Anthony Albanese’s shock French plot could trigger cabinet reshuffle

Au revoir Bill Shorten? Political insiders say the PM wants to offer his former leadership rival an overseas posting but it’s not clear he will go.

EXCLUSIVE

Anthony Albanese is plotting a cabinet reshuffle amid public service speculation he has offered his old leadership rival Bill Shorten a chance to say au revoir, with a plumb diplomatic posting in Europe.

News.com.au can reveal that the offer of a diplomatic posting is the talk of the senior public service chiefs.

The latest speculation centres around Mr Shorten being offered the job of Ambassador to France.

However, it’s not clear that Mr Shorten has accepted or rejected an offer, after telling colleagues as a general proposition he remains committed to reforming the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

In 1983, the Hawke government appointed former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam as Australian Ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, a post since amalgamated with the ambassador to France.

Chloe Shorten, the former Labor leader’s wife, speaks French and was born Clothilde, named after a former Queen of Franks, Saint Clothilde who is associated with queens, widows, brides and exiles.

Labor sources suggest Anthony Albanese has been ‘regularly’ sounding out Bill Shorten about overseas posting. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Bill Shorten pictured on election night in 2019 with his wife Chloe, born Clothilde, who speaks French. Picture: Alex Coppel

The Prime Minister is understood to have previously offered Mr Shorten the job of High Commissioner to London shortly after the 2022 election.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who is personally close to Mr Albanese is likely to have been consulted over the option of providing Mr Shorten with a diplomatic posting, to smooth his departure from politics.

Labor sources suggest Mr Albanese has been “regularly” sounding him out about overseas posting and Mr Shorten has pointedly not ruled out a diplomatic posting.

But they suggest that Mr Shorten may be reluctant to leave politics.

“Why would he go?” a Labor source said.

Any move to appoint Mr Shorten to the diplomatic role would clear the way for a wider reshuffle to remove Immigration Minister Andrew Giles from the portfolio.

It would also bolster the flexibility that is expected to be delivered by the yet-to-be-announced retirement of Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, 67, and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor, 62.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney’s retirement could add further flexibility in a reshuffle. Picture: Emma Brasier

The move could clear the way for a wider reshuffle to remove Immigration Minister Andrew Giles from the portfolio. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Public servants have conspiratorially noted the Prime Minister’s curious decision to send Mr Shorten, the National Disability Insurance Scheme minister to a high-profile global summit in July, to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to win the war in Ukraine.

Mr Albanese and other senior ministers, including Senator Wong, are unable to attend the event, instead deputising Mr Shorten to represent Australia at a Ukraine peace summit being held on July 15-16 in Switzerland.

Mr Shorten has developed close ties with the Ukrainian-Australian community after the downing of flight MH17 in 2014 during his time as opposition leader.

“Putin may doubt the ability of liberal democracies to maintain their focus, but he’s wrong,” Mr Shorten said last week.

“Victory for Putin would embolden dictators globally.”

The summit will be attended by world leaders including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden will not attend the summit, which is intended to map a pathway out of the war.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said Mr Shorten had been a strong supporter of Ukraine.

“But the fact remains that Mr Shorten is the minister for the NDIS and doesn’t even sit on the national security committee of cabinet, making this a most confusing and inadequate appointment for anyone who looks at it,” he said.

The Prime Minister always takes an interest in such senior appointments. Picture: Liam Kidston

There are 22 ministers in the cabinet, not including the junior ministry and outer ministry. The potential departure of Mr Shorten and the two ministers expected to retire would free up at least three positions in cabinet.

If Mr Shorten decides to take up a diplomatic posting he will join a long list of former Labor leaders and Liberal frontbenchers tapped to represent Australia overseas.

The use of diplomatic postings to smooth the way for a cabinet reshuffle is a longstanding tradition in Australian politics as is the appointment of former senior political leaders.

Malcolm Turnbull used a diplomatic posting to spark a wide cabinet reshuffle in December, 2017.

Then attorney-general and Queensland senator, George Brandis was rumoured for months to be a top contender for the plum role of high commissioner of London before he eventually took up the role in May, 2018.

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer was the incumbent at the time.

Currently in the role is a former Labor minister Stephen Smith who was named as Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK by Senator Wong in 2022. His term still has some time to go.

While the foreign minister usually chooses ambassadors and high commissioners, the prime minister always takes an interest in the most senior jobs.

George Brandis was appointed Australian High Commissioner to the UK in 2018. Picture: Australia High Commission in the United Kingdom Facebook

Political appointees are usually favoured for the post of US Ambassador and the High Commissioner to the UK, but that does not preclude Mr Albanese finding another role for Mr Shorten in Europe.

In September 2009, then prime minister Kevin Rudd announced that he would appoint former Labor leader Kim Beazley, sometimes referred to as “the best prime minister Australia never had” as Australian Ambassador to the United States.

But Mr Beazley had left politics before the 2007 election, which Mr Rudd won after he formed a leadership ticket with Julia Gillard before their relationship soured.

In December, 2015, former treasurer Joe Hockey was named as Australia’s ambassador to the United States by then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Thirty years ago, then opposition leader John Howard signalled that a future Coalition government would be prepared to install its retiring MPs in diplomatic posts to clear the way for such controversial appointments if he won the election.

Joe Hockey is another on the long list of former Labor leaders and Liberal frontbenchers tapped to represent Australia overseas. Picture: Instagram

“I’m not going to engage in the hypocrisy of saying that we don’t ever appoint a former member of Parliament to a diplomatic or some other position, because often the former member of Parliament is as well or better qualified than anybody else,” Mr Howard said.

“People who carry out those functions should not be the object of gratuitous derision by people in our party.”

The Hawke Government awarded several former ministers with plum jobs overseas including Neal Blewett as High Commissioner in London, Kerry Sibraa in Zimbabwe and Michael Tate as Ambassador to the Netherlands and The Holy See.

Former Labor minister Don Grimes was the Ambassador to the Netherlands until1991.

Former ALP staffers Don Russell went from Paul Keating’s office to become our man in Washington, Geoff Walsh, who worked for Mr Keating and Bob Hawke, as well as in Foreign Affairs, was appointed recently as Consul-General in Hong Kong.

A spokeswoman for Mr Albanese said the suggestion he had offered the job was “untrue”.

“As is the assertion that there was any discussion or offer of High Commissioner to the UK or Ambassador to France,” she said.

“Bill continues to do an important job of reforming the NDIS.”