Brown laments cabinet gender mix

More women should have been elevated to the ministry in Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's front bench reshuffle, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says.

Senator Brown called the new-look ministry a retrograde step.

"This was a golden opportunity to even up the enormous imbalance there is in government," Senator Brown told ABC radio.

Queensland Senator Jan McLucas has stepped down from her role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing to focus on her role as a senator.

Kate Ellis has been appointed Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth, in addition to her existing Sport portfolio.

And Maxine McKew has been made Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

But no new women have been given ministerial duties under the reshuffle announced by Mr Rudd in Brisbane on Saturday.

However, Treasurer Wayne Swan says the reshuffle showcases Labor's talent.

Mr Swan said the reshuffle recognised the abilities of former assistant treasurer Chris Bowen, unionist Greg Combet and Senator Mark Arbib in particular.

Mr Bowen was promoted to Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, as well as Minister for Human Services and Mr Combet to Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change.

Senator Arbib was appointed Minister for Employment Participation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Government Service Delivery.

"I think it is a measured reshaping of the ministry," Mr Swan told Network Ten on Sunday.

"I think it also demonstrates the depth of talent in the government."

However, one politician to take a voluntary backwards step was Queensland senator Jan McLucas, who resigned from her role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing to focus on her job in the upper house.

Her decision comes after the Department of Finance and Deregulation agreed to reopen an investigation into her travel allowance claims last month.

Mr Swan denied Senator McLucas's demotion was an attempt to get her out of the spotlight should the investigation turn up any discrepancies.

Mr Rudd on Saturday said she had stepped down to focus on her role as a senator for Queensland.

Meanwhile, opposition frontbencher Joe Hockey says Mr Rudd promoted MPs who supported him from the outset.

Mr Hockey said the shake-up, that followed last week's resignation of Joel Fitzgibbon from the defence portfolio, did not elevate talent.

"Chris Bowen bungled FuelWatch, grocery watch and the employee share scheme initiative in the budget and then gets rewarded with a very senior cabinet post," Mr Hockey told the Nine network.

"(And) Mark Arbib, the architect of the NSW Labor government, gets rewarded.

"You've got to ask yourself on what criteria did Mr Rudd promote these sort of people?"

Mr Rudd is "rewarding those people that have supported him," he said.

"(And) There seems to be a lot of payback by Mr Rudd to key faction chiefs."

But he was not as critical of Mr Combet.

"I don't underestimate Greg Combet.

"(He) is a very talented individual."

Opposition Deputy Leader Julie Bishop says

the reshuffle shows the right faction of the NSW Labor Party is still calling the shots.

"This reshuffle indicates a triumph for the NSW Labor Party," Ms Bishop told Sky News.

"This is the faction that delivered the numbers to Mr Rudd to topple Kim Beazley for the leadership."

Ms Bishop was critical of Mr Bowen's previous performance as assistant treasurer and consumer affairs minister.

He is leaving behind a legacy of three "major policy failures", including FuelWatch, the grocery watch scheme and the employee share plan.

"Clearly, policy success is not a criteria for being promoted into cabinet."

It is also disappointing that women were overlooked in the reshuffle, Ms Bishop said.

"There were some competent women who were clearly overlooked."