Don’t believe anyone who says no reshuffles before the election | Samantha Maiden
The Prime Minister is serene in public, but there are goings on behind the scenes, writes Samantha Maiden.
Opinion
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As the clock ticks towards that inevitable cabinet reshuffle, who is out there suggesting the ministerial hearse is waiting quietly in the driveway?
What evidence is there to suggest that the big black car is waiting to transport some ministers on a willing or unwilling journey into the political afterlife ?
Does the Prime Minister count? Because he’s been dropping some big hints of late.
Don’t listen to those suggesting that there won’t be any change around the cabinet table before the election.
It’s bollocks.
The Prime Minister is serene in public, but there are goings on behind the scenes.
There is plotting and there is planning.
Like a duck gliding on a lake, the Prime Minister’s little webbed feet are swimming furiously under the water.
Some speculate Queenslander Murray Watt is keen to test his mettle in the Home Affairs portfolio.
Everyone thinks that just like the advent calendar, the beleaguered Immigration Minister Andrew Giles won’t survive Christmas.
Others suggest the Prime Minister will reshuffle the frontbench in July, or shortly after around the time of the Olympics.
Some cabinet ministers believe he could wait until December?
But really? It seems like a long time to wait with the blood draining from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles political career by the day.
Of course, Prime Minister’s need respectable triggers for reshuffles, unless they want to admit they are dealing with a crisis.
And how do we know he’s thinking about it? For one thing, the Prime Minister himself has confessed.
Why, it was less than two weeks ago that Anthony Albanese had this to say about where it’s heading.
“Well, you know at some stage, if we are reelected, or perhaps even before, you make some changes, inevitably, that occurs,’’ he said.
“But I think the stability of the team has been a real strength. I can’t recall any new government having this same ministry in place two years after they were appointed.
“There’s been no trips to Yarralumla, and that’s quite remarkable, compared with John Howard losing six or seven Ministers, I think, by this stage, there have been changes in the Hawke Ministry, changes in the Rudd Ministry.”
What do we learn from this? The Prime Minister sees stability as a virtue.
That tells us that when he moves, he doesn’t want the trigger to be a scandal.
In other words, if he moves Andrew Giles from the immigration portfolio he wants an exciting reason that has nothing to do with the minister being a dud.
He needs an alibi.
Enter, Anthony Albanese’s unlikely political saviours: the Labor frontbenchers expected to retire from politics before the next election.
Their ranks include Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, 67, who ruled out resigning in the wake of the resounding defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Ms Burney, who was visibly emotional when she addressed the nation after Australians voted No, told NITV she was “more determined than ever” to fight for Indigenous Australians.
“The toll of course is there. But the toll is there for a lot of people,” she said.
“Remembering that this has been a life work of some people, but I can tell you this, that in the midst of the devastating outcome on the weekend, I am more determined than ever to pursue the issues that have been made clear – things like reforming the community development program, for example, justice reinvestment.
“Taking on board what’s happened, but the fire of determination is well and truly there.”
But is she expected to run again? The view from Labor insiders is she will go.
And then there’s Brendan Patrick O’Connor (born March 2, 1962), who has served as Minister for Skills and Training since 2022.
He is also believed to be looking for the exits. That would allow the Prime Minister, potentially, to announce a reshuffle in the lead up to the election.
All the while, preaching his gospel on stability.
“Tony Abbott himself didn’t make it to two years as Prime Minister, and, you know, had a challenge with an empty chair at one stage and a lot of changes and shifts occurred,’’ Mr Albanese said last month.
“So, I think that stability has been positive.”
So he’s got two ministers waiting.
But sometimes, there’s even some surprise retirements.
Traditionally, previous Labor prime ministers have known about these and kept them under wraps until they were ready to roll with a reshuffle.
This is a moment to accept that there are the known knowns when it comes to this reshuffle and the unknown unknowns about what the Prime Minister is plotting and planning.
All will be revealed soon enough.
Originally published as Don’t believe anyone who says no reshuffles before the election | Samantha Maiden
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