Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been moved out of the immigration portfolio and into education and finance. Credit:Andrew Meares Senator Hanson-Young said: "I fought hard to keep the immigration portfolio, but ultimately it was a decision of the leader of the party. "While I am disappointed, I understand that politics is a team game and will work tirelessly in my new senior portfolio areas of education and finance. "I will never stop fighting for people seeking asylum and want to thank the brave men, women and children who I've been lucky enough to meet and work with over the years." Senator Hanson-Young, who has held the immigration portfolio since 2008, said she was proud of her contribution to the asylum seeker debate and would work closely with Senator McKim.

Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale says all his colleagues should be proud of the work they have done in their portfolios. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "The work of my team in recent years, along with many others, has exposed the systematic abuse of women and children on Nauru and has been central to changing public perception about offshore detention," she said. As recently as Wednesday, Senator Hanson-Young was pushing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene to persuade the Nauruan government to allow her to inspect conditions there. On Friday, Senator Di Natale praised Senator Hanson-Young for being "the voice of compassion [and] decency" in the noisy and difficult debate over asylum seekers. "She has done a great job for nine years. She has been an incredible advocate for refugees," he told ABC radio.

"This is a debate that has been raging in Australia for many, many years and I think the country owes her a great debt." The Greens leader said he did not think the party's staunchly pro-refugee position had cost it votes and the reshuffle did not mean its policies on asylum seekers would change. He said Senator Hanson-Young would be a "formidable political advocate" in her new portfolios and that "after nine years it's time to refresh and reinvigorate the team". Education and trade were important issues in Senator Hanson Young's home state of South Australia, Senator Di Natale said. The state has the highest unemployment rate in the country, and was also the only state in which the Greens lost a senator at the election. Other changes included Melbourne MP Adam Bandt taking the key climate change portfolio and Victorian senator Janet Rice taking the LGBTIQ portfolio ahead of a possible plebiscite on gay marriage.

As Labor and the Coalition's asylum seeker policies have moved closer together over recent years, Senator Hanson-Young has occupied a prominent role arguing for a softer approach to refugees. Senator Hanson-Young was given the code-name "Raven" and spied upon by Wilson security guards when she travelled to Nauru in 2013 on a fact-finding mission. She had a combative relationship with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who accused her of "attention seeking" and being an "embarrassment to our country". During the election campaign, Senator Hanson-Young broke ranks with Senator Di Natale to criticise a Greens decision to preference Fred Nile's Christian Democrat Party over a progressive Liberal Party candidate in the seat of Sydney. The Greens later backed down on the decision. Senator Di Natale's call to shift Senator Hanson-Young to finance raised eyebrows given she made an embarrassing stumble over the party's superannuation policy during the election campaign.

Senator Di Natale said: "Every one of my colleagues should be proud of the work they have done in their portfolios over the past years and I am fortunate to go into this term with an experienced team from a diverse range of backgrounds and proven track record. "This change gives our MPs an opportunity to take on new challenges as well as focus on issues of importance to the future of their home state and the nation. The team is energised by the challenge ahead." Senator McKim said on Twitter he would work tirelessly to close offshore detention centres and bring asylum seekers to Australia. Senator McKim said Senator Hanson-Young hads been a "brave and compassionate voice for people seeking asylum". Greens Portfolios

Richard Di Natale (leader): health, sport, multiculturalism Larissa Waters (deputy): environment, mining, women Scott Ludlam (deputy): foreign affairs, defence, communications Adam Bandt: climate change, workplace relations, science Rachel Siewert: family and community services, indigenous affairs, disability

Sarah Hanson-Young: education, finance and trade, youth Peter Whish-Wilson: treasury, consumer affairs Lee Rhiannon: democracy, animal welfare, housing Nick McKim: immigration, attorney general Janet Rice: transport and infrastructure, LGBTIQ