EDITORIAL: Belated cabinet reshuffle a chance for renewal

The impending retirements of long-serving Labor ministers Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor should provide Anthony Albanese with a golden opportunity to refresh his team before the fast-approaching Federal election.

But don’t hold your breath for big changes.

The Prime Minister has constantly stressed that his is a Government that prioritises “stability” above just about all else. Even if it sometimes comes at the expense of competence.

So it’s unlikely Mr Albanese will be keen to seize the opportunity to upend his Cabinet. Expect a little tinkering, not a transformation.

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

“Indeed, the last time the government changed hands in this country was Tony Abbott in 2013 and the prime minister didn’t make it to two years, let alone ministers in that government.

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

The fact that this reshuffle is happening just as the Olympics gets underway in Paris is a sign that Mr Albanese is doing his best to keep the excitement to a minimum and public attention off the machinations of his party.

However, it looks inevitable that the Prime Minister’s close friend Andrew Giles’ bungle-a-thon in Immigration will mercifully come to an end. It’s been a harrowing two years in the role for Mr Giles, having been in charge during repeated and significant failings on immigration detention.

Not all of those failings were entirely Mr Giles’ fault. But he certainly didn’t do a lot to calm the waters.

It’s likely Mr Giles won’t be kicked out of the ministry altogether. Instead, he’ll be shifted to another, less visible junior role, denying Opposition Leader Peter Dutton the opportunity to claim a ministerial scalp.

Whoever Mr Albanese does anoint to take over the role will have a job on their hands unwinding some of the messes created in the past year. Given its importance to national security and the economy, it’s a role that requires the safest of hands.

Queensland Senator and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is expected to be one of the reshuffle’s winners, with strong speculation he may take over the home affairs portfolio from Clare O’Neil, who herself is understood to be eyeing off the housing portfolio. Given the nationwide housing crisis strangling the aspirations of millions of Australians, that’s another area that is crying out for leadership.

As the Albanese Government enters the final leg of its first term, tiredness and malaise is creeping in.

This reshuffle presents the Prime Minister to inject new vigour into his team and begin the task of trying to convince Australians to trust him with a second term.

He’ll need some new vision along with those new ministers.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by WAN Editor Christopher Dore