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There is growing speculation that Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo is set to announce his retirement from politics at the next election, with rumblings growing around future ministerial resignations.
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Minister Ciobo came to the Defence portfolio with a breadth of professional and parliamentary experience following a change of leadership in August 2018. Before entering the Australian Parliament as the federal member for Moncrieff in 2001, he built a professional career as an executive in the economic reform unit at international firms Coopers & Lybrand and, later, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Most recently, the minister held the trade, tourism and investment portfolio under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Since becoming trade minister in February 2016, he has concluded four trade agreements covering 19 countries. The trade agreements concluded, or currently being negotiated, by Minister Ciobo cover economies that account for more than 61 per cent of the world’s GDP.
This ministerial appointment marked Mr Ciobo's fifth cabinet appointment. He also served as an opposition spokesman under Brendan Nelson, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott. Minister Ciobo has previously served as Australia’s Alternate Governor to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Minister Ciobo's office was contacted for comment but has not yet responded.
More to come.
