Australia gets new communications minister

Deputy PM Anthony Albanese has been given the communications portfolio in the Ministerial reshuffle announced by returned Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

He replaces Stephen Conroy, who has been in charge of the country’s key communications agenda such as the national broadband network project, reform of media ownership rules as well as broadcast license fees.

Mr Conroy resigned from the Ministry following last week’s leadership challenge which saw Kevin Rudd reinstated as Australia’s Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today announced that Albanese will take on the Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy portfolio, in addition to his Infrastructure and Transport portfolio. Albanese is one of Rudd’s strongest supporters, and his movement into Communications demonstrates that Rudd believes can sell communications reforms.