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Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Industry Minister Ed Husic have been pushed out of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s new cabinet as Labor party factional leaders reshuffle ministry positions.
In a statement, Australia’s former leader Paul Keating described the decision as “appalling” and said it showed “a diminished respect for the contribution of others”.
He added that ousting Husic, who is the cabinet’s sole Muslim member, signalled “contempt for the measured and centrist support provided by the broader Muslim community to the Labor Party at the general election.”
The move comes amid an announcement from the Liberal party that it would hold its leadership ballot on Tuesday,
It also follows warnings from Albanese against Labor MPs focusing too heavily on themselves, as he pushes a message of party unity going into his second term.
Dreyfus is set to be replaced by Sam Rae, a key ally of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
Husic was reportedly axed to help rebalance the ledger between Victoria and NSW.
Labor’s ministry and cabinet are carved up between the states and the left and right factions, based on their proportion of seats.
The more progressive left, from which has edged ahead of the right after the election, with more of its candidates winning seats.
But the ministry quota system has sparked an internal fight between Victorians and their NSW counterparts as the former want an extra seat at the table.
New faces
New blood in the ministry will likely include Tim Ayres from NSW, as well as Ged Kearney and Daniel Mulino from Victoria.
Labor will hold its first caucus on Friday, and the new-look cabinet is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday.
Albanese says Labor must approach its second term with humility and solidarity.
“No individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself,” he told Sky News on Thursday.
“When you’re focused inwards, the electorate will mark you down.”
Liberal leadership ballot
The Liberals and Greens also need to endorse new leaders, with Peter Dutton voted out and
In a statement on Thursday, the Liberal Party confirmed that it would hold its party room vote next week.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and deputy leader Sussan Ley are locked in a numbers battle for the top job.
Party warrior and ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has backed Ley, saying the Liberals need a woman in the top job.
“She has experience, she’s been a loyal deputy, but it’s time for the Liberal party to have a different perspective on life, and that I think would come through a female,” he told ABC radio on Thursday.
Kennett also slammed the coalition’s election campaign.
“The nicest word I could use would be disappointing – it could be a lot more extreme,” he said.
‘Graceful silence’
Dutton, who lost his seat of Dickson in Queensland, arrived in Canberra on Wednesday to clear out his parliamentary office.
He has so far refused to weigh in on his replacement, saying it was best that former leaders “maintain a graceful silence”.
Regardless of the Liberal leader, the shadow cabinet makeup is likely to remain the same despite concerns the Nationals could be forced to demote a member due to the new balance of seats within the coalition.
The junior coalition partner makes up about one-third of the party room, and while some seats are too close to call, they retain most of their members after a string of Liberal losses.
This means the Nationals are likely to keep their seven shadow cabinet spots and maintain their influence in key policy areas, after being previously over-represented.
The Nationals will also need to find a new deputy leader, with Perin Davey set to lose her NSW Senate spot.
No one has officially announced a tilt, but NSW MP Kevin Hogan and senators Bridget McKenzie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price have been raised as potential deputies.
Nationals MPs will hold a caucus meeting in Canberra on Monday but a date is yet to be set for the Liberals meeting, with more than half a dozen seats too close to call.
Nationals leader David Littleproud retained his seat but needs to be endorsed again as the party spills all leadership roles after each election. He is expected to keep his job.
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