The key role of energy minister went to former business executive Angus Taylor,who has been given the pressing task of bringing down electricity prices before the next election.
Mr Taylor,a Rhodes scholar and a McKinsey consultant on energy and other issues before he entered Parliament,is a conservative who expressed concerns over the National Energy Guarantee during the fierce debate over emission reductions.
Mr Morrison dubbed him the “minister for getting electricity prices down” and named his “incredible background” as a reason he gained the post to continue the work done by Mr Frydenberg in the portfolio.
Asked about the cuts to carbon emissions that were part of the National Energy Guarantee until a policy retreat 10 days ago,Mr Morrison emphasised reliability and price and left room for further policy change by the cabinet.
“Any changes to the government policy settings will go through the normal process,” he said.
In a step that ensures stability in national security posts,Marise Payne moves from defence to become foreign affairs minister while Christopher Pyne becomes defence minister in a shift from his defence industry portfolio.
These changes push Steve Ciobo,who backed Mr Dutton,out of the trade portfolio he enjoyed and into the less prominent defence industry ministry.
In a significant move that rewards one of Malcolm Turnbull’s strongest allies during the leadership ballots,Simon Birmingham moves from education to become trade minister.
The three key figures who resigned last Thursday and helped trigger the demise of Mr Turnbull will remain in cabinet,with Mathias Cormann in finance,Mitch Fifield in communications and Michaelia Cash demoted to the small business ministry,as well as taking responsibility for vocational education.
Health Minister Greg Hunt,another supporter of Mr Dutton,keeps his portfolio.
“What we’re doing today in pulling this team together is providing for stability,which is what Australians expect of their government,” Mr Morrison said.
“But it does begin that process of healing. I’m not going to pretend to you that those things are fixed quickly but I do believe this provides the opportunity,having reached out,having ruled a line,ensuring that the events of the past week go no further than that.
“And I’m confident they won’t.”
The new frontbench now has 11 women out of 42 positions,the same as the total under Mr Turnbull across cabinet,outer ministry and assistant minister positions.
Among the women promoted are Sarah Henderson,who becomes assistant minister for social services,and Linda Reynolds,who becomes assistant minister for home affairs,and Michelle Landry,who becomes assistant minister for families.
Former health minister Sussan Ley is restored to the frontbench but not the cabinet as assistant minister for regional development.
Some of Mr Morrison's closest allies are rewarded,with former minister Stuart Robert returned to the frontbench as assistant treasurer while NSW MP Alex Hawke becomes special minister of state,a key role in the outer ministry.
Victorian Liberal Dan Tehan becomes education minister with a mission to end the government’s wars with Catholic school authorities and others in the private school sector over funding.
Mr Morrison said there had been “great progress” on the funding disputes under Senator Birmingham and said he hoped to get a resolution “before too long” after meeting Mr Tehan on Tuesday to discuss the problem.
Another Victorian Liberal,Kelly O’Dwyer,moves from financial services to become minister for jobs and industrial relations – a key role in an area that is fundamental to Liberal policy and the subject of intense Labor attack.
This puts Ms O’Dwyer,a lawyer who became an adviser to Peter Costello before entering Parliament,into a key area for the government at the next election.
It also means the government no longer has a minister for financial services,a key post at a time when former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne is expected to hand down the interim report of his royal commission into financial services next month.
The new structure has Mr Frydenberg as Treasurer,Mr Robert as Assistant Treasurer and ACT Senator Zed Seselja as assistant minister for treasury and finance.