Anthony Albanese has unveiled Labor’s new shadow ministry, saying the “outstanding new team” will hold the government to account and develop a fresh policy agenda to take to the next election.
The former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally is the big winner from the opposition leader’s cabinet shake-up, taking the position of shadow home affairs minister after she secured a spot on Albanese’s leadership team as deputy Senate leader.
It is the first time Labor has had a shadow minister for the mega portfolio, which includes immigration and citizenship.
Queenslander Jim Chalmers switches to the powerful Treasury portfolio, taking over from Chris Bowen who was a key architect of Labor’s suite of economic policies, widely blamed for the party’s defeat. Bowen has shifted to health.
Bill Shorten, whom Albanese said would be treated with “appropriate respect,” has been given his former portfolio of disabilities, rebadged as shadow for the national disability insurance scheme, along with responsibility for government services.
In other key promotions, the former ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher takes on finance, Western Australian MP Madeleine King takes on trade and Queenslander Terri Butler becomes the party’s shadow environment minister.
Shayne Neumann, the party’s only regional Queensland MP, has been dumped from shadow cabinet, taking on an outer ministry position representing veterans and defence personnel.
Many other of the party’s senior positions remain unchanged, including deputy Richard Marles who remains as defence spokesman, Mark Butler who keeps energy, Penny Wong who stays with foreign affairs and Mark Dreyfus who remains as shadow attorney general.
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Albanese said the new team was a “major step forward” as Labor sought to reset its policy agenda in preparation for the 2022 election, praising his new economics team under Chalmers.
“I would back, person for person, Labor’s frontbench versus the government benches every day of the week,” Albanese said. “This team has the talent and the experience to both hold the Morrison government to account, but also to ensure that we develop an alternative program to take to the next election in March 2022.
“It is a team where you have a number of people who have vast experience who have served in the cabinet before but a refresh with new talent coming in.
“Our economic team I think is particularly strong.”
Albanese said Shorten remained an “important part of our team” and would serve in shadow cabinet to hold the government to account over the rollout of the NDIS.
“He looks forward to it with enthusiasm and he will do the job well,” Albanese said. “He will hold the government to account and make sure that it is the people with disabilities who are at the centre of attention for that scheme as it is rolled out.”
On Facebook Shorten said he was “honoured by the opportunity” and thanked Albanese for the position.
“I’m determined to see the promise of the NDIS fulfilled and I’m going to give everything I have to making this great Labor initiative a reality for those who rely on it,” Shorten said.
“Working with people with disability, their carers and their families to create the national disability insurance scheme was my first job in politics and remains one of the great privileges of my life.”
The new leader, who will meet with his new ministry in Brisbane on Tuesday, said Bowen was “very excited” about his new portfolio of health, saying he had requested a social policy portfolio.
“I am sure that he will fulfil that task with great credit to himself and to the party.”
Labor has appointed Indigenous woman Linda Burney to take up the role of Indigenous affairs shadow minister, after the government appointed Noongar man Ken Wyatt as the country’s new minister for Indigenous Australians.
Albanese said he hoped Burney would work closely with Wyatt “to advance the cause of first nations peoples” along with the “father of reconciliation”, Pat Dodson.