Meet Your New Communications Minister, Australia

Out with the old, in with the new.

Image: Stephen Postiles/Getty

Following the resignation of Senator Stephen Conroy from the Cabinet Communications portfolio, new Deputy Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has inherited the job.

Deputy Prime Minister Albanese is probably the best choice to take on the Communications Minister-post after Stephen Conroy, thanks to his position as Conroy’s ministerial representative in the House Of Representatives (Conroy, previously a Senator, couldn’t enter the House of Reps to answer questions, so Albanese took questions relating to the Communications portfolio).

For example, watch Albanese own Shadow Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, on the continued use of copper in a fibre-to-the-node national broadband network:

Let’s just hope he doesn’t get caught plagiarising Aaron Sorkin again…

The NBN has also become a key election issue for the new-look Labor Party, as Kevin Rudd highlighted in a very open press conference on Friday. Prime Minister Rudd said that he’d had many conversations with overseas visitors and students who questioned the paltry speeds offered by Australian broadband infrastructure, and said that the NBN was key to fixing those issues.

Best of luck in the new role, Deputy Prime Minister. Here’s hoping we don’t have to Photoshop red underpants onto your head.

It’s no red underpants gaffe, but here’s new Communications Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, interviewing himself on radio.

Meanwhile, Member for Chifley and friend of Gizmodo, Ed Husic MP, is the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, and more interestingly, the Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband. Husic had been in exile following the last Labor leadership spill a few months ago, but now he’s back! That’s great news following his excellent work around the IT Pricing Inquiry.


Image: Getty

Despite her stout support for the Prime Minister during last week’s leadership spill, Kate Lundy has received a position as Minister Assisting the Digital Economy (hurray!), while Kim Carr who stepped down during the March spill has retaken his position as Innovation Minister.


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