July 29, 2024
Anthony Albanese has dumped the ministers who oversaw rolling immigration crises involving convicted foreign criminals, but his choice of replacement has been criticised as a "shocking message of weakness" to send people smugglers.
The Prime Minister on Sunday used the retirements of Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O'Connor to undertake a wider reshuffle of his cabinet and outer ministry, moving Clare O'Neil out of home affairs and Andrew Giles out of immigration.
The Coalition has been calling for both ministers to lose their positions after a series of bungles in the wake of a High Court ruling and disastrous ministerial directive on deportation that allowed non-citizens convicted of serious crimes to remain in Australia, with several going on to reof-fend in the community.
Ms O'Neil was appointed Housing and Homelessness Minister, while Mr Giles was given Skills and Training, though the portfolio will now sit outside of cabinet.
Mr Albanese promoted Tony Burke, formerly in charge of employment and workplace relations, to take on both home affairs and immigration.
The PM said he believed Mr Burke would be "outstanding" in the new expanded role as Labor prepared for a federal election due by May 2025. "Good governments aim high, they work hard and they draw on a diversity of talent," Mr Albanese said.
"That's what drives the changes I'm announcing today after that more than two years, the most stable period, might I say, of government ... in living memory."
The move was panned by opposition spokesman James Paterson, who said the PM had sent a "shocking message of weakness to people smugglers" given Mr Burke's track record when he was briefly immigration minister in 2013.
"On (Mr Burke's) watch in just 80 days as minister 6634 illegal arrivals showed up on 83 boats," he said.
Responsibility for the spy agency ASIO was removed from home affairs, which Senator Paterson said effectively "completed the destruction" of the super portfolio created under the Coalition.
Mr Albanese rejected suggestions moving Mr Giles, a longstanding political ally and close friend, was an admission of immigration failures, insisting the change was a "knock-on effect" of the reshuffle.
Other key changes included the widely anticipated promotion of Northern Territory senator Malarndirri McCarthy into cabinet as Indigenous Australians Minister, while former housing minister Julie Collins was shuffled into agriculture.
Murray Watt, formerly agriculture and emergency management minister,steps into Mr Burke's previous role as Employment and Workplace Relations Minister.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the significant reshuffle was a reflection that the government was in "all sorts of trouble".
"The Prime Minister has expressed no confidence in half of his ministry," he said.
NSW MP Pat Conroy was a big winner, retaining his positions as Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, and International Development and the Pacific Minister, but also stepping up into cabinet.
NSW senator Jenny McAllister was promoted to Cities and Emergency Management Minister, but will remain outside of cabinet.
Several MPs were given extra assistant ministry responsibilities including Patrick Gorman adding assisting the Attorney-General to his current roles supporting the Prime Minister and public service, while Ged Kearney adds Indigenous health to her current health and aged care roles, and Matt Thistlethwaite was given immigration.
