New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees says he will not be raising taxes to fix the state’s economic woes, but has labelled government departments “absolutely ripe for reform”. Mr Rees’s new cabinet team will tomorrow be briefed on the grim economic outlook that has put the state’s triple-A credit rating at risk.

The restructured New South Wales cabinet was sworn in by Lieutenant-Governor Jim Spigelman, in a ceremony at Government House in Sydney. With six new ministers and significant changes to the portfolios of several others, the cabinet is a radical change to the line-up of former premier Morris Iemma.