Anthony Albanese has come under heavy criticism after sacking two ministers and handing their posts to a single MP, who now has four portfolios to manage.
The prime minister used a press conference on Sunday afternoon to announce the first cabinet reshuffle since the Labour Party was elected in 2022.
He sacked Home Secretary Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and handed their portfolios to Tony Burke, who was in charge of employment and workplace relations.
Mr Burke is now in charge of home affairs, cyber security, immigration and multicultural affairs, and will retain his position as arts minister and leader of the House.
Asked whether Mr Burke was up to the task, the Prime Minister replied: “He is certainly up to the task.”
“What this means is that, in terms of the department, there will be one person who will be responsible for it. I’ve thought a lot about the appropriate structure.”
However, not everyone was convinced.
Anthony Albanese (pictured) announced a cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, but not everyone was impressed
Senator James Patterson, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, criticised the decision.
He noted that Mr Burke has resumed his role as immigration minister, having first held the post during the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2013.
After Sunday’s press conference, he wrote on X: ‘Tony Burke is a failed immigration minister from the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era.
‘Under his command, in just 80 days as minister, 6,634 illegal immigrants arrived in 83 boats.
“His appointment to the Home Office sends a shocking message of weakness to human traffickers.”
Senator Patterson also criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to move ASIO from the Department of Home Affairs to the Attorney General’s Department.
He continued: ‘And with the news that ASIO is moving to the Attorneys General, Tony Burke will be Home Secretary in name only.
Tony Burke (pictured) received Ms O’Neil’s wallet, along with three other people.
‘Labour has completed the destruction of the Home Office as it always wanted to do in secret but never bothered to tell the electorate.’
Another social media user said: ‘Interesting shake-up, Tony Burke becomes Labor’s anti-Dutton while remaining Leader of the House.
“A sign that the Labour Party has serious concerns about the way things have gone.”
Some commented on the magnitude of the workload, while others compared the restructuring to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
But not everyone was skeptical.
Mr Burke has received high praise from unions, with ACTU secretary Sally McManus praising him for his “groundbreaking” work on the employment portfolio.
During his tenure, Mr Burke put forward a number of political demands to the trade union movement that the Coalition largely ignored during nearly ten years in office.
Policies included minimum wages for informal economy workers, easing the transition of casual workers to full-time employment, and a crackdown on workers and contractors.
Ms McManus said: “Minister Burke methodically set about fixing broken rules in the workplace and was swayed only by what was right and necessary to improve the lives of workers and the economy.”
Clare O’Neil (pictured) has lost her post as Home Secretary and has been moved to the Housing portfolio.
“I don’t think any other Labour Relations Minister has left such a legacy and he has achieved it in just two years. The workers of the future will benefit from his work and we wish him all the best in his next term.”
Ben Davison, a long-time union activist who hosts a political podcast with his wife, Guardian columnist Van Badham, said: “Congratulations to Tony Burke on becoming Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Cybersecurity while continuing to serve as Minister for the Arts.”
During the press conference, a reporter asked Mr Albanese why he had given Bourke so much responsibility.
‘Is this not a case of being a little too fair to your Leader of the House, of being a little too excessive to your Leader of the House?
The Prime Minister replied: “No, he is certainly willing to do that, and what that means is that in terms of the department, there will be one person who will be responsible for that.”
“I’ve thought a lot about the right structure. That’s one of the reasons the structure exists. I think the right structure is one minister and two junior assistants.”
He defended Ms O’Neil and Mr Giles, insisting they had not failed in their duties: that there had been a reshuffle and jobs had been reorganised.
Sunday’s announcement follows the Ministers for Indigenous Australians and Skills and Training, Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor, announcing their resignations on Friday.
Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy will take over Ms Burney’s role and Mr Giles will fill Mr O’Connor’s previous seat.
