Dumped minister Ed Husic unleashes on Richard Marles, but Labor MPs say plenty of others had ‘grudges’

Labor minister Ed Husic has branded Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles a “factional assassin” for ousting him from the frontbench, but Labor MPs say the ‘grudges’ don’t end there.

Ousted frontbencher Ed Husic has torched his senior colleagues, calling Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles a “factional assassin,” as Labor MPs say the internal brawling over ministry positions has left a “bitter taste” post-election win.

Mr Husic, who alongside Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was last week ditched from the cabinet, on Sunday offered a scathing public assessment laying blame on Anthony Albanese for not stopping Mr Marles’ Labor Right faction manoeuvring.

Ed Husic has labelled Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles a ‘factional assassin’. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

“We’ve had bare faced ambition and a Deputy Prime Minister wield a factional club to reshape the ministry,” Mr Husic told ABC Insiders.

“I think people when they look at a Deputy Prime Minister, they expect to see a statesman, not a factional assassin.”

Mr Husic said “of course” when asked if the Prime Minister should have intervened to block the faction’s decision, and unleashed on the government, which he described as being “shackled” by “timidity”.

He also speculated his ousting was linked to his pro-Palestine advocacy.

Many Labor MPs have privately criticised both the brutal factional plays and Mr Husic’s subsequent explosion as having “tainted” the afterglow of the party’s historic election victory.

Several Labor sources said Mr Marles was not the main driver Mr Husic’s exit from the cabinet, with one Labor MP describing the Deputy PM as “hardly the puppet master sort” and another saying there were “few who would have stood in the way as (Mr Husic) was shown the door”.

This was in reference to “grudges” between Mr Husic and senior government figures like Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with other “frosty” relationships.

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has also been dumped from the frontbench. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Conflicts arose over things like Mr Husic backing lower company tax rates and Mr Chalmers being perceived to be “overreaching” into the tech portfolio space, according to two Labor MPs familiar with the “dislike” between the pair.

Mr Husic was also known to challenge Ms Wong over Palestine during cabinet debates.

On Sunday, Mr Husic said he believed his stance and public commentary on the war in Gaza had “been a factor” in his ousting.

“I don’t think I could ever stay silent in the face of innocent civilians slaughtered in tens of thousands, starved out of Gaza,” he said.

Mr Husic, who is a Muslim Australian, said Labor couldn’t “celebrate diversity and then expect it to sit in a corner”.

“I certainly took the view you need to speak up for the communities that you care about,” he said.

Mr Husic had about a 0.3 per cent primary swing toward him in his seat of Chifley, which has a large Muslim population, while his Labor colleagues the neighbouring Western Sydney seats had swings of between about 2.4 per cent and 5.7 per cent against them.

Ed Husic says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should have intervened to stop the Labor Right manoeuvring. Picture: NewsWire/Philip Gostelow

But when it came to retaining his cabinet position, one senior Labor MP said Mr Husic “simply didn’t have the numbers,” noting it was “nothing new” for ministers to be both installed and removed by the factions they serve.

“The problem is there is this pressure building from the talent underneath … but this leaves a bitter taste,” one MP said.

Tech industry insiders, who Mr Husic oversaw as Industry and Science Minister, have said the forthright Western Sydney MP could be very territorial and difficult to engage with on issues that crossed into other ministers’ portfolios.

“He was the minister for hissy fits and photo opps,” one industry source said.

They said Mr Husic was known for “blowing up” on the phone if he perceived a stakeholder was being disloyal, and had “dragged his feet” pushing reforms where credit might have flowed to people he clashed with, like Mr Chalmers.

“He hardly seems to talk to (Communications Minister) Michelle (Rowland) very much,” a second tech source said.

“That’s hard when there is so much crossover between the two portfolios in the digital space.”

Victorian Sam Rae will join the ministry. Picture: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Mr Husic and Mr Dreyfus’ removal to the backbench paved the way for Victorian Labor Right MPs Sam Rae and Daniel Mulino to be promoted into the ranks of the ministry.

Last week the Left and Right factions handed Mr Albanese a list of 15 names each to be considered for cabinet and outer ministry positions, with the PM given the discretion to choose the roles each would be given.

Mr Albanese can also then hand-pick up to 12 assistant ministers free from factional recommendations, a power often used to reward loyal supporters and elevate upcoming talent.

The ministry will be sworn in on Tuesday, with senior figures Murray Watt and Michelle Rowland considered the leading contenders to replace Mr Dreyfus as Attorney-General, while West Australian MP Anne Aly is expected to be moved into the cabinet.

Labor Left members NSW Senator Tim Ayres and Victorian Senator Jess Walsh will also get promoted into the ministry filling vacancies rather than forcing others in their faction to stand down.

Originally published as Dumped minister Ed Husic unleashes on Richard Marles, but Labor MPs say plenty of others had ‘grudges’