Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new cabinet in a larger-than-expected reshuffle in the wake of Labor’s landslide election win, replacing Tanya Plibersek as environment minister and announcing a new attorney-general.
Michelle Rowland has emerged as one of the big winners from the announcement, moving from the communications portfolio to take the place of the dumped Mark Dreyfus as attorney-general, while Anne Aly has been promoted to cabinet as small business and multicultural affairs minister.
Former Labor deputy leader Plibersek has been replaced as environment minister, months after her “nature positive” legislation to establish an Environmental Protection Agency was scrapped by Albanese.
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Announcing his new cabinet, the prime minister said environment is a “really central portfolio”.
“It is the only one I have ever asked for in this building and I regard it as very much a senior role in a Labor government,” he said.
Plibersek will remain in cabinet as social services minister, with Queensland Senator Murray Watt, the former workplace minister, taking her place.
“Murray is an outstanding performer as a minister… (he will) do it very well,” Albanese said.
The prime minister said Plibersek was “very positive” about her new role.
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Anika Wells, who was promoted to the cabinet before the election, will add communications to her portfolio alongside sport, while Health Minister Mark Butler has taken on responsibility for the NDIS on top of his existing duties.
Ex-social services minister Amanda Rishworth has taken Watt’s old portfolio of workplace and employment.
The official announcement comes after it emerged late last week that senior ministers Dreyfus and Ed Husic, who held the science and industry ministry, had been dumped from the ministry due to maneuvering by Labor’s Right faction.
Husic hit out at the decision yesterday, labelling Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, the leader of the Victorian Right, a “factional assassin”.
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“We’ve had bare-faced ambition and a deputy prime minister wield a factional club to reshape the ministry,” Husic told the ABC.
“I think people, when they look at a deputy prime minister, they expect to see a statesman, not a factional assassin.”
Albanese told reporters today that he had a “constructive discussion” with Husic this morning, saying his demotion was a product of Labor rules that allow factions to decide who enters the ministry.
Sam Rae, one of the MPs whom Husic and Dreyfus made way for, will be the new aged care minister, while NSW senator Tim Ayres will take Husic’s industry and science portfolio.
A number of senior MPs, including Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Marles, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, and Education Minister Jason Clare, will all keep their portfolios.
Clare O’Neil will also remain as housing minister, and Tony Burke will retain his portfolio of home affairs, immigration, the arts and cybersecurity.
The cabinet will be sworn in tomorrow morning.
