Gray, a senior Labor party figure in Western Australia, is being urged to support the resources industry as investment in the sector slows down. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced that the Climate Change Department will be merged with the Industry Department and overseen by Climate Change Minister Greg Combet. Despite the reshuffle, no changes were made to the Treasury or Finance Ministry, which are held by Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan and Penny Wong. The reshuffle was prompted by a failed leadership coup by supporters of former leader Kevin Rudd, resulting in the resignation of several ministers. Gillard has called for elections on September 14, which polls suggest she is likely to lose, limiting the impact of the reshuffle. Former Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, known for his support of the mining industry, was among those who resigned from Gillard's cabinet. Australia has seen significant investments in resources projects in the past decade, with a slowdown now apparent. The mining employer group AMMA believes that new appointee Gray's industry experience will help attract investment. Gray, who joined the Labor party in 1974, left in 2000 to work for Wesfarmers and later as a public relations adviser for Woodside Petroleum. Shell decided to retract its bid after Treasurer Peter Costello determined it was not in the national interest, which was influenced by Gray's efforts to rally public opinion against Shell. The exchange rate was $1 to 0.9572 Australian dollars.