Qld Labor defends cabinet experience

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has brushed off claims the new Labor cabinet is inexperienced or too small, but the opposition disagrees.

Jackie Trad

Jackie Trad (AAP)

Labor's stint in the political wilderness has left them with an inexperienced and uneven cabinet which the Queensland opposition claims will grind the machinery of government to a halt.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's cabinet was sworn in on Monday, including five new MPs taking "super-sized" roles after Labor stayed true on its promise to cut the number of ministers from 19 to 14.

In keeping with the reduction, the greenhorn ministers - Shannon Fentiman, Leeanne Enoch, Steven Miles, Coralee O'Rourke and Mark Bailey - must all juggle at least two portfolios.

Seven incumbent Labor MPs and former ministers Kate Jones and Cameron Dick, who were voted out in 2012, have also been given multiple portfolios.

Liberal National Party leader Lawrence Springborg warns that even Labor ministers with previous ministerial or shadow ministry experience won't have the continuity of working on the same portfolio.

"You'll have ministers that will spend an inordinate amount of time just familiarising themselves with the details of their portfolios before they can actually run their departments," he said.

Mr Springborg predicted Labor would enjoy an initial "purple patch" because the former LNP government had left the departments "running exceptionally well".

But the opposition leader predicted things would eventually unravel.

"We'll basically see the machinery of government virtually grind to a halt," he said.

"These are quite big portfolios and you will find that many ministries will actually struggle and be overwhelmed by them."

But Deputy Premier Jackie Trad brushed off criticism the cabinet was inexperienced, saying MPs with previous experience have taken on more of the workload.

"This is a very a experienced, very competent cabinet," she said.

"I think the premier's done a great job putting it together."

While some of the ministries have merged similar areas, other ministers will oversee disparate portfolios like Housing and Public Works with Science and Technology, or Education with Tourism.

First-termer Ms O'Rourke, who will juggle three portfolios, admitted it was a big step up for her.

"It is a huge step, but I know we've got a great team of people working together," Ms Rourke said.

"We are ready, we've got a lot of plans in place."

Ms Trad insisted trimming was needed because numerous ministers and assistant ministers had been paid "to run around and do not much" under the previous government.

Mr Springborg admitted the LNP were yet to decide on the make-up of their shadow ministry.

He said the party room would meet to discuss whether to reflect Labor's ministry or form their own portfolios on Tuesday.

Queensland Parliament isn't due to convene until March.


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Source: AAP


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