By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent
Australia's third prime minister in as many months has been sworn in at a ceremony in the nation's capital, Canberra.
Centre-right conservative politician Tony Abbott officially became Australia's 28th prime minister amid criticism over his cabinet, which has just one woman.
In the 19-strong front-bench the sole woman is Julie Bishop, the foreign minister. The previous Labour government had six women in cabinet.
In the past questions have been asked about Mr Abbott's attitude to women - he was famously called a misogynist in a speech in Parliament last year by Australia's first female prime minister, Julia Gillard.
He responded to the criticism by saying: "Plainly I am disappointed that there are not at least two women in the cabinet.
"Nevertheless there are some very good and talented women knocking on the door of the cabinet and there are lots of good and talented women knocking on the door of the ministry, so I think you can expect to see, as time goes by, more women in both the cabinet and the ministry."
The new Prime Minister promised immediate action to slow the stream of asylum seekers arriving by boats from Indonesia and to repeal an unpopular carbon tax levied by the previous administration.
Both issues were key policies during Mr Abbott's election campaign.
"Today is not just a ceremonial day, it's an action day. The Australian people expect us to get straight down to business and that's exactly what this government will do," Mr Abbott said.
"It's so important that we send a message to the people-smugglers that, from today, their business model is coming to an end."
Mr Abbott poses with the members of his new cabinet Mr Abbott's Liberal Party defeated former prime minister Kevin Rudd's centre-left Labor Party earlier this month.
He said: "We are determined to honour our commitments to scrap the carbon tax, to stop the boats, to get the budget under control and to build the roads of the 21st century.
"We aim to be a calm, measured, steady and purposeful government that says what it means and does what it says."
Australia has seen an increase in the number of such asylum-seekers from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam and other countries, many of whom pay smugglers up to $10,000 (£6,000) to get them to Australia from Indonesian ports.
The incoming government has announced a former army chief will oversee the issue.
As well as turning boats round before they reach Australia, the new policy includes a scheme to buy fishing boats before they fall into the hands of people smugglers.
Australian officials would also pay villages for information about people smugglers under another controversial aspect to the policy.
Refugees who arrive by boat will also be given temporary protection visas from Wednesday instead of being permanently resettled in Australia.
Mr Abbott, whose cabinet met for the first time shortly after the swearing in ceremony, also plans to scrap as soon as possible a controversial carbon tax.
It taxed Australia's biggest polluters, but was of a concern to many householders who believed it was causing fuel bills to increase.
His government instead favours a "direct action" plan that includes an emissions reduction fund to pay companies to increase their energy efficiency, and money for schemes to replenish soil carbon and plant 20 million trees.
Mr Abbott, who once said that evidence blaming mankind for climate change was "absolute crap", said he would immediately instruct officials "to prepare the carbon tax repeal legislation".
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