Second Bishop Government

The **Second Bishop Government** began on 16th June 2018 after President Blah Blah invited incumbent chancellor Jackie Bishop to form a new administration following the June 2018 federal election. The election resulted in another hung assembly with the New Democratic Party increasing its number of seats to 142, 17 short of an overall majority. While there was speculation that the Green Party, which lost seats at the 2018 federal election, would not agree to continue the confidence and supply agreement with the NDP, Green Party leader Mark Guyer announced on the 17th June that the party would support the NDP government but without a formal agreement.

## Formation

On June 16th 2018, at the the first session of the new assembly, Bishop was re-elected Chancellor of the Republic and announced her cabinet for confirmation on the same day. The second cabinet was largely identical to the first, with very few major changes. Defence Secretary Dean Alleslev, who announced his intention to retire from the government after the election, was replaced by Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Fabian Keele, who became the first black defence secretary in history and the second non-white Great Officer of State (the first being incumbent Justice Secretary, Yasmin Akram). Aside from the defence secretary, the other Great Officers of State were re-appointed following the election. Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Damian Farnan, was stepped down from government and was replaced by Health and Social Care Secretary, Steven Jowett. Jowett, in turn was replaced by Under Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Stefan Mendez. Labour and Employment Rights Secretary, Martin Shapiro, was appointed a Minister of State without Portfolio in the Chancellery and was replaced by Under Secretary for the Treasury, Mhairi Threlfall. Threlfall was replaced as Under Secretary for the Treasury by Social Security and Pensions Secretary, Meaghan Cleary. Commuities and Local Government Secretary, Nathan Gibby, was picked to replace Cleary, after little under a year in post. The Housing, Communities and Transport departments were restructured to create two departments: the Federal Department of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of State for Transport, Infrastructure and Urban Development. In order to emphasize the importance of urban development to the government's agenda, the cabinet-level position of Minister of State for Urban Development was established to work across the two new departments. Business Secretary, Stephen Harmer, was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and International Development Secretary, Hasina Alin, replaced Harmer as Business Secretary. Transport Secretary, Michelle Olson, was sacked from government and was replaced by Clean and Future Transport Minister, Robin Leishman. UN Ambassador, Joshua Osbourne, was appointed Secretary of State for International Development and was, in turn, replaced as ambassador by International Trade Secretary, Fleur Jones. Jones was replaced as International Development Secretary by Science and Innovation Minister, Patricia Mead. Culture Secretary, Liam Arnold, was demoted to Minister of State for Science and Innovation, although remaining in cabinet. Arnold was replaced as Culture Secretary by Cabinet Affairs Minister and Leader of the House, Louise Chagger. Courts Minister, Sally Barnett, replaced Chagger as Leader of the House, while Pensions Minister Hannah Colwell replaced Chagger as Cabinet Affairs Minister. The position of Minister of State for Children, Families and Child Poverty Prevention was elevated to cabinet-rank, emphasizing its importance to the government's agenda. The incumbent minister, Felicity Cobb, remained in the post. The rest of the cabinet remained unchanged.

## Cabinet

### First Cabinet

 Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities
 Minister of State for Children, Families and Child Poverty Prevention (joint with Education, Social Security Departments) |      | Hon. Felicity Cobb MA
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities

 Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 Under Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodMinister of State for Farming, Food Standards and Agri-Food |      | Hon. Nadia Buckley MA
 Minister of State for Fisheries
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

 Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights
 Under Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights
Minister of State for Employment
 Minister of State for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights

 Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs
 Under Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs
Minister of State for Veterans Affairs
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs

 Secretary of State for International Development
 Under Secretary of State for International Development
Minister of State for International Charities and Foundations
 Minister of State for International Development and Tackling International Child Poverty
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Development