Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen added to powerful National Security Committee of Cabinet

The pointed climate addition to the peak decision-making body for national security and foreign policy decisions comes amid other significant changes to the arrangements of the executive government.

The move to bring a climate perspective to Cabinet's National Security Committee has been welcomed by the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group.

"Experts have long warned that climate change threatens global security," former Defence Force chief, Chris Barrie said.

"Rising temperatures caused by climate change are causing greater food and water insecurity and seeing more severe and frequent extreme weather events, including droughts, floods and fires.

"We have seen time and again how these climate-fuelled changes can lead to social unrest, mass migration and conflict, threatening global security."

READ MORE

Revelations of this inclusion comes as Mr Albanese visits the Fijian capital Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum, a body which treats climate change as the region's greatest threat.

Among the cabinet committee changes, there is to be a new Constitutional Recognition Committee of Cabinet headed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, while the big spending Social Services portfolio - now held by Amanda Rishworth - is no longer in the influential budget review committee, the Expenditure Review Committee.

The federal government directory listing for the ERC also particularly notes that the committee is charged with including "gender responsive budgeting" as it considers budgetary spending and revenue. Chaired by the Prime Minister, the ERC has Treasurer Jim Chalmers as deputy chair, as well as Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Health Minister Mark Butler, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones.

But the makeup of the National Security Committee is sending a strident message about the Albanese Labor government's attitude towards security matters.

Chaired by Mr Albanese, the NSC has Mr Marles as deputy chair, as well as Senator Wong, Dr Chalmers, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, Senator Gallagher and Mr Bowen.

The Constitutional Recognition Committee chaired by Ms Burney and deputy chaired by the Attorney-General is charged with advancing the constitutional recognition of First Nations peoples, including an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

CRC membership includes the Deputy Senate Leader Don Farrell, Ms Rishworth, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, Assistant Minister for the Republic Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman, Senator Pat Dodson and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy.