Two female upper house MPs will take on the water and agriculture portfolios in NSW Premier Chris Minns’ cabinet.
For the first time, the NSW cabinet will have an equal mix of men and women — with the portfolios of energy, police, finance, regional transport and regional being assigned to women.
The ministry will be cut to 22 members, down from 26 in the previous government.
Queanbeyan-based upper house MP Tara Moriarty will be the new Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW Minister.
Western Sydney’s Rose Jackson takes on the water portfolio along with being named Minister for Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, Youth and North Coast.
Unveiling his full ministry on Tuesday, April 4, Mr Minns heaped praise on his colleagues.
“We have a lot of hard work in front of us, and a big responsibility, but my team and I are up to the challenge,” he said.
“Our priority is to help families and households deal with the increasing cost of living, the energy crisis and to fix our schools and hospitals.”
It will also be the first time a woman has led the government in the upper house, with Penny Sharpe taking on the portfolios of energy and climate change, and environment and heritage.
The Minns Government will govern in minority with 45 or 46 seats, with confidence and supply guaranteed by independent MPs Alex Greenwich, Greg Piper and Joe McGirr.
National Irrigators’ Council chief executive officer Isaac Jeffrey said the new ministers took on their respective roles at a challenging time for NSW agriculture, particularly when it came to finalising the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“Without timeline extensions, NSW could be looking for over 360 gigalitres from the productive sector,” he said.
“For context, that’s the equivalent (to) ... more than half of the water used in the Murray or Murrumbidgee irrigation areas.
“Further water recovery, particularly through buybacks, would dramatically increase the price of water and slash water available to grow food and fibre.
“There are better ways to deliver real environmental outcomes without the need for buybacks. Investment in infrastructure and complementary measures would be a great start.
“I would encourage the ministers to visit the regions ... to consider all options on the table.”
NSW Nats stay with Toole
The NSW Nationals have stuck with leader Paul Toole despite a challenge from a former agriculture minister and ABC broadcaster.
The Bathurst MP held off a challenge from Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders after the party’s 16 MPs met in NSW parliament on April 5.
Upper house MP Bronnie Taylor retained the deputy leadership, elected unopposed, while Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh was re-elected as whip.
Mr Toole, a former teacher, has led the NSW Nationals since his controversial predecessor John Barilaro quit parliament in October 2021 and served as police minister and deputy premier under Dominic Perrottet.
Mr Saunders is a former radio presenter and sports broadcaster who called the Sydney Olympics before switching into politics in 2019, succeeding former police minister Troy Grant in the seat of Dubbo.
He slightly grew his margin to 19.4 per cent at the March 25 election.
While the Nationals’ overall primary vote slipped from 9.6 per cent to 8.7 per cent, the party retained all but one of its 12 lower house seats in the March poll.
Meanwhile, the Liberals remain leaderless after Mr Perrottet resigned on the night of the election.