost to some of his colleagues.</p> <p>Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth will pick up the NDIS, while Finance Minister Katy Gallagher adds government services - including Centrelink - to her fold and Anne Aly will become junior NDIS minister.</p> <p>Aged Care and Sport Minister Anika Wells will be promoted to the cabinet, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighting her work throughout the Olympics and aged care reforms.</p> <p>"Anika Wells has done an outstanding job," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.</p> <p>The promotions will be made official when the politicians are sworn in at Government House on Monday.</p> <p>This is the second time the prime minister has reshuffled his cabinet.</p> <p>The ministry underwent a significant change in July after two veteran politicians announced their retirements and a furore over immigration, which prompted Mr Albanese to switch around his immigration and home affairs ministers.</p> <p>The newly promoted ministers will be put to the test as voters prepare to take to the polls some time before May 17.</p> <p>Mr Shorten has decided to end his political career, more than a week earlier than expected, to assume a role as the vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra in February.</p> <p>He has held the inner-Melbourne seat of Maribyrnong since 2007, stepping aside as Labor Party leader in 2019 after losing the election to the coalition under the leadership of Scott Morrison.</p> <p>He called time on his 17-year career in federal parliament last September, saying he would not contest the next election but would use his remaining months as minister to ensure NDIS reforms were carried out.</p> <p>"We will build on the work that Bill Shorten has done ... to make the scheme stronger, to deliver dignity and security for Australians with a disability," Mr Albanese said.</p> </body>