Husic and Dreyfus formally axed, PMC secretary departs
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The news: Labor MPs have signed-off on the dumping of senior ministers Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus from cabinet.
The context: Industry and Science Minister Husic and Attorney-General Dreyfus were the two high-profile casualties as Labor factions divided frontbench roles, following the party’s thumping win on Saturday.
Husic was not present at a government caucus meeting on Friday, when the decisions were rubber-stamped and new lower house MPs were formally signed into the Labor party room.
Victorian Labor Right faction members Sam Rae, entering his second term in parliament, and Daniel Mulino have been promoted in their place.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will now allocate portfolios from a 30-person executive, half of which is made up of women.
There had been speculation new MP Rebecca White, who was Labor’s state leader in Tasmania between 2021 and 2024, would be immediately promoted to the ministry. But White will have to wait for the opportunity after she was left off the list.
Albanese urged his expanded party room to maintain a “laser-like focus” on the Australian voters.
“I was never looking behind, always looking forward,” he said.
“And I repeated the message a number of times in this room of the importance of unity, of not getting ahead of ourselves, of being focused not on ourselves, because I’ve seen that happen too. We know where that ends.”
Despite facing a strong challenge from an independent in the ACT seat of Bean, Labor MP David Smith has been re-elected as a government whip. If his bid to hold the seat fails, the position will be declared vacant at the next party room meeting.
The new Parliament will sit for the first time in July.
There is also movement in the Commonwealth bureaucracy, with Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glynn Davis to step down next month after three years in the role.
Albanese said Davis was instrumental in his government’s efforts to rebuild the public service.
“He worked calmly and steadily to reassert the purpose of the public service, and I thank him on behalf of the government, the Australian Public Service, and the Australian people,” he said.
What they said: “What a room! For those of you who are new, welcome … This is where decisions are made that make a difference to the country. You need to be in government to make a difference,” Albanese told caucus on Friday.
The sources: Post-caucus Labor briefing, The Nightly
