Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his new Cabinet on Monday following his Labor Party’s landslide victory in the May 3 elections, a move that coincided with the exclusion of a minister who had criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The updated Cabinet line-up comes after former Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said his removal was partly linked to his vocal criticism of Israel’s military campaign.
Albanese revealed the names of 30 lawmakers who will serve in ministerial and outer-ministry roles. With Labor securing 92 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives and possibly reaching 95 as counting continues, Albanese said his government now holds more seats than any Labor government since Australia’s first Parliament in 1901.
“I’m deeply humbled by the trust that was put into my government with the election and we certainly won’t take it for granted,” he said during a press conference at Parliament House.
Although prime ministers distribute ministerial portfolios, the Labor Party’s internal factions determine who fills them based on their proportion of seats. In this reshuffle, faction leaders dropped both Husic, who is of Bosnian Muslim heritage, and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish.
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Husic, the first Muslim federal minister sworn in on the Quran after the 2022 election, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that Albanese should have acted to retain both him and Dreyfus.
“I think it’s been a factor in there. Would I do things differently? I don’t think so,” Husic said, referring to his stance on the Gaza conflict.
“You can’t celebrate diversity and then expect it to sit in a corner and be silent. You need to speak up … for the communities that you care about,” he added.
When questioned about whether he had attempted to keep Husic and Dreyfus in Cabinet, Albanese avoided a direct answer.
“We have a process in the Labor Party caucus. You’ve been watching it for some time,” he said.
He added that he spoke with Husic on Monday morning in a “constructive discussion.”
“What I’ve done is to allocate portfolios. That’s the system that’s there. It’s one that Ed and others have supported for a long period of time,” Albanese said.
Bilal Rauf, an adviser to the Australian National Imams Council, urged Albanese to clarify if Husic’s demotion was related to his views on the war in Gaza.
“I think at a minimum, some explanation is warranted. We can’t just leave it at explanations about factionalism,” Rauf said.
“If Ed says that’s a factor, I have no reason to discount that,” he added. “It’s hard to deny that it likely is a factor.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said his organization had good working relationships with both Husic and Dreyfus, although Husic's comments following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel had caused concern.
“He levelled accusations at Israel which we fundamentally disagree with but again reasonable people will differ on these things and we wish Ed Husic all the best,” Ryvchin said.
Two weeks after the October attack, Husic had said: “I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished … for Hamas’ barbarism.” On Sunday, he reiterated that the Israeli government had “atrociously managed this.”
Meanwhile, Anne Aly, born in Egypt, has been elevated to the Cabinet, becoming the highest-ranking Muslim in the government. She will oversee the small business, international development, and multicultural affairs portfolios.
With Dreyfus no longer in the Cabinet, this marks the first time since 2010 that an Australian government has had no Jewish Cabinet minister.
Most senior ministers have retained their previous roles or experienced minor adjustments. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remains Defense Minister, while Tony Burke’s Home Affairs portfolio now also includes oversight of the Australian Federal Police and the domestic spy agency, ASIO.
Tim Ayres, previously assistant trade minister, has replaced Husic in Cabinet, while Michelle Rowland, formerly communications minister, takes over from Dreyfus.