Tony Burke takes up Home Affairs after Governor-General Sam Mostyn swears in new ministry
Governor-General Sam Mostyn has sworn in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s new-look ministry following Sunday’s reshuffle and in a striking symbol of the change in power and responsibility, new Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke took centre stage at the event.
In a group photo shoot to capture the new ministry on Monday morning, Mr Burke, formerly the industrial relations minister, stands in the front row next to the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.
Mr Burke was all smiles for the photo, but in the words of senator Jacqui Lambie, he now confronts a “hell of a job”, replacing both Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles as immigration and home affairs minister.
“I’m not sure how they’re going to fix (immigration) to be honest with you, so it’ll be very interesting,” Ms Lambie told Sky News on Monday morning.
“So those boat arrivals are arriving whether people want to talk about it or not, so Tony Burke’s got a hell of a job that he’s up against.
“I’ll be interested to see what he does.
“But it doesn’t just come down to changes in ministers, it actually comes down to changes in policy.”
Camera IconPrime Minister Albanese’s new ministers after Sunday’s reshuffle. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire
Camera IconTony Burke is sworn into his new position. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire
Mr Albanese elevated Mr Burke to the contentious portfolio on Sunday, expressing confidence the Western Sydney Watson MP would “certainly be up to” to task of managing the conflict-prone portfolio charged with managing Australia’s border security and, in part, its security.
“What it means, in terms of a department, there will be one person who will be responsible for it,” Mr Albanese said on Sunday.
“One minister, and then two junior assistants to them, is I think the right structure.”
Mr Giles and Ms O’Neil were both moved out of their jobs in the reshuffle, with Mr Giles demoted from cabinet to take up the skills and training ministry and Ms O’Neil shifted to housing and homelessness.
Ms O’Neil and Mr Giles confronted months of criticism after a series of failures in their portfolios, including the NZYQ High Court decision that forced the release of immigration detainees, some of whom went on to allegedly commit crimes against Australians.
Camera IconEnvironment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWireCamera IconIndigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and Housing Minister Clare O’Neil NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called for their resignations for months, but Mr Albanese defended his ministers and their performance.
“Peter Dutton will be negative, he will be destructive,” he said.
“The fact is, Peter Dutton left a mess in the portfolios he held.”
Mr Dutton held the home affairs portfolio from 2017 to 2021.
Mr Albanese also defended his government’s record on border security.
“We’ve maintained border security, the resources that have been allocated have never been higher than they are today,” he said.
The reshuffle was triggered after Labor stalwarts Brendan O’Connor and Linda Burney announced they would retire at the next election.
Tasmanian senator Carol Brown will also step down from her position as assistant minister for infrastructure and transport due to health issues.
Camera IconPrime Minister Anthony Albanese reshuffled his ministers before the impending federal election. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire
Senator Murray Watt will move from agriculture to take on the industrial relations ministry.
Julie Collins will become the agriculture, fisheries and forestry and small business minister.
Northern Territory senator Malarndirri McCarthy becomes the new Indigenous Australians minister, replacing Linda Burney.
Pat Conroy will serve as the Defence industry minister and minister for international development and the Pacific.
Most major portfolios will remain in the same hands; Defence stays with Richard Marles, Jim Chalmers will remain the Treasurer and the energy portfolio will stay with Chris Bowen.
Mr Albanese said he would take the new-look cabinet and ministry to the next election – though declined to provide any detail on when that could be.
Mr Albanese also announced ASIO, Australia’s domestic security service, would move out of the home affairs portfolio and into the Attorney-General’s department, led by Mark Dreyfuss.
Mr Albanese said the move would put ASIO and the AFP together in the same department.
On Monday, Mr Albanese held his first cabinet meeting with his new ministers.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be a member of parliament, to have the great honour of being in government elevates that because that’s how you can actually make change,” he said.
“And to serve in the executive of the government is an incredible honour, and I know that all of you won’t take it for granted and will work each and every day.”
He told the meeting “cost of living relief” was his government’s central priority.
Uluru Dialogue co-chairs Megan Davis and Pat Anderson AO welcomed Ms McCarthy’s elevation to the cabinet and saluted Ms Burney’s service.
“We celebrate the appointment of the Hon. Malarndirri McCarthy as she takes over the portfolio,” they said on Monday.
“We warmly welcome, congratulate and look forward to working with her. With Linda’s retirement and Malarndirri’s appointment, we celebrate the formidable leadership of First Nations women.”
Camera IconGovernor-General Sam Mostyn swears in Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire
Ms McCarthy is a Yanyuwa woman from The Gulf country in the Northern Territory.
She was elected a senator in 2016 and then again in 2019. Before politics, she worked as a journalist with the ABC and then SBS and NITV.
The reshuffle comes as the government prepares for an impending election.
“There is an opportunity to refresh the front bench, the Prime Minister is taking that opportunity,” Mr Marles told Sky News on Sunday morning.
“This comes after a remarkably stable ministry in the first term of the Albanese government.”
A new RedBridge poll released on Sunday shows the Coalition has pulled ahead of the government on a two-party preferred basis.
Peter Dutton’s LNP now leads Labor 51.5 per cent to 48.5 per cent.
In April, the same polling company showed the government was ahead 52 per cent to 48 per cent.
The shift had come from low and middle-income voters moving to the Coalition camp, the company said.
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