We won’t waste a single day in ­office: Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese has selected a record number of women and MPs from ethnic backgrounds for his ministry, as he outlined Labor’s two-term strategy after claiming a majority of 77 seats and a ‘clear mandate’ from voters.

Anthony Albanese told Labor MPs the Australian people had entrusted them with an ‘enormous responsibility’. Picture: AAP

Anthony Albanese has selected a record number of women and MPs from ethnic backgrounds for his first ministry, as he outlined Labor’s two-term strategy after claiming a majority of 77 seats and a “clear mandate” from voters.

In his first caucus meeting since winning the election, the Prime Minister told Labor MPs that the Australian people had entrusted them with an “enormous responsibility” and that they must not squander government and return to the political wilderness.

Mr Albanese’s pitch to win “back-to-back premierships” at the 2025 election came as he demoted leadership rival Tanya Plibersek and put ministerial rookie Clare O’Neil in charge of the home affairs super department in a deeper than expected frontbench shake-up.

After unveiling Labor’s ministerial line-up on Tuesday night, Mr Albanese said his government had hit the ground running and would not “waste a single day in office”.

Earlier to rapturous applause from Labor MPs, the Prime Minister said: “I’ve been in this building now for 26 years. I’ve had six at this end of the corridor (the government partyroom). I don’t intend going back (to opposition).

“I spoke about two elections. I said I had two dates in mind – one election day on May 21 but secondly, as well, where we would be positioned in 2025 to be able to say we said we would do the following measures – cheaper childcare, ending the climate wars, anti-corruption commission, more secure work, lifting wages, taking pressure off the cost of living, affordable housing measures, fee-free TAFE … all the measures that we put in place and that we would be able to point to that in 2025,” he said in Canberra.

The first Albanese ministry, carved up by Labor factions and finalised by Mr Albanese, handed plum cabinet posts to Ms O’Neil, Murray Watt, Jason Clare, Amanda Rishworth and Don Farrell.

Ms Plibersek, Julie Collins and Madeleine King were the biggest ministerial losers after being stripped of responsibilities for education and women, agriculture and trade.

Mr Albanese boosted female representation to record levels by adding Anne Aly, Anika Wells and Kristy McBain to the outer ministry; while boasting more women in cabinet than the Coalition, Labor women dropped from 11 to 10 compared to its shadow cabinet following the election defeats of Kristina Keneally and Terri Butler.

Dr Aly and incoming industry minister Ed Husic will be the first Muslim-Australians in a ministry. Indigenous representation in the government will also be bolstered by incoming Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney, assistant minister Malarndirri McCarthy and special envoy for the Uluru Statement from the Heart Pat Dodson.

Women’s representation in the leadership group was reduced, with Senator Farrell taking Ms Keneally’s deputy Senate leader role.

The Labor leader said the government was “very close” to having equal gender representation in the ministry, with 13 out of 30 frontbenchers being female.

“This is a record number. This is far more representative than any government partyroom has ever been, in our history,” Mr Albanese said. “I want to see us move towards 50-50 representation across all of the spectrum.”

Mr Albanese will meet with his new ministers after they are sworn in on Wednesday before holding National Security Committee and Expenditure Review Committee meetings of cabinet.

Ms O’Neil, who entered parliament in 2013 and has never served in shadow cabinet or a national security role, will become home affairs and cyber security minister in charge of the Australian Federal Police, Border Force, ASIO, AUSTRAC and ACIC.

Mr Albanese, who came under pressure during the election campaign on maritime borders and national security, said he was leading the “most experienced incoming Labor government in our history since Federation”.

Asked why Ms Plibersek had been stripped of the education and women portfolios and handed the challenging environment and water ministries, Mr Albanese said she was “very happy to take up the issue of environment and water”.

“There are major challenges on the environment.

“We know that the impact of climate change is having a significant impact.

“Tanya has a long-term interest in the environment. We lost our shadow minister in Terri Butler so needed to find a replacement,” he said.

“My view is that Tanya will be outstanding in that area but also particularly in the area of the Murray-Darling Basin plan.

“It’s very important that actually gets delivered. Tanya is someone who can get things done. She’s an experienced former minister.”

Mr Albanese’s decision to put the environment and water portfolios together is a shift from the previous Coalition government’s practice of putting the latter with agriculture, signalling a change in priorities for the new government on water.

Mr Clare was rewarded with the education portfolio after his performance as Labor spokesman during the election campaign, while Ms Rishworth was promoted into the social services role for effectively prosecuting the ALP’s childcare policy.

In a first for an Australian government, Matt Thistlewhaite was named assistant minister for a future Australian republic.

Despite promising to elevate West Australian MPs into senior roles, Mr Albanese installed only one into cabinet compared with four South Australians.

Senator Farrell, a Right faction powerbroker, took trade off Ms King and Senator Watt claimed the prominent portfolio of agriculture from Ms Collins, who was made minister for both housing and homelessness. Mr Albanese said this showed the importance of both issues for his government.

Richard Marles, Jim Chalmers, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher were sworn-in as Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister last Monday ahead of the Prime Minister attending the Quad leaders’ summit in Tokyo.

Mr Marles will be defence minister and Senator Gallagher will take on the additional roles of minister for women and minister for the public service.

Queensland MP Shayne Neumann was the most prominent opposition frontbencher dumped from the ministerial line-up.