Howard shuffles Aussie cabinet

2003-09-29 13:13

Sydney - Australian Prime Minister John Howard Monday promoted his hardline immigration minister Philip Ruddock to the more powerful post of attorney-general in a major cabinet reshuffle.

The rebuilding of Howard's executive team is widely viewed as preparation for a general election expected sometime within the next 12 months.

For more than two controversial years of his seven-year tenure, Ruddock was the stony face of the country's broadly criticised tough stance on asylum seekers.

As the United Nations, opposition politicians and church groups assailed the policy as anti-humane, Ruddock steadfastly defended the decision to lock up all asylum seekers in remote detention centres while the government deliberated over their asylum applications.

Ruddock will be replaced by one of Howard's more high profile women in the cabinet, Amanda Vanstone.

- AFP