Quirk appointed to small business portfolio

Corrective Services and Women's Interests Minister Margaret Quirk was scheduled to be appointed Small Business Minister this afternoon after the resignation of Norm Marlborough from the portfolio.

A former commonwealth prosecutor, Ms Quirk joined Cabinet in November last year.

Her most contentious decision as Corrective Services Minister was her refusal to permit convicted drug trafficker Holly Deane-Johns to return from Thailand to serve the rest of her sentence in a WA jail, saying her department was not a match-making service.

She also found time today to call for the Prime Minister to ensure the Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine was placed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as soon as possible.

"It defies belief that a vaccine with the potential to save the lives of more than 200 young Australian women each year should have been dismissed in such a manner," she said.

The member for Girraween, Ms Quirk has worked as Assistant Director, Administrative Review with the Department for Immigration in Canberra, as a ministerial advisor on energy and environmental issues; and as Regional Counsel for the National Crime Authority in WA.

She has also served on the boards of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, the Legal and Welfare Rights Centre in Canberra, the Renewable Energy Advisory Council and the Catholic Social Justice Council.

Racing and Gaming and Environment Minister Mark McGowan will also benefit from the reshuffle, taking responsibility for Peel and the South-West.

Mr McGowan is the member for Rockingham.

These changes will result in the number of Cabinet Ministers being reduced from 17 to 16.

The swearing-in ceremony for the re-allocation of portfolios was due to take place at Government House today at 3.30pm.