Minister for Republic Missing in Reshuffle

The Prime Minister announces a Ministerial reshuffle. The single missing portfolio is the Assistant Minister for the Republic that had been first included in the ministry in mid 2022. Publicly this was explained by being caused by the known retirements of two senior Ministers at the next election (still nearly a year away) but the opportunity was also taken to bolster ministerial performance in some of the more difficult portfolios or, in the case of the Republic portfolio, remove a barnacle that was repeatedly criticised by the Opposition, particularly The Nationals Barnaby Joyce, and others like One Nation as the Government giving priority to “unimportant” and diversionary topics of no concern to most voters. The Assistant Minister for the Republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, an important supporter of the PM, who had had other Defence portfolio tasks as well as those for the Republic, has been shifted to the more difficult and higher profile Home Affairs portfolio and now has responsibility for Immigration. In the overall scheme of things, this is not a telling move as things had been quiet on the Republic front since the loss of The Voice referendum in 2023. Support for the Republic continues to be ALP policy.