Tony Abbott has placed himself in charge of women’s issues in Australia, nominating one of the handful of women in his cabinet as ‘Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women.’

The new Prime Minister will tackle the myriad challenges of the shifting roles of women in society along with indigenous affairs, deregulation, national security and relations with state governments.

West Australian senator Michaelia Cash will be allowed to assist the Prime Minister in his decisions on the opposite gender. Mr Abbot says he has taken on such a broad range of folios to: “ensure that these key whole-of-government priorities are at the centre of government.”

The new Prime Minister may have taken on the women’s portfolio due to the differences he claims exists between the sexes.

In 2010 Tony Abbott said: “I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.”

Mr Abbott may not be rushing to appoint a female to take charge of women’s issues, but his naming of Ms Cash as an assisting Minister could be seen as an encouraging concession.

In the Coalition’s campaign launch this August Mr Abbott said no-one has all the answers, and also may have admitted where his own ideas originate, saying; “No one, however smart, however well educated, however experienced, is the suppository of all wisdom.”