Labor’s cabinet reshuffle: Andrew Giles, Clare O’Neil dumped, Tony Burke promoted
Anthony Albanese has dumped the ministers who oversaw rolling immigration crises involving convicted foreign criminals in a cabinet reshuffle. But his choice of replacement has been criticised.
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Anthony Albanese has dumped the ministers who oversaw rolling immigration crises involving convicted foreign criminals, but his choice of replacement has been criticised as a “shocking message of weakness” to send people smugglers.
The Prime Minister on Sunday used the retirement of outgoing Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor as cover to undertake a wider reshuffle of his cabinet and outer ministry, which included moving Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles out of the home affairs and immigration portfolios respectively.
The Coalition has long been calling for both ministers to lose their positions after a series of bungles in the wake of a landmark High Court ruling and a disastrous ministerial directive on deportation that allowed non-citizens convicted over serious crimes to remain in Australia, with several going on to reoffend in the community.
Ms O’Neil was appointed Housing and Homelessness Minister, while Mr Giles was given Skills and Training, though the portfolio will now sit outside of cabinet.
Mr Albanese promoted Tony Burke, who formerly served as employment and workplace relations minister, to take on both the home affairs and immigration portfolios.
The PM said he believed Mr Burke would be “outstanding” in the new expanded role as Labor prepares for the next federal election due by May 2025.
“Good governments aim high, they work hard and they draw on a diversity of talent,” Mr Albanese said.
“That’s what drives the changes I’m announcing today after that more than two years, the most stable period, might I say of government … in living memory.”
But the move has been panned by the Opposition, with Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson accusing the PM of sending a “shocking message of weakness to people smugglers” given Mr Burke’s track record when he was briefly immigration minister in 2013.
“On (Mr Burke’s) watch in just 80 days as minister 6,634 illegal arrivals showed up on 83 boats,” he said.
Mr Paterson said the dumping of Ms O’Neil and Mr Giles from the portfolio was an admission of the “huge mistakes” made in the wake of the NZYQ court ruling and disastrous direction 99.
Responsibility for the nation’s spy agency ASIO was also removed from home affairs, which Mr Paterson said effectively “completed the destruction” of the super portfolio created under the Coalition government.
Labor has previously stripped agencies such as the Australian Federal Police and Austrac from home affairs.
Mr Albanese rejected suggestions moving Mr Giles, who has been a longstanding political ally and close friend of the PM, was an admission of his immigration failures, insisting the change was a result of the “knock-on effect” of the reshuffle.
Other key changes included the widely anticipated promotion of Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy into cabinet as Indigenous Australians Minister, while former housing minister Julie Collins was shuffled into Agriculture.
Murray Watt, who formerly served as agriculture and emergency management minister, will step up into Mr Burke’s previous role as Employment and Workplace Relations Minister.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the “significant reshuffle” was a reflection that the government was in “all sorts of trouble,”.
“The Prime Minister has expressed no confidence in half of his Ministry,” Mr Dutton said.
“(The reshuffle) is nothing more than shuffling of deck chairs on the sinking HMAS Albanese.”
NSW MP and junior minister Pat Conroy was also a big winner in the reshuffle, retaining his positions as Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, and International Development the Pacific Minister but stepping up into cabinet.
NSW Senator Jenny McAllister was promoted to Cities and Emergency Management Minister, but will remain outside of cabinet.
Several MPs were given extra assistant ministry responsibilities including Patrick Gorman adding assisting the Attorney-General to his current roles supporting the prime minister and public service, while Ged Kearney adds Indigenous health to her current health and aged care roles and Matt Thistlethwaite was given immigration.
Promotions were handed to West Australian MP Josh Wilson who will assist on climate change and energy, while Victorian Julian Hill will take on assisting citizenship and multicultural affairs.
Signalling Mr Albanese’s plan to emphasise Labor’s domestic manufacturing strategy in the lead up to the next election, his close factional ally NSW Senator Tim Ayres has been appointed Assistant Minister for a Future Made in Australia, as well as assisting with trade.
Queensland Senator Anthony Chisholm has been given assistant roles covering education, regional development, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, while Victorian Kate Thwaites will assist with the social security, ageing and women portfolios.
The PM has also created a number of new special envoy roles, tasking first-term NSW MP Andrew Charlton with examining cyber security and digital resilience.
Northern Territory MP Luke Gosling has been made envoy for defence, veterans affairs and northern Australia, while Victorian MP Peter Khalil has been given a new social cohesion role.
The new ministers will be sworn in by Governor-General Sam Mostyn in Canberra on Monday morning ahead of a full meeting of the new ministry held by Mr Albanese in Parliament House.
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