Anthony Albanese shakes up front bench to take on Scott Morrison

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says his new frontbench is the strongest team to form a Labor government at the next election.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has overhauled his frontbench in a pre-election shake-up.

Mr Albanese said the reshuffle would best place Labor to win the next election, widely tipped to be held this year.

“This is the strongest team to form an Albanese Labor government,” Mr Albanese said.

Deputy leader Richard Marles will lead Labor’s policy agenda and focus on national recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In a new portfolio, Mr Marles will hold Labor’s national reconstruction, employment, skills and small business, as well as science portfolios.

“His short title is the shadow minister for jobs, jobs and more jobs,” Mr Albanese said.

However, it is unclear how much this will overlap with Mr Albanese’s leadership rival Tanya Plibersek’s responsibilities in the education and training portfolio.

“Jobs and skills is where the government has it,” Mr Albanese said.

“Tanya Plibersek also picks up the tasks that she has held in the past and will do an outstanding job on status of women.”

Mr Albanese has consistently played down the likelihood of a major reshuffle. But Mr Marles conceded the change was “significant”.

“We are now at a point where we have the opportunity to reimagine Australia, to reimagine an Australia which has an economy in it that builds and generates permanent long-term jobs,” Mr Marles said.

Richard Marles is the biggest winner from the changes announced on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Brendan O’Connor, who has left the employment portfolio, will replace Mr Marles as Labor’s defence spokesman.

Meanwhile, Labor home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally has been given extra responsibility, becoming the party’s first government accountability spokesperson.

“She will be holding the government to account across the board for the rorts, the abuse of process, for the fact that we have a government that thinks that taxpayers’ money is the same as Liberal Party and National Party money,” Mr Albanese said.

He confirmed that Mark Butler had been dumped from the contentious climate and energy portfolio and would now take on the health and aged care portfolio.

Mr Butler was previously the Minister for Ageing in the Gillard government and will be supported by Clare O’Neil, who will hold the senior Australians and aged care services portfolio.

Mr Albanese said he and Mark Butler agreed on the change. Picture Gary Ramage

Mr Butler will swap roles with Chris Bowen – former Rudd government treasurer – who will now be tasked with bringing an economic perspective to the climate portfolio.

“Labor has always regarded climate change and energy as a huge opportunity for the economy and for job creation,” Mr Albanese said

He said it would have been easy to not make any changes at all.

But Mr Albanese said after events this year – which included his car crash – he was determined to do the right thing and not necessarily the easy thing.

Julie Collins will take over the agriculture portfolio, while Ed Husic will be responsible for innovation, new technologies and industries.

Trade spokeswoman Madeline King will be assisted by Queensland senator Murray Watt and will add resources to her remit.

The move has ensured the trade and resources portfolios are held in the vital resource states of Queensland and Western Australia.