Election 2025: ALP backbench reformer Andrew Charlton has eyes on a frontline role

Some Labor colleagues worry Andrew Charlton – Kevin Rudd’s former economics adviser – has been deliberately under-utilised by senior figures over the last three years despite his talent.

Parramatta Labor MP Andrew Charlton. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

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Kevin Rudd’s former economic adviser Andrew Charlton is positioning himself in the Labor Party as a pro business leader and contender for a senior economic role if the Albanese government reclaims power, despite a historic ­rivalry with Jim Chalmers.

With Dr Charlton having co-written economic books with Nobel prize-winner Joseph Stig­litz and served as an influential adviser in Mr Rudd’s economic response to the global financial crisis, some Labor colleagues worry that he has been deliberately under-utilised by senior figures in the party over the past three years, despite his talent.

It is understood Dr Charlton has a bolder reform agenda, especially around tax and inter­generational wealth disparities.

The now-Labor MP for Parramatta told The Australian he had been keeping an excel spreadsheet of ASX-listed companies that had agreed to do business in his ­electorate and was regularly having discussions with business groups and chambers on economic reform.

“I spent 20 years as an economist and a business owner building stronger economies and stronger communities,” Dr Charlton told The Australian.

“I spoke to many of the CEOs of big business and asked them to buy local; we have attracted a lot of business to locate here,” he said.

His enthusiasm on economic issues hints at a desire for more influence within Labor’s economic brains trust, something Labor colleagues such as economic committee chair Daniel Mulino’s support.

“Andrew is a rare mix of academic rigour and practical policy nous,” Mr Mulino told The Australian. “During my time as chair of the house economics committee, Andrew has played a significant role in contributing policy ideas and recommendations – and also in playing a key part in the oversight of regulators and the private sector.”

Mr Charlton has set up a scheme called Parramatta Connect to help big business use smaller local businesses. “The problem is many big businesses don’t know how to contact the local businesses. They don’t know which local small business are capable,” he said. “The purpose of Parramatta Connect is to attract more big business investment and make sure the benefits of those big businesses flow down to the small businesses in our local area”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: Mark Stewart / NewsWire

The Oxford-educated Rhodes Scholar, who founded and sold his AlphaBeta business consultancy to global group Accenture, has been gagged by the party from voicing most of his opinions during the tightly contested election campaign.

Some Labor figures say Dr Charlton could have helped sell Labor’s economic narrative if he had been given a chance to be a more prominent member of the Labor team. Others in the party deny rumours that the Treasurer’s past with the Parramatta MP has got in the way of his ability to help Anthony Albanese’s economic narrative.

ALP sources say Dr Charlton’s status as a first-term MP has worked against him and that the Prime Minister has already awarded him by making him his special envoy on the digital economy.

Dr Charlton advised Mr Rudd on the resource super-profits tax in 2010 before it was ditched by then treasurer Wayne Swan, who was being advised at the time by Dr Chalmers.

Dr Charlton also privately harbours concerns around Australia’s ability to be self-reliant, especially if there is any drop off in China’s demand for commodities or a shift in American security priorities.

He sees the growth in economic activity in Parramatta’s economy as an analogy for how Australia competes with the rest of the world.

Then-prime minister Kevin Rudd confers with then-senior adviser Dr Charlton, left, in question time in question time. Picture: Ray Strange

“If you want to see the future of Australia, you don’t need a crystal ball. The future of Parramatta is the future of Australia,” he said.

Dr Charlton is sitting in one of the marginal seats that Labor has to defend in western Sydney.

He won it in 2022 with a two-party-preferred margin of 4.6 per cent but the seat’s margin has reduced to 3.7 per cent following the 2025 redistribution.

Dr Charlton did not reveal his intentions if the seat were lost. “I have not focused on that potential outcome,” he said.