The immediate trigger for the reshuffle was the government's slow response to the oil spill off the coast of Kenting National Park, which angered many. The reshuffle thus appears to have been prompted by a desire to improve the government's performance.
改組的導火線在於墾丁外海油污事件之處理效率不彰，引起社會不滿，因此可說是一次功能性的內閣異動。