Anthony Albanese pressured to create home affairs post

As he prepares to name his shadow cabinet today, Anthony Albanese is under internal pressure to appoint a home affairs spokesman.

It is likely Richard Marles will become Labor home affairs spokesman. Picture: Kym Smith

Anthony Albanese is under internal pressure to appoint a home affairs spokesman as right-wing Labor MPs argue the opposition needs a stronger posture on national security and border control.

The Weekend Australian understands the new Labor leader is considering the move, with the Right faction pushing for deputy leader and former opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles to take the role.

Mr Albanese will announce his shadow ministry tomorrow ahead of the resumption of federal parliament on July 2, which was confirmed with the release of a sitting calendar yesterday.

Labor had previously resisted calls for it to create a shadow home affairs portfolio despite the Department of Home Affairs operating since December 2017.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture Kym Smith

There is also a move among supporters of Kristina Keneally for her to take the role despite opposition from members of her own NSW Right faction, who claim that role needs a senior MP who has served in related portfolios.

The sticking point, according to a senior Labor source, is that Mr Albanese inherited a commitment written into the Labor platform to review the home affairs structure created by the Coalition under Peter Dutton and loosely based on the British model.

Former opposition leader Bill Shorten told The Australian last year that if elected he intended to keep the super department, which has policy function for national security, critical infrastructure, counter-terrorism, cyber security as well as immigration and border protection. Security and intelligence agencies including ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force fall under the home affairs portfolio.

However, some in the Labor Left had hoped to dismantle it under a Labor government and return ASIO to the Department of Attorney-General.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus will carry an additional title of opposition national security spokesman. It is understood he was agitating for home affairs to be dismantled if they won office and for ASIO to return to the Attorney-General’s portfolio.

It is likely Mr Marles will become home affairs spokesman with his national security title abolished, in a move that would neutralise government attacks on Labor, which was amplified following the interception of a Sri Lankan vessel near Christmas Island.

Colleagues of Mr Marles claimed he would resist any moves to separate ASIO out of the Home Affairs Department.