New portfolio announced for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery

A new portfolio for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery has been created in a Federal Government Cabinet shuffle. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has given the responsibility of the portfolio to Warren Snowdon, former Defence Science and Personnel Minister. Warren Snowdon joined nine other Ministers and five parliamentary secretaries in taking up new responsibilities. They were sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in Canberra on 9 June 2009.

Closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is one of the Federal Government’s policies and although there are no extra resources for the new Minister, there is hope that the new focus on Indigenous health will pay dividends. Warren Snowdon stated that there is a lot of action going on in this area and it ‘gives us an opportunity to address many of the determinants of health in a more comprehensive way by working across portfolios, working in a coordinated way’.

Warren Snowdon is the Federal Member for Lingiari and was previously the Member for Northern Territory. Following the election of the Rudd Government in November 2007, he was appointed as the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. He previously also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Communications (1990-2), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Education and Training (1992-6), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories (1993-6) and Parliamentary Secretary (Territories) (1993-4). Mr Snowdon commented that personally the creation of the portfolio presents a unique opportunity and a great challenge for which he is very grateful.

Adapted from the ABC website and Warren Snowdon’s electoral website

• Contact:
  • Minister Warren Snowdon, Parliament House, PO Box 6022, House of Representatives, Canberra ACT 2600, ph: (02) 62777620, fax: (02) 6273 7112, email: Warren.Snowdon.MP@aph.gov.au
  • Electorate office, Alice Springs, PO Box 4007, Alice Springs NT 0871, ph: (08) 8952 9696, fax: (08) 8952 5922
  • Electorate office, Darwin, GPO Box 1596, Darwin NT 0801, ph: (08) 8942 3830, fax: (08) 8942 3834
• Further information:
  • View Warren Snowdon’s web page, House of Representatives website
  • View Warren Snowdon’s electoral website
  • Snowdon to spearhead rural health reforms
    View media release: ABC rural (9 June 2009)
  • Indigenous, rural health portfolio ‘a good thing’
    View media release: ABC (8 June 2009)
  • New portfolio to focus on closing the gap
    View media release: ABC (8 June 2009)
  • Changes to Ministry
    View media release: Prime Minister of Australia (6 June 2009)