CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended his major shake-up of cabinet on Monday and said he wished the percentage of women in parliament had been higher so he could have appointed more to key roles.

Turnbull pleaded the case for renewal in his first television interview as leader after clearing out several leading conservatives and appointing many of his own supporters. He also upped the number of women in cabinet from two to five, with Senator Marise Payne notably becoming the country's first female defence minister.

“Leaders have to make sure that there is renewal,” he told Channel Nine. “And that's why you have seen so many more new faces in the cabinet, so many more women, so many more younger people.” He said that the percentage of women in parliament is not as high as it should be, adding it would be good if there had been more available to appoint to new roles.