Labor MPs say NSW will have to lose a cabinet ministry to make room for interstate talent

One state is going to have to lose a cabinet ministry position to make room for interstate talent, say Labor MPs angling for a senior role in Anthony Albanese’s second term government.

Labor’s sweeping election victory has sparked an internal brawl between rival states jostling for their “fair share” of front bench positions, with senior MPs adamant NSW is going to have to lose a cabinet minister spot to make way for new blood.

Anthony Albanese’s comprehensive win gives him significant power to decide exactly who sits in his ministry ranks, but traditionally Labor allocates positions based on a “quota” reflective of both the Left and Right factions and how many members of the caucus come from each state.

The Prime Minister is expected unveil his new cabinet line-up by next week, but as the vote counting continues his senior caucus members are already angling to keep their jobs given Mr Albanese has only guaranteed his leadership and economic teams will retain their current roles.

The Prime Minister is expected unveil his new cabinet line-up by next week. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We are overflowing with talent – that’s the truth,” the PM said on Monday.

One Labor MP joked the current backroom wheeling and dealing between interstate rivals was “like political State of Origin”.

Meanwhile Donald Trump has congratulated Mr Albanese for his win, and when asked if he was to blame for the demise of the Liberals, the US President said he didn’t even know who Peter Dutton was.

“Albanese I’m very friendly with,” Mr Trump said when asked about the election result.

“I don’t know anything about the election other than the man that won, he’s very good.”

The two leaders spoke on Monday, with Mr Albanese also accepting the congratulations of a number of world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Mr Albanese confirmed he would travel to the G7 in Canada in June, when it is expected he will also seek his first face-to-face meeting with Mr Trump.

As the count continued on Monday, Greens leader Adam Bandt was left in the fight of his political life as he trailed behind his Labor challenger Sarah Witty.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has been left fighting for his seat. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Mr Bandt denied his hard line position on Israel has cost him votes at the federal election, and instead insisted he had a vision to “make this the most progressive parliament” Australia has ever seen.

In the leafy inner Melbourne seat of Kooyong, Teal independent MP Monique Ryan on Monday conceded her seat was “too close to call” as postal votes narrowed her lead over Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer to just 1,406 votes.

In Goldstein, Teal independent MP Zoe Daniel is also at risk of losing her seat with only a 95 vote lead over Liberal candidate Tim Wilson, from whom she won the seat in 2022.

In the newly created West Australian seat of Bullwinkel, the contest between Labor candidate Trish Cook and the Liberals’ Matt Moran had narrowed to just 85 votes by 5pm on Monday.

Another seat in doubt is Sydney seat of Bradfield, where Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian trailed Teal candidate Nicolette Boele by only 501 votes.

Labor has secured at least 87 of the 150 lower house seats, with the unprecedented success now a source of internal warring.

With the huge influx of new MPs from Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia there is a strong belief NSW is going to have to lose one of its cabinet spots in favour of another state.

Teal independent MP Monique Ryan conceded her seat was “too close to call”. Picture: Tony Gough/ NewsWire

This puts particular pressure on senior ministers Tony Burke, Chris Bowen, Jason Clare and Ed Husic, as the men from the NSW Right faction are technically overrepresented in cabinet.

Sources said Tasmania, which now has four lower house Labor MPs, was one ministerial position below quota, while Victoria, where the party has picked up at least two lower house seats and a Senate seat, is two positions down.

Though Queensland has doubled the number of lower house seats it now holds to ten, the state was technically previously overrepresented in cabinet and therefor may not get a boost despite its strong result on Saturday.

Western Australia is also on the verge of being owed a greater share of the senior roles, while South Australia is above quota, though multiple Labor sources said they did not expect the state to lose any ministerial spots due to several – Senator Penny Wong and Senator Don Farrell – being in leadership.

Mr Albanese said he would “engage with discussions with my colleagues” in private and “treat them with the respect that they deserve” when finalising his cabinet.

He again would not be drawn on the future of Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s role, while multiple Labor sources said there must be some room made for “up and coming” talent to gain experience in the outer ministry.

Mr Albanese has at least two vacant positions to fill – a cabinet role vacated by Bill Shorten and an assistant ministry left open after the retirement of Stephen Jones.

Originally published as Labor MPs say NSW will have to lose a cabinet ministry to make room for interstate talent