New Shadow Ministry reshuffle
The reshuffle of the Labor Party’s shadow ministry is quite a major one, with a lot of people changing jobs, as well as some new portfolio titles and combinations. You can read the full list at the ALP’s website. I’ve also put it at the bottom of this post. The list of the old shadow ministry is at this link if you want to compare them.
It included the unexpected announcement that WA Senator Mark Bishop was retiring at the next election – even though he had already been pre-selected on next year’s Senate ticket – so he was absent from the shadow Ministry. With Senator Annette Hurley having already been dropped last week, it leaves only 9 Senators out of 31 in the shadow ministry, down from 11 out of the 32 shadow ministers in Kim Beazley’s group. Given the angst earlier in the week within the Labor Party that accompanied the dropping of a woman from the shadow ministry to make way for a man, it seems curious that the withdrawal of Mark Bishop wasn’t factored in at the time.
I am disappointed that Labor’s Senate Leader, Chris Evans, has lost the Indigenous Affairs portfolio. I thought he was performing well in that role, which is one which benefits a lot from continuity. The portfolio is also likely to have less prominence given that it is no longer with a member of Labor’s leadership team. I note Noel Pearson has just got a piece in The Australian giving a reasonably positive assessment of Evans’ (and Labor’s) performance in this area. That is not to slight Jenny Macklin, who now picks it up along with Family & Community Services. The one possible benefit is that she will be able to more directly challenge the Minister, Mal Brough, as they will both be in the same chamber.
One aspect which I haven’t seen any comment on is the list of shadow parliamentary secretaries. There are two new faces in that list – Brendan O’Connor and Anthony Byrne, replacing Peter Garrett (promoted to shadow ministry) and Ann Corcoran (who lost pre-selection) – which means 1 fewer woman in that group too. There’s also still only 1 Senator out of those 10 positions. I wrote a piece a while ago about Parliamentary Secretaries and what their role is – they can have significant responsibilities (e.g. Malcolm Turnbull’s role), but they can also be fairly minor ones. However, I am not really sure what the role of shadow parliamentary secretaries is. The 4 women who are now in those positions – Kirsten Livermore, Catherine King, Ursula Stephens and Jennie George – all seem quite capable in my experience, but whether they are seen as ‘next in line’ or not, I don’t know.
A few other brief impressions:
- I think it’s a pity a distinct Pacific Island Affairs portfolio has been dropped. Some media commentators treated it as a bit of a joke portfolio, but I think someone focusing specifically on improving our approach and awareness of our Pacific region is a good idea;
- I am pleased Tony Burke has kept the immigration portfolio, as I think he has been doing a good job in that area (although some of the rhetoric against the skilled migration visas has concerned me). It is also curious that the word ‘Integration’ has been added to his job title, along with Immigration and Multiculturalism. Integration is a key part of a properly focussed multiculturalism policy, but it is interesting that Labor sees it worthwhile specifying this;
- Taking resources away from Martin Ferguson and giving it to Chris Evans will make life easier for Peter Garrett in the Climate Change portfolio. I expect Garrett will be good. He undoubtedly has a genuine understanding and commitment to the issue, having singled it out as the “uber-issue” in his first speech in Parliament. But he is also intelligent enough to consider all viable solutions, rather than just take a sloganeering approach to the topic;
- Specifying a portfolio for independent contractors and for the service economy is a good idea, and I think Craig Emerson is well suited to it. The approach to workplace issues and laws has to break out of the old ‘workers versus bosses’ paradigm, and independent contractors is one of the key fault lines that has not really had enough genuine attention from either major party, except as a bit of an ideological football;
- It’s fashionable to bag Simon Crean, but I think he is capable of doing some good policy work in the trade and regional development portfolio;
- Attorney-General is a crucial portfolio which really needs a major focus. Nicola Roxon has been shifted from that to another high profile one in Health. I haven’t had enough involvement with Kelvin Thomson to judge how he might go in this role, but I hope it gets a lot of focus;
- The Defence portfolio is also one where I don’t think the government is travelling too well and there is a need for a strong performer. I also don’t know Joel Fitzgibbon well enough to judge how he will go;
- A lot of the Senators kept the same or similar shadow portfolios. Nick Sherry is highly capable at Superannuation matters, Jan McLucas is growing into the Aged Care portfolio, Stephen Conroy will continue to tackle Minister Helen Coonan in the Communications areas and Joe Ludwig is performing fine with Customs and Justice. Kerry O’Brien will be well suited to Fisheries and Primary Industry.
Some other blog commentary can be found at Modia Minotaur, Oz Politics and Dogfight at Bankstown.
New shadow ministry:
Leader – Kevin Rudd
Deputy Leader; Employment & Industrial Relations; Social Inclusion – Julia Gillard
Leader in the Senate; National Development, Resources & Energy – Senator Chris Evans
Deputy Leader in the Senate; Communications & Information Technology – Senator Stephen Conroy
Water & Infrastructure; Manager of Opposition Business – Anthony Albanese
Homeland Security; Territories – Arch Bevis
Assistant Treasurer; Revenue & Competition Policy – Chris Bowen
Immigration, Integration & Citizenship – Tony Burke
Industry; Innovation, Science & Research – Senator Kim Carr
Trade & Regional Development – Simon Crean
Service Economy, Small Business & Independent Contractors – Craig Emerson
Multicultural Affairs, Urban Development & Consumer Affairs – Laurie Ferguson
Transport, Roads & Tourism – Martin Ferguson
Defence – Joel Fitzgibbon
Climate Change, Environment & Heritage; Arts – Peter Garrett
Veterans Affairs; Defence Science & Personnel; Special Minister of State – Alan Griffin
Justice & Customs; Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate – Senator Joseph Ludwig
Local Government; Sport, Recreation & Health Promotion – Senator Kate Lundy
Families & Community Services; Indigenous Affairs & Reconciliation – Jenny Macklin
Foreign Affairs – Robert McClelland
Ageing, Disabilities & Carers – Senator Jan McLucas
Federal/State Relations; International Development Assistance – Bob McMullan
Primary Industries, Fisheries & Forestry – Senator Kerry O’Brien
Human Services, Housing, Youth and Women – Tanya Plibersek
Health – Nicola Roxon
Superannuation & Intergenerational Finance, Banking & Financial Services – Senator Nick Sherry
Education & Training – Stephen Smith
Treasurer – Wayne Swan
Finance – Lindsay Tanner
Attorney General – Kelvin Thomson
Public Administration & Accountability; Corporate Governance & Responsibility; Workforce Participation – Senator Penny Wong
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs – Anthony Byrne
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence & Veteran Affairs – Graham Edwards
Parliamentary Secretary for Environment & Heritage – Jennie George
Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury – Catherine King
Parliamentary Secretary for Education – Kirsten Livermore
Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition – John Murphy
Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations – Brendan O’Connor
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry & Innovation – Bernie Ripoll
Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia & Indigenous Affairs – Warren Snowdon
Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition (Social and Community Affairs) – Senator Ursula Stephens
11 Comments, Comment or Ping
David Jackmanson
“Social Inclusion” for Gillard? What on earth is that?
Is it just to give her the right to speak out on just about any ‘human services’ issue from health to Aboriginal affairs?
Dec 11th, 2006
Paul Walter
What an amazing comment from David Jackmanson.
Does he not WANT issues of inclusion/exclusion discussed?
Perhaps he’d be happier with someone like Mal Brough.
The one I liked was the replacement of Mar’n Ferguson. From David Beddall’s time, cretins like Ferguson, Lennon and certain sections of the Victorian ALP, to name just a few, have obdurately led Labor back to the nineteenth century, with their hysterical responses and ignorance involving ecology, economics and environmental sustainability.
The damage these trogs did, culminating in 2004, has been stupendous, not just to Austalia, but the ALP’s reputation as an honest-broker rational progressive force.
On a related subject, this contributor heartily commends an article by Tristan Ewins;
“Public Private Partnerships no magic pudding”, at On Line Opinion; 11/12 that also exposes the underlying problem in much ALP thinking, informed of neoliberalism and so- called “growth”, involving poorly thought out infrastructure spending and the hold of the current gnawingly “self”-based economic theology that Rudd took a potshot at in parliament, last week.
Dec 11th, 2006
David Jackmanson
Actually, Paul Walter, I don’t have a problem with it at all on a policy level, so go and get your knee-jerk checked please.
I’ve never heard of such a portfolio at Federal level. Does it mean that the ALP is planning to create a super-Department of human services and social policy, that will shake things up like like Tom Uren’s Department of Urban and Regional Development did in the Whitlam era?
Or is it merely a device to extend Gillard’s power and right to speak?
I’d love to hear from anyone keen to discuss what they think is actually happening, instead of sloganeering.
Dec 11th, 2006
CORAL
I think the ALP has put up Kevin Rudd because he is a John Howard look-alike …. but he looks a bit dorkish by comparison to me.
I think a lot of people will be voting ALP purely to get rid of John Howard and his IR laws.
Yesterday I encountered a really irate bus driver from NZ. He said we must ALL vote ALP, because they are for the worker.
But I think the thing to remember is this. They are mostly out to get back into the biggest seat of power.
For 20 years, they haven’t cared much about the worker themselves. It’s mainly hot air and grandstanding.
They want the votes of double income families and are using their Prime Minister clone to get them.
Despite his resemblance to John Howard, Kevin Rudd doesn’t look like much of a Prime Minister to me.
Dec 12th, 2006
Paul Walter
David Jackmanson, your comment fills me with relief. Given your comments concerning Tom Uren, you and I may have more in common than previously suspected.
Coral seems to be expressing similar reservations concerning the gradual drift into dispirited, expediency-based and conformist thinking and parallel loss of purpose, vision and creativity, over the last twenty years .
I would love to hope against hope that the ALP is at last, perhaps too late, throwing off the shckles under Rudd and Gillard. Have grown weary of Labor’s cowed responses over the last decade.
Besides, anything would surely be better than the intellectually and morally bankrupt proposition discussed in the next thread here concerning the typically vulgar Howard government Immigration/ Citizenship “test”, that is just another nasty appeal to ugly, baser instincts in the Australian community.
Dec 12th, 2006
CORAL
David:
I think the portfolio of Social Inclusion might have some connection with Aged Care.
My second guess is that it is some kind of much needed anti-racist portfolio.
Today I saw Santo Santoro do the National Press Club address and among other things, he discussed the social isolation of the elderly.
He announced a huge injection of funds into Community Care (keeping the elderly in their own homes instead of in Low Care in Aged Care Centres).
He said 20% of men over 80 didn’t have a single visitor in a 3 month period.
He was right in stating that we need to take a greater interest in our elderly relatives, but I’m wondering how this fits in with sending all of the women and disabled out to work. Who will be left to look after them??? How will the disabled look after themselves???
I’m not in favour of community care, except in very low risk cases. It may cost the government less, but it doesn’t increase the level of safety, security, companionship or health to a sufficient degree.
For example, my mother nearly burned to death in her own home, despite the installation of safety devices such as an electrical safety switch, smoke alarms, security grilles and other equipment provided by DVA.
At one time, she became a “prisoner” on her own verandah.
Low Care provides company, meals, personal hygiene, health care and supervision in a secure relaxed environment.
Community Care is a very poor substitute, which leaves the elderly open to exploitation.
Dec 13th, 2006
James Mc Lellan
While Peter Garrett may have a genuine understanding of climate change/environment issues, I’m yet to see any evidence that he is more than another APL yes man there to pull green votes. He showed up in Townsville last week with Kevin Rudd, did some cute media while standing in front of the lone wind turbine on the Strand (which is considered by many to be a monument to environmental tokenism by the Townsville City Councils). Kevin Rudd announced that he would fund a road through the wetlands that the state and local government have been trying to have approved for years (pre-empting the environmental assessment that has been stalled for years). This road isn’t required for traffic reasons; they need it to facilitate developing a 5000ha heavy and toxic industry site on the beach in a wetland area next to the Great Barrier Reef.
What did Peter Garret have to say when it was his turn with the media? Well he prattled on about how wonderful the Strand wind turbine was. Not a single word about any of the many very real environmental issues we have in Townsville or North Queensland.
It would also be the first time that I can remember a shadow environment minister coming to town and not making even a token effort to contact the local conservation group to see what the local issues are.
Dec 18th, 2006
Geoff
I think Garrett is more a liability than an asset.
Other useless members; Conroy and Burke.
Dec 20th, 2006
Her Radicalness
Oh, god, how I hate Stephen Conroy.
I love Gillard as the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations. She’ll take the fight up to Andrews, that’s for sure.
As for the vote backlash against the Coalition over NoChoices – I don’t think there’ll be one. Quite honestly, I think that, while the ABS have said that three out of four people know someone who has been adversely affected by the new IR Legislation, those people have not *themselves* necessarily been affected, and people are lazy and self-interested these days and will undoubtedly vote for the Coalition once the ALP’s predictably-lame advertising campaign fails to hit home with voters.
I have $10 and a Jager-bomb riding on the Coalition being returned with an ever-so-slightly reduced majority in the Lower House and an unchanged majority in the Senate.
And Bartlett will retain his seat, much to the detriment of his health.
Jan 7th, 2007