As if Katy isn't already busy enough, Prime Minister

Why on earth would a PM load up a senior Cabinet Minister, who already has three ministries in her portfolio, with another busy ministerial responsibility some might even suggest is a poison chalice?

Because we’re about to have a federal election that’s why.

With Bill Shorten vacating his position as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme almost two weeks ahead of the planned timeline, Anthony Albanese had to make some decisive moves.

The Prime Minister can’t leave the NDIS or Services Australia without ministerial oversight.

And it makes sense to divvy up the portfolio between a couple of senior ministers already in Cabinet.

So Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth gets to be NDIS Minister, with Minister for Youth Anne Aly as her Assistant Minister.

Katy Gallagher will take on Mr Shorten’s Government Services ministry.

Wait. What?

The Finance Minister, who also just happens to be Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Women, is now getting the added bonus of Minister for Government Services.

“All of these positions will be in addition to the ministerial responsibilities already held by ministers Rishworth, Gallagher and Aly,” Mr Albanese said when announcing the changes on Thursday (16 January).

That’s a massive load for Senator Gallagher (not to mention the others).

Being Minister for Finance is not a part-time gig.

It’s one of the most responsible roles in government with a lot riding on doing it well and getting things done right.

Then there’s the Public Service ministry. Senator Gallagher has taken a particular interest in it with the view of undoing much of what the previous Coalition government had done to the sector and trying to restore some level of integrity to the APS after the disgrace of Robodebt.

Being Minister for Women as well is also a responsibility Senator Gallagher has embraced with vigour and enthusiasm.

So how is she going to be an effective Government Services Minister as well?

The short answer is, she won’t need to be.

There will be very little time between her swearing in at Government House on Monday and when the PM pays his next visit to the Governor-General with an election date in hand.

There will be no time for Senator Gallagher to make a mark on her extra ministerial responsibility before an election is called.

It’s just a few weeks away at best.

There will be, however, enough time to make an announcement or two in her role as Government Services Minister to enable her to go into the election battleground with some ‘good news’ to campaign on.

Labor is a little worried about its Senate representation in the ACT after all, thanks to that pesky (effective) independent David Pocock.

Region put it to Senator Gallagher in December last year that her portfolio load was already huge and whether there were discussions with the PM about carving off her Public Service responsibilities and fully handing them over to Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman.

No chance of that, she said.

Senator Gallagher, while praising Mr Gorman, said she had no plans to give him her job.

“It’s a privilege to serve as Minister for the Public Service. I love it and it’s important for my home town, if I can be parochial for a moment,” she told journalists at a media conference.

“It’s a big employer in my home town. What happens here matters and a lot of private sector businesses hang off the success of Canberra being the seat of government and the home of the public service, so it’s a very nice synergy for me.”

Instead, let’s give her another big ministry and one that has consistently been a headache for the Federal Government.

It’s certainly not any kind of ploy to bring the minister undone.

Senator Gallagher plays a pivotal role in government and has the trust and confidence of the PM.

She is a proven capable performer and a Labor loyalist like few others.

It’s just a way to fill the requirement of ministries having an actual minister – even right before an election.

Senator Gallagher is a caretaker Minister for Government Services.

There will be a clean slate after the election – one way or another.

But we can all expect the new job to be used to give Labor’s only ACT Senator an edge going into the election.