PM defends Giles and O’Neil in reshuffle
Anthony Albanese has defended the performance of Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles, hitting back over suggestions he has moved them because of their handling of controversial events.
Anthony Albanese has defended the performance of Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles, hitting back over suggestions he has moved them out of the home affairs and immigration portfolios because of their handling of events such as the controversial NZYQ High Court ruling.
The Prime Minister announced on Sunday that Mr Giles would replace veteran Victorian Labor MP Brendan O’Connor as Skills Minister but, unlike Mr O’Connor, would not sit in cabinet. Instead, newly appointed Employment Minister Murray Watt will be the lead minister in cabinet for the skills and training portfolio.
The fallout over a High Court ruling late last year that found indefinite detention was unconstitutional led to intense scrutiny of Mr Giles and, to a lesser extent, Ms O’Neil.
Many of the 149 released non-citizens breached their monitoring conditions and committed violent crimes, including the assault and robbery of a Perth grandmother in May.
Questions over Mr Giles’ future in the immigration portfolio were exacerbated by the Direction 99 debacle that resulted in dozens of New Zealand criminals convicted of offences including rape and domestic violence being allowed to stay in Australia.
Mr Giles said in a statement that it had been an “extraordinary privilege” to serve as immigration minister and work with Ms O’Neil to rebuild the immigration system.
“I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to do so much, every day. To make life-changing and nation-building decisions … to end the limbo of temporary protection and increase our humanitarian intake,” he said.
“I’m excited to be taking on the role of Minister for Skills and Training. It’s a job focused on continuing to deliver better outcomes and opportunities for all Australians.”
Mr Giles’ colleagues said he was “probably more suited” to the skills ministry, while others expressed relief the embattled minister had been moved on.
However, Mr Albanese said the challenges faced by Mr Giles and Ms O’Neil in their respective portfolios were a result of the “mess” left by the previous Coalition government. “What Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles have had to do is to repair the damage which has been done,” he said.
He said criticism from the Coalition, which had long called for the removal of Mr Giles as immigration minister, was nothing but baseless “vilification” and “negativity”.
“The fact is that we have been a very stable government. I have noted some of the comments … Peter Dutton recently has been pretending there wasn’t a High Court decision,” he said.
Mr Dutton said a number of changes – such as entrusting immigration and home affairs to former employment minister Tony Burke – showed a lack of confidence in the wider Labor Party.
Ms O’Neil was moved from home affairs, which has oversight of the immigration portfolio, to housing.
Many Labor sources said they were optimistic Ms O’Neil would be able to improve the government’s performance in a space being increasingly targeted by both the Greens and Coalition.
Ms O’Neil said she was “enormously proud” of what she had achieved in two years as home affairs minister.
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