Israel-critic minister dropped from Aussie cabinet

Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced his new Cabinet following his centre-left Labor Party's landslide victory in the May 3 elections, unveiling a reshuffle that has drawn criticism over the exclusion of former Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic—who claims his stance on Israel’s war in Gaza played a role in his demotion.

Albanese named the 30 lawmakers who will hold Cabinet and outer-ministry positions as Labor consolidates its hold on power. The party has secured 92 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament, with ongoing vote counting suggesting the final number could rise to as many as 95 seats. The Prime Minister described the result as historic, noting that Labor had not held this many seats since the first Australian Parliament convened 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,” Albanese told reporters at Parliament House.

In the Labor Party, while the Prime Minister allocates ministerial portfolios, it is the party’s factional leaders who decide which lawmakers will fill those roles, based on internal power-sharing arrangements. Under this process, Husic—who became Australia’s first federal minister to be sworn in on the Quran following the 2022 election—and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus were dropped from Cabinet. Husic was born in Sydney to Bosnian Muslim immigrants, while Dreyfus is Jewish.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Sunday, Husic suggested his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza had contributed to his removal and said Albanese should have intervened to keep both him and Dreyfus in Cabinet. “I think it’s been a factor in there. Would I do things differently? I don’t think so,” Husic said, adding, “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.”

Albanese did not directly address whether he had attempted to keep Husic or Dreyfus in the Cabinet lineup. “We have a process in the Labor Party caucus. You’ve been watching it for some time,” he said. The Prime Minister added that he had a “constructive discussion” with Husic earlier on Monday and reiterated that portfolio allocation followed the established system, which Husic himself had long supported.

The exclusion of Husic has prompted further calls for clarification. Bilal Rauf, adviser to the Australian National Imams Council, urged Albanese to explain whether the decision was influenced by Husic’s stance on 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. It’s hard to deny that it likely is a factor.”

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, noted that while his organisation had positive relationships with both Dreyfus and Husic, some of Husic’s statements following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, were deeply troubling for the Jewish community. “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.

Husic had said in October 2023, “I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished … for Hamas’ barbarism,” and he reiterated on Sunday that Israel had “atrociously managed this.”

Among those promoted to the new Cabinet is Egypt-born Anne Aly, who becomes the most senior Muslim member of the Albanese government. She will serve as minister for small business, international development, and multicultural affairs.

The second-term Albanese government is the first Australian administration since 2010 to include no Jewish Cabinet ministers.

Several top ministers retained their roles or saw only slight changes. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles continues as Defence Minister, while Tony Burke's Home Affairs portfolio has been expanded to include the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

Tim Ayres, formerly assistant trade minister, has been elevated to Cabinet and will take over Husic’s previous portfolio. Michelle Rowland, who served as Communications Minister during the government’s first term, will replace Dreyfus as Attorney-General.

With PTI inputs