Anthony Albanese’s trusted inner circle — who’s on the list?

Who has Anthony Albanese’s ear? It’s shifted since his election and now crosses Labor factional lines. There are new confidantes while former allies have vanished.

“His world has been politics so the people he’s close to are mainly political people”. That is how one Labor source describes Anthony Albanese.

The Prime Minister, who rose through the ranks of Young Labor, has kept his friends close and continues to be strongly influenced by his lifelong love for the Labor Left.

Those closest to him say he continues to be driven by his passion for “fighting Tories”, but also a determination to not repeat the mistakes of 2010, when Labor’s unity went up in flames of internal division and a dysfunctional caucus.

“A lot of people were here in 2010 when it all imploded … he has promised never ever to make those mistakes again,” one insider said.

The commitment to caucus solidarity is evident in the Prime Minister’s treatment of rogue Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman who eventually left the party after failing to see eye-to-eye with Albanese on the issue of Gaza.

Loyalty is something Prime Minister Anthony Albanese values highly. Picture: Nikki Short

With a federal election due in nine months at the latest, Albanese has been tightening the inner sanctum, bringing old Labor hands back into the fore and reshuffling his cabinet to reward his most loyal supporters, with some of his closest allies elevated to cabinet or assistant ministries.

Saturday Xtra spoke to a string of Labor insiders about exactly who is influencing the leader of the nation and they all agreed with one principle: loyalty is top currency in Anthony Albanese’s world.

“He’s taking the opportunity to support those who have supported him along the way and it’s hard to argue with that,” one Labor source said.

But not all long-time friends have remained close, with one insider remarking Albanese’s sphere of influence has shifted since he took on the top job two years ago.

UNION ALLIES

Those no longer in the inner circle include Tony Maher, former mining president of the CFMEU which is currently being ripped apart by the government over corruption allegations.

He is now the General Secretary of the standalone Mining and Energy Union after splitting from the CFMEU late last year.

Maher and Albanese’s personal friendship remains but insiders say when it comes to political influence he has now been replaced by Sally McManus, the well regarded ACTU union boss who has been instrumental in the government’s handling of the fiasco.

“Sally McManus is clearly a big player. (She is) critical, for example, in managing the labour movement over the CFMEU,” one source said.

McManus and Albanese’s closeness will only be cemented further now, with furious CFMEU members taking to the street to blast the pair over their fate.

Another union movement ally is “Shoppies” union secretary Gerard Dwyer, with sources close to the Prime Minister confirming the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association boss had the leader’s ear.

With the CFMEU on the warpath and an election looming, Albanese will be relying on both leaders for their support.

INSIDE PARLIAMENT

A new entrant in the shifting circle is Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who one Labor source said was not someone “you would have picked two years ago” to influence the PM.

Several sources said Albanese placed “high value” on Gallagher, who was his backer in the Expenditure Review Committee.

When faced off with an “energetic Treasurer” in Jim Chalmers, it’s Gallagher who pushes the PM’s agenda.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is a trusted confidante. Picture: Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are old mates. Picture: Supplied

Among older allies and confidants, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s name was counted unanimously.

Wong is regarded as both professional counsel and a close friend, with both hailing from the same faction.

Sources said Wong’s loyalty was palpable in the strained weeks Labor was rattled by Senator Payman’s push for stronger action on Gaza.

Wong rebuked the young Senator, pushing Albanese’s focus on party loyalty over personal views even on the most emotional issues.

The latest addition into cabinet is another long-time friend, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, who is known as Albo’s “numbers guy”.

Conroy was recently elevated to Cabinet status after winning the Defence Capability Portfolio in a pre-election reshuffle.

The PM’s ‘numbers guy’ Pat Conroy. Picture: Martin Ollman

Conroy, along with Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres, are both part of Albanese’s left faction.

Ayres also hails from the union movement under the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and is relied on by the PM for party-specific issues.

“He relies heavily on people on the left,” a Labor insider said.

“Albo spent his whole formative life fighting the right. Many on the right would be frustrated by that.”

Despite the Labor left becoming a powerful faction in recent years, Albanese’s success is also down to his cross-factional relationships with Defence Minister Richard Marles and Trade Minister Don Farrell.

“Sometimes the people who influence you the most aren’t your allies. Your allies stick with you,” one Labor source said of Albo’s connection to both Marles and Farrell.

While Marles is valuable as the most senior Labor right member in parliament, Farrell is seen as a “party elder” who has the holy trinity of party, policy and political advice.

“He is incredibly powerful factionally,” sources said of Farrell.

But Albanese is also “incredibly close” to Labor Party president Paul Erikson, an understandable bond after Labor’s sweeping rise to power in mainland Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. Picture: Martin Ollman

Fellow Sydney MP and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is another insider, with the two leading the charge for Palestinian statehood together in their youth.

Albanese’s trust in Burke became evident when he was handed the shambolic Home Affairs and Immigration portfolio off Andrew Giles and Clare O’Neil.

In Health Minister Mark Butler, Albanese has another close friend and factional ally.

Like Burke, those who know the pair say they are close friends first and colleagues second.

IN HIS OFFICE

“Loyalty is very important to Anthony,” one friend of the Prime Minister said — and the theme is evident in the makeup of his office.

Chief of staff Tim Gartrell was behind Albanese’s first campaign in 1996 and has been a close friend of the PM since.

Gartrell has led the same-sex Yes campaign, Kevin Rudd’s Kevin 07 campaign, and was understood to be an influence in Albanese’s pursuit of the Voice.

The PM’s Chief of Staff Tim Gartrell. Picture: David Swift

Preparing for election mode, Albanese has also brought back veteran Labor staffer Fiona Sugden from London.

The fairly private Sugden was mentioned by multiple sources as being a close confidante of the Prime Minister, having also worked for both Kevin Rudd and Bill Shorten.

The senior adviser to the PM gets the most face time with the leader, including accompanying him on most of his travels, and has been responsible for reforming his office’s profile within the press gallery, alongside experienced ex-journalist Brett Mason, who is director of media. Policy director Sam Trobe is also an old hand, having worked for Wong and Shorten.

Trobe is widely respected and commands considerable influence in his role as policy guru.

Senior adviser and former CFMEU official Alex Bukarica’s ties to Albo go as far back as 1982 and he is also a godfather to the PM’s son Nathan.

“We had a lot in common. We were both working-class teenagers from the inner city,” Bukarica wrote of their friendship in an opinion piece two years ago.

“My father worked at the Children’s Hospital as a wardsman and Albo’s mother, Maryanne, was a disability pensioner whose council house stood opposite the hospital.”

Bukarica’s counsel would have played a crucial role in the government’s ambitious industrial relations agenda that has seen them pass controversial reforms including workers’ new “right to disconnect”.

An Ex-PM, and his fiancee 

Despite the tumultuous Labor coup of 2010, Albanese remains close to former prime minister and current US Ambassador Kevin Rudd.

Rudd — who has ruffled a fair share of feathers in his time in and out of politics — remains “very close” to the leader, with the pair’s “loyalty and friendship” spanning decades.

Former PM, now US Ambassador, Kevin Rudd. Picture: Benedict Brook

The PM with his fiancee Jodie Haydon. Picture: Getty Images

One source recounted that 14 years ago it was Albanese who had walked into Rudd’s office in a bid to call off Julia Gillard’s coup.

In 2012, he once again pledged his support of Rudd to take back leadership, despite working well with Gillard.

“They work very closely in the role that Kevin has now. It’s paramount in AUKUS and China and the US election,” the source said.

And no story about Albanese’s inner circle can be complete without a mention of his fiancee Jodie Haydon.

The former union delegate has accompanied the Prime Minister on a number of high-profile diplomatic trips and will no doubt continue to play a key role in his time in the public eye.

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