Minimal though it was, Wednesday's rejig of the ministry was the fourth reshuffle Malcolm Turnbull has undertaken in 16 months as leader. That's an average of one every four months.
And it's the second summer in a row where forced ministerial resignations have ensured the government has managed to puncture the holiday mood with the perception of disarray.
Last year, it was the loss of Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough in the dying days of December 2015, which ensured the start to the new year – ever so critical in terms of building momentum – was marred by internal matters.
Even before (now former) health minister Sussan Ley was made to fall on her sword over her use of travel entitlements, health was viewed inside the government as a weak spot.
David Rowe
This was not so much a reflection on Ley, but the pressures on Medicare caused by the budgetary situation and the dearth of easy solutions to save money without annoying voters.
Bill Shorten's relentless focus on Medicare, helped in spades by Tony Abbott's hamfisted attempt to plonk a $7 co-payment on GP visits in the 2014 budget, continues to resonate.
In this context, Turnbull has managed to make the best of a bad situation by shifting Greg Hunt from Industry to Health.
Turnbull was planning to reshuffle his ministry but not until the second half of this year, in what would be the run-up to the next federal election, due either late next year or early 2019.
That will still occur but Hunt will be a lock to stay in health, a portfolio which requires an enormous focus on detail and an ability to deal with a wide range of vocal and powerful interest groups, none more than the Australian Medical Association.
Quiet juggler
Hunt is a head-down, bum-up style of minister with an academic approach, a perfect fit for the job. For almost a decade, he quietly juggled the competing demands of the energy and environment sectors as both shadow environment minster and then minister.
Right under Tony Abbott's nose, he turned direct action into something approaching a credible market-based policy to reduce emissions. He fought hard to save the renewable energy target from execution under Abbott.
Hunts keeps his fights internal.
Since his shift to industry in the last reshuffle, he has been a bit of a square peg in a round hole, with much of the portfolio in the hands of Josh Frydenberg and Christopher Pyne.
As well, Wednesday's rejig sees Ken Wyatt become the first indigenous minister, jumping from parliamentary secretary to junior minster.
Influential conservatives
More significant in terms of internal goings-on is the promotion from the back bench to parliamentary secretary of Michael Sukkar.
The up and coming MP from Victoria, along with Mathias Cormann, Peter Dutton and Scott Ryan, has become one of the more influential conservatives in terms of a source of policy and other advice to Turnbull.
Sukkar missed out last time because not everyone could be accommodated. But his ascension to the ministry has begun.
Symbolically, while one of the new guard of conservatives has been elevated, Tony Abbott, standard bearer for the old, has again missed out.
Even if he had a change of heart and had wanted to bring back Abbott, Turnbull could not after Abbott's brazen threats last year that he would keep destabilising – or "speaking out" - if not given a ministry.
Turnbull would have been accused, rightfully, of caving to bullying had he given Abbott Ley's job.
Clearly, the Prime Minister has decided Abbott's freelancing from the backbench is a cross he will have to bear.
