Fifield appointed Arts Minister; O’Dwyer to Small Business

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has appointed Mitch Fifield as federal Arts Minister and Kelly O’Dwyer as Small Business Minister.

In a statement, Turnbull said that Fifield, who has also been appointed Communications Minister, will oversee the transfer of the Arts portfolio to the Communications ministry ‘to better align the funding and administration of support and incentives for our creative industries’.

Fifield takes the Arts portfolio from George Brandis, who will remain Attorney General. Fifield’s appointment follows a petition last week signed by Australian writers for Brandis to be removed from the Arts portfolio. Fifield has previously served as assistant minister for social services, and held numerous advisory positions before entering parliament in 2004.

O’Dwyer, who has also been appointed Assistant Treasurer, replaces Bruce Billson as Small Business Minister. O’Dwyer is a former corporate lawyer, National Australia Bank executive and economic policy adviser to former Treasurer Peter Costello.

Category: Local news