A Labor prodigy’s fast rise – but does he bleed enough for the voters?

Andrew Charlton has a CV full of economics credentials, excellent networks and personal wealth. He now has the political momentum to fulfil longstanding predictions that he could be treasurer or prime minister.

Andrew Charlton in Harris Park in the western Sydney seat of Parramatta, which he has held for two elections after he was controversially installed by Labor. Kate Geraghty

Michael Read and John Kehoe

Jul 19, 2025 – 5.00am

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Andrew Charlton was preparing to do a scheduled television interview with Sky News host Sharri Markson about two years ago.

But the first-term Labor backbencher and former economic adviser to prime minister Kevin Rudd received an unexpected phone call ordering him to stand down from the interview.

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Michael ReadEconomics correspondentMichael Read is the Financial Review's economics correspondent, reporting from the federal press gallery at Parliament House. He was previously an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia and at UBS.

John KehoeEconomics editorJohn Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury.