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Canberra Today 14°/19° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Caucus dumps Bourke from ministry

EDUCATION minister Chris Bourke was dumped from the ministry at this morning’s ACT Labor’s parliamentary caucus meeting to make way for Green Shane Rattenbury, who was offered a ministerial post as part of securing his support for a Labor Government.

Unsurprisingly, ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher was elected unopposed as was Andrew Barr as Deputy Leader.

Gallagher didn’t deny the challenges Bourke faced in his role as minister, who was appointed to cabinet last year.

“Look it’s always hard…I understand how hard it is to hit the ground running, people have high expectations that you come into these jobs with all the knowledge and skills that you need including how to deal with the media, and all these issues that take a long time to get across,” she says.

“I think Chris has done the honourable thing today he’s taken it on the chin, he understands the team approach, and for Labor it was forming government…and that means one of us misses out.”

Gallagher was dismissive of comments made by opposition leader Zed Seselja today that Labor had “lost part of its soul” by removing Bourke to make way for Rattenbury.

“Mr Seselja doesn’t speak on behalf of our party,” she says.

“I made it very clear as did other members of the Labor party that we were prepared to work with the Greens, as we had in the last four years, to deliver stable government to the people of the ACT. There has been no soul selling at all, we’ve got a shared agenda coming forward.”

Deputy Speaker Mary Porter, Labor’s star performer in its Ginninderra stronghold,  was nominated as Labor’s candidate for the role of Speaker. She will contest the role when the Assembly sits tomorrow against Liberal nominee Vicki Dunne.

“A ballot was also held for the election of two Ministers. The successful candidates are Simon Corbell (who will also remain manager of government business) and Joy Burch. Dr Chris Bourke was not successful in the ballot,” Gallagher says.

“New ACT Labor members of the Assembly Mick Gentlemen and Yvette Berry will also take on roles in our Caucus following their swearing in tomorrow, with Mick being elected as government whip and Yvette to become caucus secretary.”

Ministerial portfolios are yet to be finalised, but Gallagher will keep health and take on higher education and regional affairs.

 

 

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