Key Points
- Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has been moved to housing and homelessness but remains in cabinet.
- Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has moved to skills and training in the outer ministry.
- The reshuffle was spurred by the retirement of cabinet ministers Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor.
McCarthy has taken over the Indigenous Australians portfolio while Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles were dumped from their portfolios.
Tony Burke has taken up home affairs and immigration, with the latter being elevated into the cabinet from the outer ministry — as well as holding the cyber security and arts portfolios, and being Leader of the House.
Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference at the Parliament House in Canberra on Sunday. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
Albanese distances reshuffle from immigration detention fallout
“There was a High Court decision, notwithstanding some of the commentary that has been made, which would have taken place, regardless of who was in government,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.
In other appointments:
- Murray Watt moves on from agriculture to take up Burke’s old portfolio of employment and workplace relations.
- Julie Collins has become agriculture minister, moving back to the portfolio she held in Opposition.
- Conroy retains his defence industry and Pacific portfolios as he moves into cabinet.
- Jenny McAllister moves into the outer ministry, picking up the cities and emergency management portfolios after serving as an assistant minister.
- Kate Thwaites, Julian Hill, and Josh Wilson are elevated into the assistant ministry.
“Malarndirri McCarthy was the obvious person to move into that portfolio, building on the legacy of Linda Burney, while bringing her own lived experience and advocacy to the Cabinet table,” he said.
Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the new Minister for Indigenous Australians. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
‘A significant move forward’
A delicate factional balance needs to be maintained under internal Labor processes, with all retirements from the Left.
Source Agencies
