Simon Birmingham was appointed as Minister for Finance in October 2020. Simon also holds the responsibilities of Leader of the Government in the Senate and Special Minister of State. After less than three years in the Senate Simon was appointed to the Shadow Ministry, serving as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin and the Environment until the 2013 election. Following the change of government in 2013 Simon served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment, with responsibility for water policy, including the Murray-Darling Basin, National Parks and the Bureau of Meteorology. In 2014 Simon was appointed to serve as the Assistant Minister for Education and Training in the Abbott Ministry, with specific responsibility for vocational education, apprenticeships, training and skills. Simon then went on to become Minister for Education and Training in the Turnbull government in September 2015 and was made Manager of Government Business in the Senate in February 2018. Under the Morrison Government, Simon was appointed as Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate in August 2018.