Federal Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese has piled a few additional responsibilities onto his already sizeable portfolio following the aborted leadership challenge in the Labor party.
Despite being a Kevin Rudd supporter, whose camp saw no fewer than four senior members resign or be sacked, Anthony Albanese has been elevated by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Mr Albanese is now also the Minister for Regional Development and Local Government. He is assisted in these roles by Catherine King, Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories and Minister for Road Safety.
The trucking industry has congratulated Anthony Albanese and Catherine King on their appointments to expanded roles in the Australian government, but it remains to be seen if the ‘super portfolio’ will be too much to handle.
Mr Albanese has already made few questionable decision, such as spending $2m on a study into siting Sydney’s second airport at Wilton, a highly questionable site compared to the much more suitable Badgery’s Creek; and his recent back-pedalling on a high-speed railway connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, even before his $20 million study is released. (118)