Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appointed a new Minister for Cyber Security and a special envoy responsible for cyber as part of a major Cabinet reshuffle.

The new government ministry was sworn in on Monday morning after the reshuffle was unveiled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday afternoon.

Most significantly, both Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles were moved to different positions, with Minister for Arts Tony Burke to take on both of these roles.

Burke is now the Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for Immigration and Minister for the Arts.

Most recently the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Burke also served as the Minister for Immigration in 2013 in the Rudd government.

Acknowledging that the wide-ranging new job would be “challenging”, Albanese said Burke was “certainly up for it”.

“One minister and then two junior assistants to then is, I think, the right structure,” Albanese said.

The Cabinet reshuffle was brought on by the retirements of Minister for Indigenous Affairs Linda Burney and Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor last week.

“When team members step down…it does provide you with an opportunity for others to step up,” Albanese said.

“Good governments aim high, they work hard and they draw on a diversity of talent and that certainly is what drives me and that’s what drives the changes I’m announcing today.”

Other significant changes include Labor Senator Murray Watt being elevated and taking on the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, and Pat Conroy being named the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery.

Senator Tim Ayres has also had his title of Assistant Minister for Manufacturing changed to Assistant Minister for a Future Made in Australia.

Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles has been moved to the Skills and Training portfolio, while Matt Thistlethwaite will become Assistant Minister for Immigration.

ASIO moved to AGD

Australia’s domestic intelligence and national security agency ASIO is being moved out of Home Affairs and into the Attorney-General’s Department, alongside the Australian Federal Police.

Despite this, cyber security will be remaining in Home Affairs and under the remit of the new minister.

“It makes sense to have ASIO and the AFP in the one place, and that is why it has been done in consultation,” Albanese told the media on Sunday.

“I talked with the Director-General about that issue and it’s something that I took the opportunity today to make that change along with making changes to personnel.”

Also on the cyber front, Labor MP Andrew Charlton has been named as the new Special Envoy for Cyber Security and Digital Resilience, and will work alongside Burke and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland on cyber security issues.

“This will be a special task…about where Australia, and indeed the world, is going on the range of issues with technology changing the way that we relate to each other, the way that our entire society functions,” Albanese said.

“This is something that requires someone away from the day-to-day activity to give thought to how Australia positions ourselves to not only avoid some of the bad consequences which are there, but also see the positive opportunities which are there as well.”

While the Skills title has been removed from Cabinet, Albanese said that it will be within Watt’s remit in Cabinet as the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic retained his role as part of the reshuffle.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ministerial changes are a “huge concession the government’s failing to deliver”, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton labelled it as “nothing more than shuffling of deck chairs on the sinking HMAS Albanese”.