Dan Tehan tipped to take over trade while Michaelia Cash could get education in Morrison reshuffle

Frontbench changes sparked by Simon Birmingham's move to finance, replacing Mathias Cormann

Speculation has increased in Coalition ranks that Scott Morrison will hand the trade portfolio to the education minister, Dan Tehan, when the prime minister reshuffles his frontbench either late this week or at the weekend.

While government insiders insist the prime minister's looming frontbench overhaul will be modest, the prime minister needs to appoint a new trade minister. That's because the South Australian Liberal senator Simon Birmingham has been promoted to finance, replacing the departing Mathias Cormann, who is on the campaign trail to run the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.