Colbeck delighted by lift to ministry

LIBERAL Senator Richard Colbeck says he is delighted and honoured to have been elevated to the federal ministry by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The new assistant minister for agriculture and water resources said he was looking forward to working with farmers and forestry, particularly given the east coast drought.

“Agriculture is also one of the key growth sectors of Tasmania’s economy and huge job creators in our regions,” he said.

“I look forward to working with my counterpart in the Tasmanian State Liberal Government, Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney, and the Tasmanian primary industries sector to drive new opportunities for our state.

“Tasmania now has a voice back in the ministry and I look forward to advocating on behalf of our state.”

Tasmanian Liberal senators Eric Abetz, Jonathon Duniam and David Bushby were overlooked in the reshuffle.

Senator Colbeck faces a difficult task to retain his seat after being relegated to fifth spot on the party’s ticket for the next federal election.

He lost his seat at the last federal election, only to be returned in the wake of the citizenship saga which cost Jacqui Lambie her Senate spot.

Labor member for Franklin Julie Collins said Tasmania was under-represented in senior federal government ranks, in part because the bulk of the Liberal team had backed Peter Dutton’s leadership push.

“Scott Morrison’s decision to again leave Tasmanians out of any senior position in his reshuffled ministry shows how little he cares about our state,” she said.

“It has now been more than 1000 days since a Tasmanian was last a minister in a Coalition Government.”

However, Premier Will Hodgman welcomed Senator Colbeck’s new role.

“Senator Colbeck has been a passionate advocate for Tasmania, and particularly our state’s vital agricultural sector, over many years. His reappointment to a ministerial position is good news for Tasmania,” he said.