Small business returns to cabinet with appointment of Michaelia Cash

Australia has its fifth small business minister in three years with the appointment of Michaelia Cash. Ms Cash was given the job in new Prime Minister Scott Morrison's cabinet overhaul on Sunday and will be sworn in on Tuesday as the minister for small business, skills and vocational education. Michaelia Cash has been appointed as small business minister. She replaces Craig Laundy, who served as small business minister for just over eight months, and who followed Michael McCormack, Kelly O'Dwyer and Bruce Billson in the role.

The position of small business minister has been elevated to cabinet again after calls from conservatives to give it increased prominence in a bid to sharpen the government's anti-business attacks on Labor in the lead-up to the next election. The small business minister was removed from cabinet when Malcolm Turnbull demoted Mr Billson upon taking office in 2015. Mr Morrison said his new cabinet would "restore stability to the government" after the turmoil of the past week. Ms Cash was one of a number of senior ministers to withdraw support for Mr Turnbull and quit the frontbench on Thursday, and voted for Mr Morrison in the leadership spill. Read more