TRANSCRIPT
[["I am deeply humbled by the trust that was put into my government with the election and we certainly won't take it for granted."]]
That's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, announcing his picks for second term ministers.
A lot of the front bench has remained the same... including retaining Richard Marles as Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Chalmers as Treasurer, and Penny Wong as Foreign Minister.
With Bill Shorten's retirement from Parliament, responsibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be split between Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister.
"She is someone who has a capacity to have a great attention to detail and that is precisely what's required."
Albanese's factional rival, Tanya Plibersek, will become social services minister...
"She was very positive about the portfolio."
...with Murray Watt to be promoted into the Environment portfolio.
"Murray is an outstanding performer as a minister. I regard the environment as a really central portfolio. It is the only one I have ever asked for in this building."
Anne Aly has been promoted into Cabinet, with the International Development, Small Business, and Multicultural Affairs portfolios.
Two ministers who served in Albanese's first term have been demoted to the backbench - Mark Dreyfus, who was formerly the Attorney-General, and Ed Husic, who previously held the Science and Industry portfolio.
They were removed due to factional obligations within the party.
The different ideological and geographical parts of the Labor Party, known as factions, get a certain number of representatives in ministries based on the results of the election - the factions put forward the people, the Prime Minister assigns the portfolios.
After the election, the Victorian right faction, led by deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, was under represented, needing two additional places which were given to Sam Rae and Daniel Mulino, picking up outer and assistant ministries, with Mr Dreyfus and Mr Husic removed from the front bench to make room.
Mr Husic yesterday criticised the move, blaming Richard Marles.
"When people look at a Deputy Prime Minister, they expect to see a statesman, not a factional assassin."
The Prime Minister today, defending the party's methodology.
"Well, the process occurred in the normal way of the Caucus, the way we select the ministry, and I had a constructive discussion with Ed this morning. I always have constructive discussions with Caucus members and indeed with other members of the parliament. What I have done is to allocate portfolios, that is the system that is there. It is one that Ed and others have supported for a long period of time."
Former communications minister Michelle Rowland, is set to become the Attorney General, whilst Tim Ayres takes over Husic's former portfolios.
