New talent blooded after Buswell blunder

PREMIER Colin Barnett is expected to reshuffle his cabinet in the wake of the departure of Troy Buswell from ministerial ranks following the scandal surrounding his affair with Greens member, Adele Carles.

Mr Barnett moved to quickly fill the gaps left by his most prodigious minister, with Bill Marmion the big winner from Mr Buswell’s downfall, picking up the portfolios of commerce, science and innovation, and housing and works.

Mr Barnett will take over the role of treasurer and handle the budget announcements while Helen Morton will become parliamentary secretary to the premier, treasurer and state development minister, and will continue as parliamentary secretary to the water and mental health minister.

Just how long Mr Barnett will retain the treasurer’s role is not known, but the premier acknowledged that jointly having the dual responsibilities was not his desired situation in terms of running the government.

Just who would take on the treasurer’s role in the future is uncertain, with most pundits seeing few existing government players with the capacity or ambition for the job.

Attornery-General and Corrective Services Minister Christian Porter is one thought to have the intellect and work ethic to accept the portfolio. An alternative could be Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls, who in overseeing the Royalties for Regions program is viewed as already having oversight of a significant budget.

But even without Treasury being up for grabs, insiders suggest Mr Barnett was preparing to reshuffle his cabinet to shift non-performers aside and allow for new talent to be blooded ahead of an election in 2012.

Since being elected as a new member for Nedlands in 2008, Mr Marmion has impressed numerous observers as parliamentary secretary to the premier, as well as parliamentary secretary representing Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore.

Mr Marmion has previously worked closely with a Liberal premier, having been employed in the office of Richard Court.

An engineer by training, the 55 year old worked as a civil engineer at the Department of Main Roads for many years in various locations around the state. Prior to his election, Mr Marmion was a partner in Syme Marmion & Co, a consulting business that focused on strategic planning of urban developments and the economic assessment of major government infrastructure projects. That work included developing business cases covering various state infrastructure projects.

Set to serve her second term in the state’s upper house as the member for East Metropolitan, Ms Morton is a trained occupational therapist who was involved in the founding and management of a private contractor in that field servicing nursing homes, hostels and day care centres.

She moved to the public sector to become regional director for health in various areas before becoming the director of the South Metropolitan Health Authority and then the general manager of finance and resources within the Department of Health. Before her election, she ran a home and community care service.