By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Opposition leader Bill Shorten will take specific responsibility for science and small business and Stephen Conroy becomes spokesman for defence in Labor’s new frontbench lineup.
Announcing his allocation of portfolios today Shorten said that Labor “should be strong advocates for science”, and that small and family businesses were “the backbone of many communities of Australia”.
The communication area, which in government was held by Conroy – who is now the opposition’s deputy in the Senate – goes to Jason Clare, one of Labor’s strong performers.
Kim Carr, from the Victorian left, has held on to higher education, research, innovation and industry.
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As expected, deputy leader Tanya Plibersek takes foreign affairs and Chris Bowen, the former treasurer, becomes shadow treasurer.
Factional players have done well including the right’s Don Farrell, due to leave the Senate mid-next year, who becomes shadow minister for the 2015 centenary of ANZAC.
Anthony Albanese, who narrowly lost the leadership to Shorten, retains his infrastructure and transport area. But Albanese, the former leader of the house, will not become manager of opposition business in the new parliament. That job will be done by Tony Burke, who will be finance spokesman.
Penny Wong, Labor leader in the Senate, leaves finance to shadow trade and investment minister. Andrew Leigh, a Harvard-trained economist, becomes shadow assistant treasurer.
Of the up and comers, Ed Husic, who missed out on the shadow ministry, becomes shadow parliamentary secretary to Bowen. New MP Jim Chalmers, a former chief of staff to then-treasurer Wayne Swan, will be shadow parliamentary secretary to both Shorten and Wong.
Education goes to Kate Ellis; health to Catherine King; workplace relations to Brendan O'Connor, and Richard Marles gets the difficult immigration job.
While caucus elected the shadow ministers and Shorten allocated portfolios, he chose the shadow parliamentary secretaries. Former minister Warren Snowdon, dropped by the left in the frontbench election earlier this week, has been made shadow parliamentary secretary for indigenous affairs, northern Australia and external territories.
Shadow Ministry List:
Bill Shorten: Leader of the Opposition
Tanya Plibersek: Deputy Leader of the Opposition & Foreign Affairs
Penny Wong: Leader of Opposition in Senate & Trade and Investment
Stephen Conroy: Deputy Leader of Opposition in Senate & Defence
Anthony Albanese: Infrastructure and Transport & Tourism
Chris Bowen: Shadow Treasurer
Tony Burke: Finance
Mark Butler: Environment, Climate Change and Water
Kim Carr: Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Industry
Jason Clare: Communications
Mark Dreyfus: Shadow Attorney General & Arts
Kate Ellis: Education and Early Childhood
Joel Fitzgibbon: Agriculture
Gary Gray: Resources & Northern Australia & Special Minister of State
Catherine King: Health
Jenny Macklin: Families and Payments & Disability Reform
Richard Marles: Immigration and Border Protection
Shayne Neumann: Indigenous Affairs & Ageing
Brendan O'Connor: Employment and Workplace Relations
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
