Former Australian premier Kevin Rudd was Saturday confirmed as the foreign affairs minister in Julia Gillard's new cabinet, a media report said.

An official for Prime Minister Julia Gillard confirmed that Rudd would take over from Stephen Smith who has held the job since Labor won the 2007 election, The Australian reported.

Smith in turn takes over the defence portfolio vacated by John Faulkner who announced before the election that he was standing aside. The new defence minister will be Labor's third in three years.

The former minister for small business, competition policy and consumer affairs will take over the trade portfolio from Simon Crean. Gillard is expected to announce the rest of her frontbench line-up later Saturday.