Crean tipped to be appointed foreign minister after Monday's ballot
AAP February 26, 20125:58PM
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard is tipped to make Simon Crean foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle after Monday's leadership ballot.
Ms Gillard, who is set to fend off a challenge from Kevin Rudd, will need to fill Mr Rudd's former portfolio quickly after he quit it last week.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute national security program director Carl Ungerer said former Labor leader Mr Crean was the most obvious choice, being the "senior statesman" of the Government . Mr Ungerer said Mr Crean had been involved in international relations as trade minister under Mr Rudd and as opposition leader in the 2000s.
"Having sat in meetings between Simon, and (George) Bush, (Tony) Blair and Hu (Jintao) I know he'd make a fantastic foreign minister," Mr Ungerer said.
