Mr Turnbull has announced a younger team of ministers that included more women than the 19-member cabinet of his predecessor, Tony Abbott.

He said Christopher Pyne would be made Minister for industry, innovation and science, replacing senior long-serving Liberal MP Ian Macfarlane who has been overseeing the introduction of new country of origin labelling laws. The Abbott government Human Services Minister jumps from the relative obscurity of the outer ministry to one of the government’s most important portfolios: defence minister in a time of war.

“Marise is one of our most experienced and capable senators”, Prime Minister Turnbull said.

Bruce Billson, the member for Dunkley and until Sunday, the Small Business Minister, said last week the Abbott government was “getting plenty of good things done but there wasn’t a sense that was being conveyed well and clearly to the electorate”.

“If we want to remain a prosperous, first-world economy with a generous social welfare safety net, we must be more competitive, we must be more productive, above all we must be more innovative”, Turnbull said.

Mr Turnbull revealed that Abbott government treasurer Joe Hockey meant to resign from parliament in due course.

Ms Bishop – who heads to New York this week for talks on national security, aid and development – keeps foreign affairs, while Sussan Ley hangs onto health and sport.

The senator has had roles with the Commonwealth Treasury and Department of Finance, and for nine years was chief of staff to former Prime Minister John Howard.

Abbott’s old guard has been swept aside in a radical cabinet reshuffle from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Abbott also challenged Mr Morrison’s claim the former prime minister tried to throw Joe Hockey under a bus by offering him the treasurer’s job, in a bid to save his government.

Turnbull pleaded the case for renewal in his first television interview as leader after clearing out several leading conservatives and appointing many of his own supporters.

Arthur Sinodinos, previously a backbencher, now takes on the role of cabinet secretary.

Meanwhile, former Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash is promoted as Employment Minister and Minister for Women, and former Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer is promoted as Small Business Minister and Assistant Treasurer.

But opposition leader Bill Shorten believes the new ministry falls short on other challenges. Turnbull said he understood what it was like to lose the leadership of a party, adding Abbott would be going through “a rotten time” right now, however “the show has to go on”.

Briggs was formerly the assistant minister for infrastructure and represents the electorate of Mayo on the outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia, an electorate classified by the Australian Electoral Commission as rural.

“I look forward to seizing the opportunities presented by this new appointment as part of the ministry for the future”.

Governor General Peter Cosgrove, the British monarch’s representative in Australia, swore in Turnbull’s first 21-member Cabinet today.