Albanese names his team but ambition and talent loom large

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cabinet reshuffle certainly brings the battle to the Liberal Party, with more women ministers than ever and many lower-level changes suggesting an appetite for nurturing fresh talent.

He did opt for stability in treasury, foreign, finance, trade and defence, but Albanese’s decision to move rival Tanya Plibersek from the environment portfolio risks looking petty. Granted, she stayed in cabinet, but being shifted sideways to social services is an onerous job that isn’t noted as a springboard to party leadership in Labor circles. In her stead, Murray Watt, a good media performer, will take control of the government’s stalled environmental protection laws.

Amanda Rishworth, the previous social services minister, will move into industrial relations. Bill Shorten’s retirement means Health Minister Mark Butler will also be given responsibility for the NDIS, a supersized job.

This is a risky move. The NDIS is a huge and growing portion of the federal budget. It still needs substantial policy reform to ensure its sustainability, and the scheme’s effective operation is of paramount importance to its needy recipients. For those reasons, it deserves to be a cabinet post in its own right – not tacked on to a minister already in charge of health and aged care.

Albanese also named Anika Wells as minister for communications and sport, indicating perhaps a chance to deal with gambling reform. Michelle Rowland shifts into the attorney-general portfolio from communications.

While Australia experienced a kind of permanent ministries musical chairs after Kevin Rudd was knifed in 2010, Albanese managed to last 26 months until two resignations forced a reshuffle in July 2024.

As we said on Monday, Labor’s thumping win should have spared it from experiencing the same tensions weighing down political opponents, but the factions could not stop themselves from ruining the moment: Albanese did not go against them in dumping former industry minister Ed Husic and attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. Victorian right faction leader Richard Marles engineered Dreyfus’ fall, while Albanese clearly has little sympathy for Husic’s complaints.

As Albanese acknowledged to his huge new party room, a lot of younger talent is knocking on the cabinet door. Given the cabinet’s relative stability during the first term of government, there will be a need to refresh or renew: economic policy whiz Andrew Charlton will become the cabinet secretary, but he is an example of someone who should really be in cabinet proper.

The impact on the public service of the new ministerial appointments is always forgotten. Not only is Glyn Davis, Albanese’s hand-picked secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, leaving next month, but the Australian public service has largely been on hold for months awaiting the federal election outcome. Now there will be another interregnum as old hands and neophyte ministers come to grips with new portfolios.

Labor needs to get weaving. Housing, productivity, the NDIS, economic and social outcomes for First Nations people and the new world order will not wait.

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