Linda Burney, Brendan O’Conner to retire from politics as Albanese reshuffles ministry
Two senior ministers are stepping down from the federal cabinet. The Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney and the skills and training minister Brendan O’Conner are planning to retire from politics at the next election. It paves the way for Prime Minster Anthony Albanese to reshuffle his frontbench.
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00:00The Prime Minister preparing to farewell long-serving colleagues.
00:07Two people who have made an outstanding contribution to our government and to our country.
00:14Linda Burney was the first Indigenous member of the New South Wales Parliament
00:19and rose to become the Deputy Labor Leader.
00:22Elected to Federal Parliament in 2016,
00:25she became the nation's first female Indigenous Affairs Minister.
00:29It's time for me to pass on the baton to the next generation.
00:36She scrapped the Indigenous Work for the Dole program, CDP,
00:40and boosted funding for remote housing.
00:43But the failure of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum looms large.
00:48We make progress and then we have setbacks.
00:52That's the history of Indigenous justice in this country.
00:57Brendan O'Connor has been in the Federal Parliament since 2001
01:01and has been on Labor's frontbench for 17 years.
01:05And of course you hear this all the time, but it really is about time that I spent more time at home.
01:12A Labor movement stalwart, a key lieutenant for Julia Gillard
01:16and most recently the Minister for Skills and Training.
01:20They'll both see out their terms on the backbench.
01:23This provides an opportunity to refresh the frontbench.
01:27It will be the first change to the Cabinet since Labor was elected to government in 2022.
01:33The Coalition has been agitating for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to get the sack.
01:39Well it means that there will be a reshuffle on Sunday.
01:42I'm not going to speculate about all of the outcomes.
01:48It's expected to be a modest reshuffle
01:51with the Prime Minister prioritising stability in his Cabinet.
01:55The new ministerial team will be announced on Sunday
01:58and Anthony Albanese says it will be the only change between now and the next election
02:03due in the first half of 2025.