IT minister Williams to step down

Australia will have a new IT minister after the election, with the present incumbent of the Federal Communications hotseat, Daryl Williams, having signalled his intention not to contest his seat of Tagney at the forthcoming poll.

Williams, who only took over the Communications, IT and the Arts brief from Senator Richard Alston last September, said he had decided not to contest the seat of Tagney, situated in Perth, WA, which he has held since 1993, "for family reasons."

"I am privileged to have been Attorney-General for more than seven and a half years and to hold the interesting and diverse portfolio of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts," the minister said in a statement.

He went on: "While I continue to enjoy the challenges of being a Minister and a Member of Parliament, I look forward to devoting more time to my family after the election."

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