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ABC News
6 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Labor's freedom in numbers is a double-edged sword on Gaza and Israel
In politics, it's not always those who sit opposite that you need to worry about. It's also those who sit behind you. As the Albanese government prepares to return to Parliament next month, it will sit across from a demoralised Coalition, which has spent the past couple of weeks breaking up and making up with all the drama of a high school couple. But perhaps posing more of a problem for Labor is a politician scorned. Dumped cabinet minister Ed Husic blamed Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for his removal from cabinet, calling him a "factional assassin". But assassins are paid to kill and Husic's still kicking. The long-serving Labor MP wasted no time in saying the way power was wielded would repel people from the party, declaring former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus — a fellow victim of factional fighting — was denied dignity in the process. In dumping Husic from the ministry, the party has also liberated him from the shackles of cabinet solidarity that have seen him tread more carefully when speaking about the war in Gaza. No longer. Husic has been highly critical of the government for not doing enough to condemn Israel for withholding aid from Gaza. He said Australia "can and should be doing more" — from calling in the Israeli ambassador, to ramping up its contribution to the international humanitarian effort and imposing sanctions on Israel, beyond what's already been imposed on settlers in the West Bank. And while he noted Australia had signed a statement alongside several countries calling for the reinstatement of aid, he questioned why the government didn't "proudly" join the UK, Canada and France, saying they would take concrete actions if Israel didn't cease its renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid. There is also pressure within Labor's grassroots membership for the government to impose sanctions on Israeli individuals and groups, while former foreign ministers Gareth Evans and Bob Carr have also endorsed sanctions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said Australia is not a major player in the Middle East. But the impact of the war in Gaza is being felt acutely by people in Australia. Incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen, and Australians have also watched in horror as family members have been displaced or killed in the conflict. In trying to hold the middle ground on the Middle East, the government has often found itself disappointing all sides at home - those in support of Israel and those with anti-Zionist views, who feel let down by the government. And while Labor had a sweeping election victory, if you look under the hood of the results in western Sydney seats like Blaxland and Watson — where there are high concentrations of Arab-Australians — Labor's primary vote was down. Free from the constraints of an election campaign — and as images of burned, maimed and starving children, some crying and some simply too weak to — continue to be broadcast on people's screens, Albanese has toughened his rhetoric. Trying to allay the concerns of international allies, Israel has argued it would let a "basic amount of food" in for the Palestinian population. But Albanese said it was "outrageous" Israel was blocking food and supplies to people in need, while shrugging off calls for sanctions, saying the government would follow its own path. Australia will attend a United Nations-backed summit in New York this month, although at this stage it hasn't landed on who will go. The federal government's prevailing narrative is that Australia no longer sees recognition of a Palestinian state as occurring at the end of negotiations — but rather as a way of building momentum in the peace process. However, Labor has also been adamant there can be no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian state. Until the party lands on its next moves, they will have people within pushing for more to be done. As the prime minister fends off criticism from those now sitting much further back on the benches, the Greens have also had a blow from within. Having lost three seats in the lower house at the last election — including that of former leader Adam Bandt — it's now also lost a Senate seat. But this time, it had nothing to do with the voting public. Greens senator Dorinda Cox has defected to sit with the Labor party, saying her values align more closely with them. It's a curious statement, given just days ago she criticised Labor's approval of Woodside's expansion of the North West Shelf gas project out to 2070. But the senator had run unsuccessfully for the Greens deputy leadership in the wake of the election, and was facing the prospect of losing the number one spot on the Greens' WA senate ticket. Like many relationship break-ups, this split comes with baggage. Labor is taking on a senator who has also been accused of bullying a number of office staff, allegations she has denied and criticised as "missing context". But in turn the party gains a senator and punishes a party which the prime minister has declared has "lost their way." The last parliament saw numerous defections: Liberals and Nationals quit to sit as independents. Lidia Thorpe quit the Greens over the Voice, and Fatima Payman resigned from the Labor party over the party's position on the Gaza conflict. When Payman quit the party to sit as an independent, the prime minister suggested she should end her six-year term — "gifted" under Labor — and recontest the next federal election as an independent. However, presented with the opportunity to gain a number rather than lose one, Anthony Albanese said Cox would serve out the remainder of her term with Labor, noting she will have to be pre-selected through ALP processes to run for the next election. Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has described the Senate as a "political merry-go-round". And especially given the election was mere weeks ago — it begs the question: is it democratic for politicians, having been elected as a member of one party, to leave for another? There's currently no federal legislation in Australia that specifically addresses defections — only deaths and resignations — and experts have suggested punishing defectors could raise constitutional issues, and reduce stability and accountability in the Parliament. So while defections frustrate the public, they're a feature of the Australian parliament that isn't likely to go away. With an additional number in their ranks, the change is undoubtedly a morale boost for Labor, but practically it doesn't change the composition of the upper house dramatically. Labor still needs the Greens or the Coalition to pass legislation there, although this shift means that if the pair want to join forces to block government legislation, they'll need another number from the crossbench. Albanese will enter the first parliamentary sitting of the new government with calls to use his increased majority in the House to tackle more ambitious agenda items. Before the election, most in Labor were willing to swallow their concerns because of fears disunity would mean political death. But in the wake of a victory few saw coming, the enormous majority also comes with a downside for the PM. It means there are now more backbenchers to get on board, and more Labor MPs who could speak out if Albanese isn't able to land on a position everyone in the backbench is satisfied with.
Epoch Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Mark Dreyfus Expected to Exit Cabinet as Labor Factions Rebalance Power
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is expected to be removed from Labor's frontbench following a factional push by the Victorian Right, which has backed second-term MP Sam Rae to take his place. Rae, a close ally of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, emerged as the preferred candidate during a tense faction meeting on May 8. Dreyfus' ousting underscores the influence of internal party dynamics on cabinet selections. Industry Minister Ed Husic is also likely to lose his position as part of a broader effort by Labor to restore the cabinet's geographic and factional balance, particularly between New South Wales and Victoria. Labor's front bench is determined through a complex quota system that allocates portfolios based on state representation and ideological alignment. The latest negotiations are expected to result in fresh faces, including Tim Ayres from NSW, and Ged Kearney and Daniel Mulino from Victoria. With the party's progressive Left gaining ground in the latest election, their influence in the cabinet lineup is set to expand. Albanese Calls for Unity Amid speculation and media scrutiny, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplayed reports of infighting, insisting the process was unfolding as planned. 'We have a process, and we'll work it through,' he told Sky News, without commenting on individual positions. 'No individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself,' he said. 'When you're focused inwards, the electorate will mark you down.' The Prime Minister pointed to the Coalition's internal struggles as a cautionary tale, saying their unity came at the expense of real policy development. 'They had some level of unity, but that was on the basis of not having any policy debate that developed the nuclear plan,' he said. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke declined to confirm whether Dreyfus would be removed or whether NSW would lose a cabinet seat. 'I wouldn't know the answer to any of that,' Burke said at Canberra Airport. Instead, he highlighted Labor's abundance of talent as both an asset and a challenge. 'We've got a whole lot of talented people. That'll work its way out through other processes,' he said. New Cabinet to Be Sworn In on May 13 Labor MPs gathered in Canberra on May 8 ahead of their first caucus meeting, scheduled for May 9. A list of 30 names will be presented to the Prime Minister, who will determine final positions before the official swearing-in on May 13. With the Greens and Liberals also facing leadership transitions—Adam Bandt projected to lose his seat and Peter Dutton voted out—Labor's internal recalibration is unfolding against a broader political shakeup. AAP contributed to this article.
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Anthony Albanese's new cabinet suggests cautious PM will pick his battles
When Labor was first elected in 2022, Anthony Albanese pledged to lead a proper cabinet government, with longstanding practices restored and ministers empowered to run their portfolios. The moves were necessary. Labor was replacing an often chaotic Coalition government, and Albanese had to oversee legal changes stemming from the secret ministries saga – in which Scott Morrison ran roughshod over more than 100 years of constitutional practice and tradition. Despite Labor's massive victory, Monday's cabinet reshuffle was overshadowed in part by factional ruthlessness and the ouster of longtime frontbenchers Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic. But the prime minister's refreshed line up highlights his desire to make Labor the natural party of government in Australia. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Roughly measured, Labor's new frontbench includes four important elements. First, are the central six ministers, all left untouched. They include Albanese himself; his deputy and defence minister, Richard Marles; the treasurer, Jim Chalmers; the finance minister, Katy Gallagher; the foreign minister, Penny Wong; and the trade minister, Don Farrell. Second, are the major changes. Michelle Rowland moves from communications to replace Dreyfus as the attorney general, and well-regarded assistant minister Tim Ayres shifts into cabinet to replace Husic in industry. Anika Wells gains communications, while Amanda Rishworth takes on industrial relations. Anne Aly gets small business. The third element is new blood. The Yale-educated economist Daniel Mulino replaces Stephen Jones as assistant treasurer, an unsexy job but one with important clout over the tax office and financial services functions, including the superannuation system. Victorian Jess Walsh takes early childhood education, and Andrew Charlton becomes cabinet secretary. Jenny McAllister – one of the clear talents of Labor's expanded caucus – will be the NDIS minister, working with Mark Butler to trim vast budget growth and move childhood autism services back to the states and territories. The fourth is the politics for Labor, within and without. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Albanese has shifted Tanya Plibersek for a second time, moving her from environment to social services. It follows his move to scuttle her deal with the Greens on major environmental reforms last year, and persistent questions about her position during the election campaign. It is a portfolio of huge importance, and Plibersek will welcome responsibility for dealing with the country's growing domestic violence crisis. Murray Watt takes on environment. The Queensland senator oversaw the implementation of Labor's contentious live animal exports ban as agriculture minister, proving he can handle tough vested interests on behalf of the government. Coming from a resources state, he now has carriage of building a new model for the delayed 'nature positive' laws and establishing an environmental protection agency. Both could be significant political obstacles in Labor's second term. Watt is a calm head and a smart communicator. Less clean-cut is the promotion of Marles' factional lieutenant, Sam Rae, a second-term Victorian MP and member of Labor's national executive. After Marles knifed Dreyfus, Rae takes on the complex portfolio of aged care and seniors. Husic is expected to speak freely from the backbench and could be a political irritant for the government. Dreyfus is keeping his own counsel so far. Additionally, Wells is now the minister for communications and sport, a potentially complex nexus for the burning social issue of sports gambling. Albanese indicated on Monday that he had completely moved on from recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into gambling harms, led by late Labor MP Peta Murphy. Released in June 2023, it called for a phased ban on gambling advertising, a political task apparently too difficult for Labor before or after the election. When asked whether his government would implement Murphy's ban on Monday, Albanese said only, 'I expect us to continue to do work as we have.' Cabinet reshuffles can tell us where a government wants to go in a new parliamentary term. Albanese's line-up suggests he wants to continue cautious, methodical government, picking Labor's battles and not scaring voters enough to make them rethink the landmark result on 3 May.
ABC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Mark Dreyfus cabinet dumping 'gratuitous', says Ed Husic in new swipe at Labor
Attorney-general Mark Dreyfus was denied "dignity" in his "gratuitous" sacking from Labor's frontbench, a fellow victim of the factional carve-up says. Ed Husic took another swipe at his own party on the ABC's Q+A on Monday, after the Prime Minister announced a new-look ministry this afternoon. Mr Husic and Mr Dreyfus were both ousted from cabinet last week, elevating Victorian MPs Daniel Mulino and Sam Rae to balance the left and right factions in NSW. Mr Husic, the former industry and science minister, said he felt "particularly strongly about what happened" to Mr Dreyfus. "He should have been given dignity," he said. "There should have been some class extended to Mark. "I feel really bad for the way that he's gone. I think a lot of other people feel that way. "If people had … actually taken the time to have a yarn with him and talk it through, maybe (it would have been) a different outcome. Mr Husic said the way the frontbench is decided — faction bosses pick names while the Prime Minister allocates portfolios — "can moderate ambition" and "provide an orderly path for renewal", something he had benefited from in the past. But how that power was wielded over the last week will "repel people from the party". "I just don't think at the start of what was a great win, I just don't think we should have had the distraction." Mr Husic said he met with the Prime Minister today and told him he wants to continue to have a role in the government. Yesterday on the ABC's Insiders program, Mr Husic called out Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles as a "factional assassin" and claimed his cabinet exit was in part the result of speaking out on the conflict in Gaza. On Q+A, Mr Husic said if Labor was embracing diversity in the party room it also had to embrace the diverse views those members bring. "You can't celebrate diversity and then just expect it to say nothing," he said. "There's no way in the world I could just sit and not say something." Greens Senator David Shoebridge rejected that their condemnation of Israel's assault on Gaza was behind the loss of three lower house seats in the election. He said, while there are diverse views in the community, the government should advocate for Palestinians. "I think we connected with millions of Australians who wanted our government to be doing everything they could to stop a genocide," he said. "If you take a political hit from some people … well, you take the political hit because you have to speak up." The panel was responding to one young Australian of Algerian descent, Maseenas Haddad, who questioned whether Islamic voices were being silenced in parliament in relation to the conflict in Gaza. "Who can we look up to, who reflects our beliefs and our values in terms of policy?" the 17-year-old Sydney high school student asked. Outgoing Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said the war started with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 in 2023 and any debate had to acknowledge detained hostages and global impacts on the Jewish community. "The rise of antisemitism is outrageous and absolutely beyond acceptable behaviour," she said. Watch the full episode of Q+A on ABC iview. Want to join the Q+A audience? Register your details and we'll be in touch when we come to your town.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australian prime minister names new Cabinet that drops Israel critic
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his new Cabinet on Monday after former minister Ed Husic blamed his demotion on his own criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. Albanese named the 30 lawmakers who will fill Cabinet and outer-ministry positions after his center-left Labor Party won a landslide victory in the May 3 elections. Labor has claimed 92 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form government. As vote counting continues, Albanese said his government could hold as many as 95 seats. Labor had never held more seats since the first Parliament sat in 1901, he said. 'I'm deeply humbled by the trust that was put into my government with the election and we certainly won't take it for granted,' Albanese told reporters at Parliament House. While Labor prime ministers allocate the ministerial portfolios, the party's factional leaders pick the 30 lawmakers who will get them based on the proportion of seats each faction won. The factional leaders dropped former Industry and Science Minister Husic, who was born in Sydney to Bosnian Muslim immigrants, and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish. Husic, who after the 2022 election became Australia's first federal minister to be sworn into office on a Quran, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that Albanese should have intervened to keep him and Dreyfus in Cabinet. Husic said his demotion was in part punishment for his views on how Israel has waged war in Gaza. 'I think it's been a factor in there. Would I do things differently? I don't think so,' Husic told ABC. 'You can't celebrate diversity and then expect it to sit in a corner and be silent. You need to speak up … for the communities that you care about,' Husic added. Albanese did not directly answer when asked whether he had fought for either Husic or Dreyfus to remain in Cabinet. 'We have a process in the Labor Party caucus. You've been watching it for some time,' Albanese told reporters. Albanese said he had a 'constructive discussion' with Husic on Monday morning. 'What I've done is to allocate portfolios. That's the system that's there. It's one that Ed and others have supported for a long period of time,' Albanese said. Bilal Rauf, an adviser to the Australian National Imams Council, called for Albanese to explain whether Husic's demotion was due to his views on Gaza. 'I think at a minimum, some explanation is warranted. We can't just leave it at explanations about factionalism,' Rauf said. 'If Ed says that's a factor, I have no reason to discount that,' Rauf said. 'It's hard to deny that it likely is a factor.' Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said his advocacy group had enjoyed good relations with both Dreyfus and Husic. Husic had made statements after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that were 'very troublesome for the community.' 'He levelled accusations at Israel which we fundamentally disagree with but again reasonable people will differ on these things and we wish Ed Husic all the best,' Ryvchin said. Husic said two weeks after the Hamas attacks: 'I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished … for Hamas' barbarism.' Husic said on Sunday the Israeli government had 'atrociously managed this.' Egypt-born Anne Aly has been promoted to Cabinet, making her the government's most senior Muslim. She is minister for small business, international development and multicultural affairs. Albanese's second-term administration is the first Australian government since 2010 to have no Jewish Cabinet minister. Most of the government's most senior ministers have portfolios that are unchanged or slightly varied. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remained defense minister. Home Affairs Tony Burke's portfolio has been expanded to include the Australian Federal Police and the nation's main domestic spy agency, Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Tim Ayres, the former assistant trade minister, was promoted to Cabinet to take Husic's portfolio. Dreyfus was replaced by Michelle Rowland, who had been communications minister in the government's first term.
