Today, two senior Labor ministers Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor have announced their retirement. And the Opposition leader Peter Dutton has used this opportunity again to call for the sacking of Andrew Giles.
Linda Burney, who has had a good political career, will be remembered as the minister for Indigenous Australians when the historic Voice referendum was given a decisive thumbs down by the Australians. In what seems to have been more of political damage control exercise back then, she hung in there until now, finally making way for someone else in the Albo cabinet to be promoted hopefully from the junior ministry if not back bench, which comes with a much fatter pay-packet.
Linda Burney who is 67, entered the NSW parliament in 2003 and served in a series of senior portfolios in the state parliament before switching to federal politics in 2016. Linda Burney will not recontest in 2025.
The minister for skills and training in the Albo cabinet, Brendan O’Connor on the other hand has had a good run throughout his career, is also not expected to recontest the seat of Gorton in Victoria.
Brendan O’Connor who is 62, entered federal parliament in 2001 and has been a regular on frontbench in Labor’s terms of office since 2007. He has served the country as a minister through various portfolios.
Prime Minister Albanese is expected to announce his revamped ministry on Sunday.
Both ministers moving to the back bench gives the captain Albo an opportunity to show the direction of his government beyond 2025. All eyes will be on who he picks and how he shuffles his current ministers with Andrew Giles and Clare O’Neil among them.
Many experts believe Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, the assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, will move into Linda Burney’s portfolio. As to who replaces Brendan O’Connor is not as clear. It is also not clear if the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and the Home Affairs Minister Clar O’Neil will be sacked or only shuffled.
Many Labor detractors and Opposition sympathizers would want the Prime Minister to use this opportunity to dump Andrew Giles and demote Clare O’Neil for the release of detainees following the NZYQ saga.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has once again gone on the offensive and called for Andrew Giles to be sacked. He labelled Minister Giles the most ‘incompetent minister’ in the Albanese government, citing the “unnecessary” release of 153 convicted criminals from detention into the Australian community. Many of them re-offended not long after their release.
“What on earth are you doing when you can’t sack a minister like Andrew Giles?” Peter Dutton has been quoted as saying to the media.
“The prime minister’s test on this reshuffle is whether he sacks Andrew Giles,” he said.
Peter Dutton’s attack on Albo is understandable. But, in my view, it is not in the best interest of the Liberals that Andrew Giles is not in the Albo ministry at the 2025 election. Using the imagery of detainees re-offending, it will be a lot more convenient if there is a minister sitting among the Albo team. If Andrew Giles is dumped, Albo can make the argument of taking control of things to ensure Australia is in the best and safest hands.
Bharat Times contacted Andrew Giles’ office for comment but did not hear back by the time this story was published.