Who is in Anthony Albanese’s new Labor cabinet? The frontbenchers and portfolio holders revealed

Michelle Rowland has been appointed Attorney-General and Tanya Plibersek replaced by Murray Watt in the “central role” of Environment Minister in a cabinet reshuffle heralding the start of Labor’s second term.

The Prime Minister’s top lieutenants will remain in place, but in one of the biggest changes to his new-look frontbench, Senator Watt, the former workplace relations minister, will take over the environment portfolio - a move believed to underscore Anthony Albanese’s ambition to quickly push through Nature Positive reforms and the creation of a national Environmental Protection Agency.

The laws stalled in a political deadlock last year under Ms Plibersek, who has now been moved sideways to a social services role.

“Murray is an outstanding performer as a minister, I regard the environment as a really central portfolio ... and I regard it as very much a senior role in a Labor government. And Murray will do it very well,” said the Prime Minister.

Senator Watt said he was “thrilled” at the new position and looked forward to “working closely again with the environmental, farming, mining, tourism, traditional owner and other business groups” with whom he had developed strong relationships, while paying tribute to Ms Plibersek.

“Our natural environment and water supply is the foundation of life on earth and only a Labor Government can advance its long-term conservation,” he said in a post on X.

“There’s always more we can do, to protect Australia’s spectacular natural environment, be a good international partner and facilitate sustainable economic development.”

Mr Albanese also announced promotions to cabinet for confidante and Labor national executive member Tim Ayres and West Australian and former Minister for Youth, Anne Aly.

Mr Ayres will replace Ed Husic as Industry and Science Minister, following his dumping from the frontbench after a fierce factional fight, Ms Rowland replaces Mark Dreyfus, who was also the victim of a brutal internal battle.

Dr Aly will be the Small Business and Multicultural Affairs Minister.

With the Labor Party room currently standing at 57 per cent women, the Prime Minister said he was “very proud” to have so many women in senior roles. “This Cabinet is the most significant representation of women ever,” he said.

Among the most senior women in the Labor heirarchy, Anika Wells will take over as Communications Minister from Ms Rowland, and retain the sports portfolio. Amanda Rishworth will take up the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, while Clare O’Neil will remain Housing and Homelessness Minister, and Julie Collins will continue to serve as Agriculture Minister.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Trade Minister Don Farrell will all keep their top jobs.

Mark Butler will also remain Health Minister but will also take on the tough task of reforming the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) — supported by Jenny McAllister in the outer ministry.

Jason Clare will stay on as Education Minister, and Julian Hill will support him as assistant minister for international education.

Chris Bowen will remain Energy and Climate Change Minister, while Victoria MP Kate Thwaites has been appointed Special Envoy for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, to prepare the way for Australia’s bid to host a future International Climate Change Conference — or COP — in partnership with Pacific Island nations.

Following the factional brouhaha, new ministry additions Daniel Mulino, former chairman of the House Standing Committee on Economics, will become Assistant Treasurer, Hawke MP Sam Rae will be the Aged Care Minister, and Senator Jess Walsh, the former leader of the United Workers Union, the Early Childhood and Education Minister.

Andrew Charlton has been promoted to Cabinet Secretary and will also serve as an assistant minister for science, technology and the digital economy.

Ahead of the reshuffle, Labor insiders pointed to the “good problem” of having too much talent after winning a stomping majority in the Federal election.

Freshman Tasmanian federal MP Rebecca White will be the assistant minister for health and aged care, indigenous health, and women.

Nita Green has been promoted into the executive as the assistant minister for Northern Australia, tourism, and Pacific Islands affairs.

Peter Khalil has also been promoted to assistant minister for defence.

New special envoy positions have been created, with Dan Repacholi taking on the men’s health role, and Marion Scrymgour for remote communities. and Tim Watts for the Indian Ocean.

The announcement on the formation of the new Cabinet was overshadowed at the weekend by an ugly factional stoush that resulted in Mr Dreyfus being sidelined to make way for incoming Victorian right MPs, and Mr Husic losing his top job because of over-representation of men from the NSW right.

Mr Husic on Sunday accused Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles of being a “factional assassin,” telling ABC Insiders he had used a “factional club to reshape the ministry” and that the Prime Minister should have intervened.

Mr Dreyfus has not commented on the matter.

Asked on Monday if he had fought for either MP to stay in the Cabinet, Mr Albanese said, “We have a process in the Labor Party caucus.”

He said that the process had occurred in the “normal way” and that he had had a “constructive discussion with Ed this morning” as he did with all caucus members.

“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,” said Mr Albanese, adding that he obviously did not think it a fair way to describe the Deputy Prime Minister.

But Labor insiders also speak of anger and dismay over the sudden ousting of one of the caucus’ best legal minds from his post as Attorney-General.

One source said the decision to relegate Mr Dreyfus from a job that no other senior politician was actively pursuing or was as uniquely qualified for was not a good move for the Government.

The outgoing Attorney-General had a distinguished legal career, with two decades as a frontline barrister working on constitutional, commercial and environmental law, before entering parliament, and had expected to stay in his role.

While incoming Attorney-General Ms Rowland, a member of the New South Wales right faction and former telecommunications lawyer, is well regarded among colleagues, another Labor source described the treatment of Mr Dreyfus as “disgraceful.”

“It was an act of complete political bastardry. By far and away, the person best qualified to be attorney general in the whole parliament, in all parties, is obviously Mark Dreyfus,” the source said.

“He was doing a great job and has been through hell in the last few years, and yet he got shafted. I still don’t understand it. It doesn’t make any sense to me at all.”

The reason given within the caucus for sidelining Mr Dreyfus was “renewal” within the top ranks of government, but multiple sources pointed to a factional push to promote Victorian economist and Labor right faction MP Mr Mulino, and Sam Rae, from a sub-right faction in Victoria and who is known as Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ “numbers man.”

“It comes down to factional favouritism,” said the source. “It’s really shooting ourselves in the foot.”

“It’s a huge caucus now. Lots of very talented people, lots of very talented women … the people we have got in parliament are incredible. When you look at how broad they are, their background, the things they’ve done,” the source added.

“There was a bit of an ill wind. We’ll get over it. But I don’t think people forget.”