Bill Shorten in line for front bench job on Albo’s new team

Bill Shorten is set to be a frontbencher in Anthony Albanese’s team.

Bill Shorten makes his concession speech, with wife Chloe in Melbourne. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Bill Shorten is set to be a front­bencher in Anthony Albanese’s team while Queensland MP Jim Chalmers is firming as Labor’s Treasury spokesman as the factions attempt to stitch up a line-up that can take on Scott Morrison.

The Australian understands the Labor Right will back Mr Shorten’s bid to remain in a senior position, with his portfolio to be chosen by his rival Mr Albanese.

“He’s been touched by the encouragement he’s received from the community, caucus and Labor members,” a source close to Mr Shorten said. “He’s up for fighting for Labor values and uniting Labor to support the new leadership.”

The elevation of Mr Chalmers could come at the expense of immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann, who is expected to be dumped from the opposition shadow cabinet and possibly from the frontbench, with NSW senator Kristina Keneally to be one of seven NSW Right frontbenchers.

His dumping would see Queens­land’s shadow cabinet representation diminish — a result of its reduced representation in caucus — despite calls to give MPs from the state a stronger voice at senior levels to rectify its 27 per cent primary vote.

Regional Queensland Labor figures are furious that Victorian Richard Marles looks set to become federal Labor’s deputy leader after he said it was a “good thing” the global market for thermal coal had collapsed.

ALP stalwart Robert Schwarten, who worked on Labor candidate and third-generation coal miner Russell Robertson’s unsuccessful campaign for Capricornia, said Mr Marles’s comments ­“absolutely helped wreck our agenda in Capricornia”.

“(Mr Marles) has got to retract it, he’s got to perform the greatest act of contrition since the Last Supper. From what I’ve seen, he’s a reasonable human being but unless he wants to be a lightning rod for all that went wrong in the federal campaign, he has to come out and admit what he said was wrong, ill-advised,” Mr Schwarten said.

“Russell Robertson, a coal miner, had his message destroyed by the sort of stuff Marles said, and could never get back on track with his message about the casualis­ation of the workforce, which is the biggest cancer there is.”

The Australian understands South Australian senator Don Farrell is likely to retain his position as deputy Senate leader, despite a push from the NSW Right to install Senator Keneally in the position.

This would make Penny Wong the only women out of the four leadership positions, as she is set to stay as Senate leader.

Victorian Right MP Clare O’Neil yesterday pulled out of running as deputy Labor leader, leaving Mr Marles to run for the position unopposed.

Factional leaders expect the shadow cabinet to reduce from 21 MPs to 20, with the Left’s representation to increase to 14 of 30 frontbenchers. The number of shadow assistant ministers is expected to drop from 16 to 12.

ACT Left senator Katy Gallagher is expected to be named in shadow cabinet, while two further promotions in the Left will be fought out between Queensland senator Murray Watt, NSW senator Jenny McAllister, NSW MP Pat Conroy and Victorian MP Andrew Giles.

Additional Reporting: Andrew Clennell