MPs Vlahos and Koutsantonis likely to get cabinet seat in Adelaide

Premier Jay Weatherill has decided who he’ll have in the Cabinet and what portfolios they will get, moving away from the tradition of faction leaders choosing the ministers.

“I’ve been asked to lead and that’s what I’m proposing to do,” he said.

“I’ve determined who I want to have in the Cabinet … and which portfolios they’ll hold.”

Tom Koutsantonis is seen by Labor insiders as likely to win a promotion. It is possible he will claim infrastructure responsibilities to pair with mining.

The reshuffle comes as two senior ministers have left their portfolios.

Patrick Conlon who covered the transport portfolio and Health Minister John Hill were thanked for their work by the premier this week.

Well-regarded Water and the River Murray Minister Paul Caica has remained silent on speculation he also will stand down from Cabinet. His department suffered deep cuts in December’s mid-year Budget review.

There is also doubt about the futures of Education and Child Development Minister Grace Portolesi, who has been damaged by the sex abuse in schools controversy, and Industrial
Relations Minister Russell Wortley.

Mr Weatherill would not comment on internal speculation he would cut Cabinet from 15 to 13 members.

There is also speculation about the future of several long-standing Labor backbenchers, including Michael Atkinson, Frances Bedford, Robyn Geraghty and Steph Key. Preselection is to be complete by March.

Mr Weatherill yesterday said that Labor needed to look to the March 2014 election and beyond.

“We need to put a team in place but for the next five years,” he said. “I want a team that has the energy, the ideas and the enthusiasm to take this state forward.”

Δημοσιογραφικές πληροφορίες αναφέρουν πως ο Εργατικός πρωθυπουργός της Νότιας Αυστραλίας, Τζάϊ Γουέδαριλ, θα προβεί σε ανασχηματισμό της κυβέρνησής του την Δευτέρα.

Σύμφωνα με τις ίδιες πληροφορίες, αναμένεται να αναβαθμιστεί ο ομογενής υπουργός Εμπορίου, Τομ Κουτσαντώνης, ενώ πιθανότατα θα υπουργοποιηθεί και η Λίζα Βλάχου.

Source: Adelaide Now, Neowkosmos.com

Photo on first page, Trade Minister Tom Koutsantonis.