Labor Right powerbroker Marielle Smith touted for promotion after SA vote surge

Labor’s nation-leading swing in South Australia has a former Julia Gillard adviser being touted for promotion.

Labor Senator Marielle Smith is in line for a promotion after a nation-leading swing in South Australia.

The Right faction powerbroker is being positioned for an assistant ministry, ahead of Labor’s front bench being decided by caucus at a meeting expected later this week.

Labor achieved a nation-leading 5.59 per cent two-party preferred swing in SA at Saturday’s election, securing almost 60 per cent of the vote.

A historic ALP victory in the eastern Adelaide electorate of Sturt left the Liberals without a metropolitan Adelaide seat for the first time.

Labor Senator Marielle Smith (left) is being positioned for a promotion after a nation-leading swing in the SA vote at the federal election. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Labor’s Right faction is expected to push for Senator Smith, who played a central role in the Sturt campaign, to become either an assistant minister or “envoy”.

Labor’s four senior South Australian cabinet ministers are expected to remain in their existing portfolios.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already confirmed in their roles Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell, who are Government Senate Leader and Deputy Government Senate Leader respectively.

Health Minister Mark Butler, who played a central role in Labor’s “Strengthening Medicare” campaign, and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth also are expected to keep their portfolios.

Labor’s caucus chooses the ministry and then the Prime Minister allocates portfolios, as well as choosing assistant ministers and “envoys”.

Labor’s Left faction is over-represented in SA with Senator Wong and Mr Butler, so Left SA convener Karen Grogan is unlikely to be promoted.

But Senator Smith, the Right’s deputy convener, is being touted internally because of the SA vote surge.

Mr Albanese has named envoys such as Northern Territory MP Luke Gosling, who since July last year has been Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans’ Affairs and Northern Australia.

Senator Smith, before entering parliament, advised former prime minister Julia Gillard on gender and global education issues.

Elected to the Senate in 2019, she has focused on women’s health, gender equality, job creation in SA and early childhood education and care.

Labor’s Right faction is expected to push for Senator Smith, who played a central role in the Sturt campaign, to become either an assistant minister or “envoy”. Picture: Mark Brake

Senior Labor sources said a post-election caucus meeting was likely on Friday, with Mr Albanese likely to allocate portfolios and decide assistant ministries over the weekend.

Defence Minister Richard Marles – whose role is pivotal to the $368bn AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine project centred in Adelaide – signalled on Monday he intended to stay in the portfolio.

“I think that’s ultimately a question for the Prime Minister. But let me perhaps say this; I mean, Defence is the portfolio that I chose last time- it’s what I really love doing,” Mr Marles told Sky News.

Mr Marles, whose role has been confirmed by Mr Albanese, is considered a close ally of Premier Peter Malinauskas and his push to develop a skilled workforce for the submarine project, based at Osborne Naval Shipyard.

Originally published as Labor Right powerbroker Marielle Smith touted for promotion after SA vote surge