Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus dumped as Labor factions reshape frontbench
As Labor reshuffles, Jacinta Price’s defection to the Liberals has shaken some moderates, bolstering conservatives and shifting the battle for the party’s top job.
Ministers Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus will be dumped from the frontbench, as moderate Liberals brace for Nationals defector Jacinta Nampijinpa Price entering their party room.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears unlikely to intervene to protect the two ministers, who lost their cabinet spots during Labor faction meetings on Thursday.
Labor factions met in Canberra to allocate frontbench roles after the party’s thumping election win on Saturday. The factions decide the makeup of the ministry, with the leader then assigning portfolios.
Husic’s removal will meet a mixed reaction inside the tech and startup sector. While he was seen as a champion of innovation, many companies found it difficult to deal with his office and complained about the operation of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund.
