New South Wales treasurer Matt Kean will remain the state’s energy minister, overseeing an ambitious switch from coal to a renewables grid, while a cabinet reshuffle will see new faces take over portfolio responsibilities for transport and environment.
On Monday, NSW premier Dominic Perrottet announced a pre-Christmas reshuffle of his ministry, promoting nine first-time ministers that he said would allow for renewal and an ‘injection of fresh energy’ into the state cabinet.
Kean picked up the treasury portfolio in October as part of a smaller cabinet reshuffle prompted by the the resignation of former premier Gladys Berejiklian. It was understood at the time that a more substantial reshuffle of the NSW cabinet would occur once incoming Perrottet had established himself in the role.
This week’s reshuffle sees Matt Kean retain both the treasury and energy portfolios, which should provide a level of relief for a clean energy sector that has generally backed Kean and his vision to support substantial new investment in wind, solar and storage projects to replace the state’s ageing coal generation fleet.
However, Kean will offload the environment portfolio, which will be picked up by former KPMG director and Manly MP James Griffin.
Current police minister David Elliot will switch to the transport portfolio, which had been vacated by Andrew Constance, following his announcement that he would attempt a shift to federal politics.
This will see Elliot take on responsibilities for the state’s public transport networks – including plans to transition the Sydney bus fleet to all-electric models. However, much of the state’s electric vehicle incentives, including registration and stamp duty waivers, will sit with Matt Kean as treasurer.
This reshuffle has come in this week leading up until Christmas and has seen some experienced members of the NSW cabinet make their exit.
Notably, the reshuffle has served as a prompt for Kean’s predecessor as energy minister, Don Harwin, who has been left out of the Perrottet cabinet, to announce that he will not recontest the next state election.
During his tenure as state energy minister, Harwin had been outspoken against his federal Liberal counterparts, particularly in relation to their unwillingness to integrate energy and climate policy.
Harwin was particularly outspoken about the federal government’s decision to carve out the emissions reduction component of the National Energy Guarantee.
Nationals MLC Benjamin Franklin, who has previously served as parliamentary secretary for energy and the arts and as parliamentary secretary for renewable energy and Northern NSW, will enter the NSW cabinet for the first time, taking on Harwin’s vacated portfolios of Aboriginal affairs and arts in addition to regional youth.
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