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| Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic dumped from Albanese’s cabinet after ‘ruthless’ factional fight over frontbench | Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic dumped from Albanese’s cabinet after ‘ruthless’ factional fight over frontbench |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Sam Rae, Daniel Mulino and Tim Ayres will be winners from Labor’s looming reshuffle | Sam Rae, Daniel Mulino and Tim Ayres will be winners from Labor’s looming reshuffle |
| Senior ministers Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic have been sensationally dumped from Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, after the prime minister opted not to protect the pair in a factional fight over frontbench positions. | Senior ministers Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic have been sensationally dumped from Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, after the prime minister opted not to protect the pair in a factional fight over frontbench positions. |
| Victorian MPs Sam Rae and Daniel Mulino, along with New South Wales senator Tim Ayres, will be winners from the looming reshuffle, in deals Labor insiders described as increasingly ruthless after the party’s landmark election victory. | |
| Ahead of the first meeting of Labor’s caucus meeting on Friday, MPs aligned with the Victorian right faction dumped Dreyfus, the attorney general. Guardian Australia has been told Dreyfus had personally appealed to the prime minister to keep his place but received no protection. | Ahead of the first meeting of Labor’s caucus meeting on Friday, MPs aligned with the Victorian right faction dumped Dreyfus, the attorney general. Guardian Australia has been told Dreyfus had personally appealed to the prime minister to keep his place but received no protection. |
| Dreyfus, who has been attorney general since 2022 and held the same role at the end of the Rudd-Gillard government in 2013, rejected rumours he was preparing to resign before the federal election. | Dreyfus, who has been attorney general since 2022 and held the same role at the end of the Rudd-Gillard government in 2013, rejected rumours he was preparing to resign before the federal election. |
| Husic, the industry and science minister, faced a meeting of the national right faction on Thursday night, after Albanese declined to save him from being dumped from cabinet. He previously stood aside to allow then-colleague Kristina Keneally to be promoted instead. | Husic, the industry and science minister, faced a meeting of the national right faction on Thursday night, after Albanese declined to save him from being dumped from cabinet. He previously stood aside to allow then-colleague Kristina Keneally to be promoted instead. |
| Husic conceded last year that many Muslim and Arab Australians did not feel listened to by the Albanese government over Israel’s war in Gaza, describing his public interventions as necessary so that people believed “that their concerns have somewhere to go to be vented and aired”. | Husic conceded last year that many Muslim and Arab Australians did not feel listened to by the Albanese government over Israel’s war in Gaza, describing his public interventions as necessary so that people believed “that their concerns have somewhere to go to be vented and aired”. |
| He also called for a cut to the corporate tax rate last year, in a bid to encourage artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, frustrating some colleagues. | He also called for a cut to the corporate tax rate last year, in a bid to encourage artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, frustrating some colleagues. |
| Don Farrell, the trade minister and a factional heavyweight from the South Australian right faction, is understood to have thrown his weight behind the decisions. | Don Farrell, the trade minister and a factional heavyweight from the South Australian right faction, is understood to have thrown his weight behind the decisions. |
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| Rae, the MP for Hawke, is closely aligned with the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, and is a member of the party’s powerful national executive. | Rae, the MP for Hawke, is closely aligned with the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, and is a member of the party’s powerful national executive. |
| Party sources warned the deals would be seen as Labor forcing senior Muslim and Jewish MPs out of their positions soon after the election. | Party sources warned the deals would be seen as Labor forcing senior Muslim and Jewish MPs out of their positions soon after the election. |
| “The Liberals show what happens if you don’t make tough decisions and renew,” one Labor source said. “It is ruthless.” | “The Liberals show what happens if you don’t make tough decisions and renew,” one Labor source said. “It is ruthless.” |
| Frontbenchers including Chris Bowen, Tony Burke and Jason Clare all come from the NSW right, which is viewed as holding too many positions in the ministry. | Frontbenchers including Chris Bowen, Tony Burke and Jason Clare all come from the NSW right, which is viewed as holding too many positions in the ministry. |
| Party members said this week there was no appetite internally to cut senior women from cabinet, though the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, could be among those shifted to new portfolios. | Party members said this week there was no appetite internally to cut senior women from cabinet, though the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, could be among those shifted to new portfolios. |
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| Ayres is expected to be elevated, in the position vacated by former assistant treasurer Stephen Jones. He is personally close to Albanese, well regarded among colleagues and sits on national executive. | |
| Former disability minister Bill Shorten, who stepped down before the federal election, also has to be replaced. His portfolios covering the national disability insurance scheme and government services could go to a newly appointed minister. | Former disability minister Bill Shorten, who stepped down before the federal election, also has to be replaced. His portfolios covering the national disability insurance scheme and government services could go to a newly appointed minister. |
| Along with the incoming Tasmanian MP Rebecca White, a former state opposition leader, likely appointments to the ministry from the left include Victorian Jess Walsh, a former United Workers Union official. | Along with the incoming Tasmanian MP Rebecca White, a former state opposition leader, likely appointments to the ministry from the left include Victorian Jess Walsh, a former United Workers Union official. |
| Labor MPs and party figures had stressed that Albanese’s decisive victory meant his authority within the party was stronger than ever, but he opted not to overrule faction deals. | Labor MPs and party figures had stressed that Albanese’s decisive victory meant his authority within the party was stronger than ever, but he opted not to overrule faction deals. |
| Labor’s faction fight could take the spotlight off bloodletting in the Liberal party and in the Greens, who both lost their leaders and face their own messy internal negotiations in coming days. | Labor’s faction fight could take the spotlight off bloodletting in the Liberal party and in the Greens, who both lost their leaders and face their own messy internal negotiations in coming days. |
| Albanese said he expects the new ministry to be sworn in in Canberra on Tuesday next week. | Albanese said he expects the new ministry to be sworn in in Canberra on Tuesday next week. |
| Albanese talked up party unity on Thursday, saying Labor would work through its processes. | Albanese talked up party unity on Thursday, saying Labor would work through its processes. |
| “Government brings with it responsibility, and no individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself,” he told Sky News. | “Government brings with it responsibility, and no individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself,” he told Sky News. |
| “I can’t have hoped for more support from my ministers, from my caucus over the six years that I’ve been Labor leader, and that has enabled me to really focus outward, and that’s when you’re successful, when you’re focused inwards, the electorate will mark you down.” | “I can’t have hoped for more support from my ministers, from my caucus over the six years that I’ve been Labor leader, and that has enabled me to really focus outward, and that’s when you’re successful, when you’re focused inwards, the electorate will mark you down.” |