Bob Carr takes Australia's Foreign Affairs role

  • Breaking
  • 02/03/2012

By Talia Blewitt

Former New South Wales premier Bob Carr will join the Australian Senate and take the role of Foreign Affairs Minister.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard revealed her new cabinet today after the Labor Party caucus went to a vote on Monday to decide who they wanted to be leader.

Kevin Rudd resigned from the Foreign role last Wednesday and weighed in on the leadership vote, losing out by 31 votes to Ms Gillard’s 71.

Former attorney-general and Rudd supporter Robert McClelland was dumped from the ministry altogether and Ms Gillard thanked him "for his many years of service in the ministry''.

Today’s reshuffle is the second since December.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Mr Carr was approached for the job earlier this week, but the offer was then reported to have been withdrawn amid protests from Labor ministers such as Simon Crean and Mr Smith who were also in line for the job.

Mr Carr said he was offered the opportunity for signing on for more public service "and I couldn't say no".

He said Ms Gillard had made him an offer he could not refuse.

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source: newshub archive