“I would like to thank the Prime Minister for this opportunity to serve as the Minister for Health and the Minister for Sport in the Abbott Government.

I am committed to building on the hard work of my colleague Peter Dutton and look forward to taking responsibility for a portfolio that plays such an important part in the everyday lives of Australians.

Since I was first elected as the Member for Farrer in 2001, I have been honoured by each opportunity to represent and serve both the people of my electorate and Australia and today is no exception.

It has been a great privilege to serve as Assistant Minister for Education, including delivering key election commitments and commencing reform to make child care more affordable, flexible and accessible for Australian families.
I am also proud of the strong platform we have to set for the revitalisation of a national approach to promoting high-quality vocational education and training opportunities for secondary school students.

I would like to thank the Department of Education for their tireless work in helping the Government deliver on its promises and their professionalism and support.

This appreciation is also extended to the many stakeholders who have provided the Government with valuable and frank insight and advice to assist with these crucial reforms over the past 14 months.

I am committed to keeping my sleeves rolled up and taking on this new Ministry with the same respect and enthusiasm as I have with previous roles in government and opposition over the past 13 years.

Above all, I would like to thank the people of Farrer for their ongoing support. I see this as another opportunity to represent their views on the national stage and bring another strong regional voice to the Cabinet table.”

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A full list of the revised Abbott Ministry is available here.