Burney and O'Connor announce retirements, trigger PM's first cabinet reshuffle

With the retirement of two Cabinet ministers, Anthony Albanese is being forced to reshuffle his front bench for the first time since winning office.

The Prime Minister made the announcement Thursday morning (25 July) flanked by Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor, who have both decided not to contest the next federal election.

They will remain in parliament until then but have stepped aside immediately from their respective ministerial roles.

Ms Burney was Minister for Indigenous Australians, and Mr O’Connor was Minister for Skills and Training.

The Prime Minister will name their replacements on the front bench, as well as any further ministerial reshuffle he decides on.

The Labor caucus will nominate who should be promoted to the ministry and the PM will assign portfolios. New ministers will be sworn in on Monday (29 July).

Mr Albanese said he was proud to call both Ms Burney and Mr O’Connor his friends.

“I am proud to have witnessed first-hand their passion for this nation, their determination to leave the country better for their contribution as members of Parliament and as ministers,” the Prime Minister said.

Ms Burney, of Wiradjuri descent, is the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.

She was also the first Aboriginal woman to serve as Minister for Indigenous Australians.

Ms Burney has represented the New South Wales seat of Barton since 2016.

Before federal politics, Ms Burney served for more than a decade in the NSW Parliament, the first Indigenous person to be elected to that parliament.

The Prime Minister described Ms Burney as a humble and selfless leader.

“Everyone who meets Linda Burney shares in the joy of her company and the light of that wonderful smile,” Mr Albanese said.

“The discrimination, hardship and loss she had to overcome in her life is more than most of us can comprehend.

“Linda was born into an Australia where she was treated as a second-class citizen and, indeed, was not recognised.

“Yet her life is a record of profound firsts.”

A regret for Mr Burney during her tenure as minister was the failure of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, which she described as a “day of sadness”, but added that it was not the end of the reconciliation journey in this country.

“[It] didn’t deliver the outcome we had hoped, but I think history will treat it kindly,” she said.

“But I know in my heart, I gave all that I could to close the gap and to advance reconciliation.”

Struggling to keep tears away at times, Ms Burney said it was time to pass the baton on to the next generation.

“My entire life has always been about service, and I believe I have a valuable contribution to make outside parliament in the future,” she said.

“I have been through more than my fair share of life’s ups and downs, but I think I have done it with kindness, grace, resilience, intelligence and integrity.”

Mr O’Connor has been in Federal Parliament since 2001 and has held ministries in the Rudd, Gillard and Albanese Labor governments.

Mr Albanese said of him: “You won’t find a more decent human being.”

Mr O’Connor said it was time for “renewal and regeneration” and to allow “capable and energetic” colleagues to step up.

“I’ve been a minister for every day, federally, that Labor has been in office since the election of the Rudd government,” he said.

“And I know that I’ve been very fortunate by anyone’s definition.”

Mr O’Connor added that the current Labor government was the most united team he had worked with.

The Prime Minister preceded that comment with his own positive remarks about the stability of his front bench.

“No government in living memory has had the same cabinet and ministerial positions for its first two years in office,” Mr Albanese said.

“I will be seeking to be the first prime minister since John Howard in 2004 to serve out a term and to be re-elected as Prime Minister.”

The PM would not be drawn on who will be promoted to Cabinet, but speculation is that Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy will be appointed to the Indigenous affairs portfolio, just in time for Mr Albanese to attend next week’s Garma festival in the Northern Territory.