Members of parliament and members of Government
1. Marise Payne is a member of the Senate, elected by the state of NSW. She is amember of the Liberal Party. As the Liberal Party currently controls the majority of seats in theHouse of Representatives with the National Party, Marise Payne is also a memberof the Government.She has been appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women.
2. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for developing Australia’s foreign policy, and acting as the Government’s main spokesperson on international affairs.
3. If Payne was not re-elected at the next federal election, she could not keep her positions in Government. This is because she would no longer be a member of parliament.