Beazley Gives Lawrence Industry, McMullan Shifted To Aboriginal Affairs

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has shifted Bob McMullan to the shadow portfolio of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in a minor reshuffle brought about by the resignation last week of Daryl Melham.

Carmen Lawrence has been appointed Shadow Minister for Industry, Innovation and Technology and the Status of Women.

Lawrence was restored to the shadow ministry after several years on the backbench. Formerly Premier of Western Australia, she transferred to the Federal Parliament as the member for Fremantle in 1994. She served as Health Minister in the Keating government, but stood aside from the shadow ministry after the Liberal government of Richard Court established a Royal Commission to investigate claims that she lied about her actions in the Penny Easton affair.

The former shadow minister, Daryl Melham, resigned on August 31 over his disagreement with an ALP decision to support Queensland government native title decisions. This stemmed from the Wik amendments passed by the Howard government in 1998.

The ALP has been distracted in recent days by a reported quote from one of its members that the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio was a "poisoned chalice" and akin to being "the toilet cleaner on the Titanic". Beazley has said he will sack anyone identified with the statement.

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