Scott Morrison announces cabinet reshuffle, Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds moved

Peter Dutton will be the new Defence Minister, Linda Reynolds is taking on the Government Services portfolio and Christian Porter will become Industry, Science and Technology Minister in the change to the ministry line-up.

Michaelia Cash will be Attorney-General and Industrial Relations Minister, while Karen Andrews will replace Mr Dutton as Home Affairs Minister.

Melissa Price will return to cabinet, but retain her Defence Industry portfolio.

Jane Hume will be Minister for Women's Economic Security, in addition to her Superannuation, Financial Service and Digital Economy portfolio.

Amanda Stoker will become assistant minister in the industrial relations and women's portfolios, and will remain assistant minister to the Attorney-General. Anne Ruston will be Minister for Women's Safety, while remaining Minister for Families and Social Services.

Mr Dutton will also be the government's leader in the House of Representatives, taking over the role from Mr Porter. Outgoing Minister for Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, will take on the Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business portfolio.

The Prime Minister announced the new cabinet on Monday afternoon following weeks of speculation that Senator Reynolds and Mr Porter would move to new portfolios.

A series of crises have forced Mr Morrison into the change to his senior ministry line-up, which follows a minor reshuffle three months ago.

Mr Morrison said the changes would bring the strongest-ever female representation in a federal government cabinet.

"This is about getting the right perspective, it's about getting that lens on the policy challenges that we're facing," he said.

READ MORE:

Mr Morrison also announced a new cabinet taskforce of female cabinet members, overseeing the government's agenda for women's equality, safety, economic security, health and wellbeing.

The taskforce, to be co-chaired by Minister for Women Marise Payne and the Prime Minister, will include the Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer and Finance Minister as members.

Senator Payne, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, said the taskforce would put issues relating to women at the centre of government and that the reshuffle returned female representation in cabinet to its highest level.

Mr Porter has been on leave for his mental health after denying allegations he raped a woman in 1988.

Senator Reynolds is on leave for health reasons, after being admitted to hospital in February to receive treatment for a pre-existing heart condition amid questions over whether she showed an appropriate duty of care to her former staffer, Brittany Higgins.

Mr Morrison has resisted calls to stand down Mr Porter or conduct an inquiry into a historical rape allegation vigorously denied by the Attorney-General.

However, last week Mr Morrison said he had sought the advice of the Solicitor-General on Mr Porter's position after the first law officer of the land launched defamation proceedings against the ABC for airing the rape claim.

Mr Dutton has been the Home Affairs Minister since the portfolio's creation in 2017, and is credited with playing a central role in the overhaul of the national security apparatus that year. He was previously the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection starting in 2014.

Senator Cash has held employment portfolios since 2015.

The latest shake-up to cabinet follows a minor reshuffle in December when Victorian MP Dan Tehan was promoted to the trade portfolio, Health Minister Greg Hunt took responsibility for aged care and Alan Tudge took on the education portfolio.

Who's going where in the cabinet reshuffle:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: