WEBVTT - ‘Factional assassins’ and Albanese’s new ministry

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<v Speaker 1>From Schwartz Media. I'm Michael Williams filling in for Daniel

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<v Speaker 1>and Ruby. This is seven am. When Anthony Albanesi's new

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<v Speaker 1>ministry was sworn in this week, it was overshadowed by

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<v Speaker 1>the axing of Ed Husick and Mark Dreyfus. Husick in

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<v Speaker 1>particular didn't go quietly, calling Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles

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<v Speaker 1>a factional assassin. After a landslide victory with ninety three

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<v Speaker 1>seats in counting, the Prime Minister had significant talent to

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<v Speaker 1>choose from as he assembled his ministry, but the process

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<v Speaker 1>was limited by long standing factional rules. Today special correspondent

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<v Speaker 1>for the Saturday Paper Jason Kutsukus on whether factions help

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<v Speaker 1>or hurt the Labor Party and the warlords who won

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<v Speaker 1>out its Wednesday, May fourteenth.

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<v Speaker 2>We have the largest ALP caucus in history since federation,

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<v Speaker 2>a caucus brimming with capacity, talent and energy in both

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<v Speaker 2>the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason Anthony Alberanize has unveiled his new ministry this week.

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<v Speaker 1>What did you make of the picks?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, in a sense, it's made easy for the Prime

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<v Speaker 3>Minister because Labour's factional system serves up the thirty people

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<v Speaker 3>who will occupy the thirty minister or positions for him.

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<v Speaker 3>That's predetermined. And of the thirty names that were elected

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<v Speaker 3>to serve in the ministry by the Labor Caucus, I

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<v Speaker 3>think the Prime Minister has done a pretty good job

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<v Speaker 3>of putting the best talent where it is needed. Well.

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<v Speaker 2>I've changed a ranger portfolios around. I've got people who

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<v Speaker 2>are I think in the best positions, and that's across

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<v Speaker 2>the board. There's been I think of the cabinet, there's

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<v Speaker 2>been multiple changes made. That's what happens.

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<v Speaker 3>Moving Tanya Plimusek across to Social Services I thought was

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<v Speaker 3>a good move. He's given the National Disability Insurance Scheme

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<v Speaker 3>to the Health Minister Mark Butler. I think that signals

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<v Speaker 3>that there's a lot of reform still to be done

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<v Speaker 3>to the way the NDIS is funded and the way

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<v Speaker 3>it operates. And I think he's been given this extra

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<v Speaker 3>portfolio for a reason to really try to put the

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<v Speaker 3>NDIS on a long term stable footing. So I thought

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<v Speaker 3>that was a good move. I thought keeping Chris Bowen

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<v Speaker 3>in the Climate Change and Energy portfolio was also very wise.

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<v Speaker 3>I think Chris Bowen's an excellent Minister, and for such

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<v Speaker 3>a complex portfolio, there's been very little in the way

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<v Speaker 3>of actual controversy. Chris Bowen has really kind of mastered

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<v Speaker 3>the detail of this portfolio, and I think it makes

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<v Speaker 3>sense to leave him there. Michelle Rowland for Attorney Generals

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<v Speaker 3>also probably quite a good move. And then some other

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<v Speaker 3>appointments in the outer of ministry. He's made Peter Khalil

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<v Speaker 3>the Assistant Minister for Defense, which I think was also

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<v Speaker 3>a just reward for Peter Khalil, who's got a long

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<v Speaker 3>history in the national security space. And he of course

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<v Speaker 3>held on to his seat of wills against a very

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<v Speaker 3>determined challenge from the Greens there in Victoria, and so

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<v Speaker 3>I think that was a good move as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason, this is an overwhelmingly positive report card from you,

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<v Speaker 1>but I want to know you mentioned a couple of

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<v Speaker 1>times the limitations on how much Albanez you can actually do.

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<v Speaker 1>That you use the word predetermined by the factional plays

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<v Speaker 1>behind the decisions, and I think we saw that in

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<v Speaker 1>the acting of Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, We saw it

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<v Speaker 1>in Science and Industry Minister Ed Husick also getting the job.

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<v Speaker 1>So take us back, take us back a step to

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<v Speaker 1>how that factional system works in the first place.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I was reminded of what happened to another science

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<v Speaker 3>minister in another Labor government, Barry Jones, after the nineteen

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<v Speaker 3>ninety election. His center left faction had lost numbers in

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<v Speaker 3>the election. Labour lost a lot of seats in Victoria

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<v Speaker 3>in nineteen ninety and his faction decided that there wasn't

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<v Speaker 3>enough space for all of their ministers to carry on

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<v Speaker 3>in the new ministry, and Barry Jones was dumped from

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<v Speaker 3>the Hawk ministry. And there was a big outcry at

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<v Speaker 3>the time, and Barry Jones himself said that he had

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<v Speaker 3>been dumped because of a combination of geography, simple arithmetic,

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<v Speaker 3>and bastardry. And I think that's true today of the

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<v Speaker 3>factional system as it was then. It's the same system geography,

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<v Speaker 3>So which state do you come from? Simple arithmetic as in,

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<v Speaker 3>how many members does each faction have in the caucus?

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<v Speaker 3>So how do you then divide up the ministries according

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<v Speaker 3>to that ratio? And then bastardry, because it's always unpleasant

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<v Speaker 3>to see talented people Likery Jones or in this case

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<v Speaker 3>this week, Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husick dumped from the

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<v Speaker 3>ministry for no other reason than just, you know, really

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<v Speaker 3>simple arithmetic and the ambition of others who are in

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<v Speaker 3>the queue behind them, in this case the right faction

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<v Speaker 3>in Victoria.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely, But when it comes to bastardry ed Husick had

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<v Speaker 1>some particularly choice words for Richard Miles this week the

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<v Speaker 1>Deputy PM. He called him a factional assassin.

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<v Speaker 3>We've had a sort of baar faced ambition and a

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<v Speaker 3>deputy Prime minister wield a factional club to reshape the ministry.

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<v Speaker 1>What role did Males play in the movements?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, Richard Miles is the head of the Victorian writ

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<v Speaker 3>is one of the most powerful right wing factional bosses

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<v Speaker 3>in the country. And I think Richard Miles decided that

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<v Speaker 3>he needed to keep members of his faction coming up

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<v Speaker 3>through the ranks. So in the case of Daniel Molino,

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<v Speaker 3>he's the new Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.

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<v Speaker 3>Daniel Malino is recognized I think across the Labor Party

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<v Speaker 3>has been one of their brightest economic minds. He's got

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<v Speaker 3>a PhD in economics from Yale and so I think

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<v Speaker 3>that's definitely a promotion that has been made on merit grounds.

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<v Speaker 3>But then Richard Miles also wanted to make a space

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<v Speaker 3>in the ministry for Sam Ray.

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<v Speaker 4>Stretching from Sunbury, Buller and Digger's Rest in the northeast,

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<v Speaker 4>we clinch Hillside on the outer edge of Melbourne Suberbia,

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<v Speaker 4>heading wests Melton is the geographical heart of Hawk before

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<v Speaker 4>the Western Freeway drops down into the evocative agrarian valley

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<v Speaker 4>where Bacchus Marsh lies at the convergence of the mighty

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<v Speaker 4>Werribee and Loadedo rivers.

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<v Speaker 3>Sam Ray has I think one job in federal politics,

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<v Speaker 3>and that is when the time is right, he's got

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<v Speaker 3>to make sure that the numbers are there for Richard

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<v Speaker 3>Miles to succeed Anthony Alberinezi as leader of the Australian

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<v Speaker 3>Labor Party. So I think Richard Miles wanted to make

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<v Speaker 3>sure that Sam got a promotion into the ministry as

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<v Speaker 3>the Minister for Aging.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a let's just say, a fairly underwhelming set of

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<v Speaker 1>qualifications to be a minister. It's wild to me, Jason,

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<v Speaker 1>that you can have an election outcome like this. You

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<v Speaker 1>have a Prime Minister writing high in the polls and

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<v Speaker 1>yet that kind of authority, that mandate, if you like,

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<v Speaker 1>come second to the factional system. So what happens if

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<v Speaker 1>you don't join a faction and you're in the ALP,

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<v Speaker 1>do you have any future?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think you end up like Andrew Lee. Andrew

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<v Speaker 3>Lee is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury.

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<v Speaker 3>So he's what used to be called a parliamentary secretary.

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<v Speaker 3>Andrew Lee's from one of the three seats in the Act.

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<v Speaker 3>Thoughtful politician, He's someone who's written many books. He's a

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<v Speaker 3>deep policy thinker, eminently qualified to serve in the actual ministry.

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<v Speaker 3>But because Andrew is not a member of a faction,

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<v Speaker 3>he has reached the upper limit of where he can go.

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<v Speaker 3>I guess the other side of that, Michael, is that

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<v Speaker 3>people who who argue in favor of the factional system,

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<v Speaker 3>they argue that it does provide stability, and it does

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<v Speaker 3>provide a clear and kind of certain mechanism for promotion

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<v Speaker 3>to the ministry that everybody knows where they stand in

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<v Speaker 3>the queue. And I think Sam Ray is someone who

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<v Speaker 3>could bring a similar level of kind of political pragmatism

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<v Speaker 3>to the Albanesi ministry. Just because he's a factional warlord

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<v Speaker 3>doesn't mean he can't be a good politician or he

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<v Speaker 3>can't contribute meaningfully to the government in a policy sense.

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<v Speaker 1>After the break, should Albanezi have overruled the factions? Jason?

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<v Speaker 1>What does this mean for figures like Husick Andrefus arguably

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<v Speaker 1>reach the pinnacle of their parliamentary careers. Can you see

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<v Speaker 1>them sitting on the back bench happily and quietly issue.

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<v Speaker 3>Mark Corala, Mark drops refusing to say for the stream not.

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<v Speaker 2>One look where you have a process in the Libor

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<v Speaker 2>party caucus. You've been watching it for some time?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think Mark Dreyfus, he is sixty eight, he

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<v Speaker 3>served as Attorney general in two different governments, and I

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<v Speaker 3>think he's had a very long and distinguished career. And

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<v Speaker 3>I think he's also someone that is probably going to

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<v Speaker 3>accept what's happened to him. And he has a still has,

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<v Speaker 3>I think a role to play as a party elder.

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<v Speaker 3>He is someone who is an enormous repository of political

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<v Speaker 3>and legal knowledge. So I see Mark Drefus is still

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<v Speaker 3>playing a very constructive role within the Labor caucus. Yet Husick,

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<v Speaker 3>on the other hand, I think he's someone who's still

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<v Speaker 3>relatively young. He sees that he's got a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>runway left in terms of his political career and he

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<v Speaker 3>is going to really be feeling hard done by, and

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<v Speaker 3>I think he is going to be a problem in

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<v Speaker 3>the future for not just the Prime Minister, but especially

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<v Speaker 3>for Richard Miles. Ed Musick is famous for being a

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<v Speaker 3>very determined enemy because he holds his grudges. So I

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<v Speaker 3>think ed Musick will go to the back bench. He's

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<v Speaker 3>he's not going to leave the Labor Party. He's not

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<v Speaker 3>going to quit Parliament or anything. I think he's got

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<v Speaker 3>one ambition now and that is to when he gets

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<v Speaker 3>a chance, pay back Richard Miles for what happened to

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<v Speaker 3>him this week.

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<v Speaker 1>The other move that's attracted a lot of commentary is

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<v Speaker 1>the move of Tanya Plibersek from the Environment portfolio and

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<v Speaker 1>into Social Services. Some media outlets are calling it a snub,

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<v Speaker 1>even a demotion. So given we know this tension between

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<v Speaker 1>Plybasek and Albanizi, what do you make of that decision

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<v Speaker 1>to move her from one portfolio to the other.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think the relationship between Anthony Alberinezi and Tanya

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<v Speaker 3>Plibasik is obviously very complicated. They go back a very

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<v Speaker 3>long way when they were both I think just first

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<v Speaker 3>joined the Labor Party all those decades ago. The fact

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<v Speaker 3>that Tanniel Plipersek was moved from education to environment at

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<v Speaker 3>the start of the last term became very much a

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<v Speaker 3>focus of media attention. But I don't see being moved

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<v Speaker 3>from environment to social services as a demotion at all.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think social services is a kind of iconic

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<v Speaker 3>portfolio for labor ministers. It's the biggest spending portfolio. It's

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<v Speaker 3>a portfolio where she can really demonstrate the labor values

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<v Speaker 3>that she is probably more closely identified with than she

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<v Speaker 3>was as a Minister for the Environment, and it clearly

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<v Speaker 3>had become untenable. I think for Plipisek to remain in Environment,

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<v Speaker 3>she'd been seen to lose too many battles there and

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think she would be the right person to

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<v Speaker 3>then pick up and start negotiating again on the nature

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<v Speaker 3>positive ledgislation that the government very much wants to get

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<v Speaker 3>through the Senate in this term.

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<v Speaker 2>Murray what Minister for Environment and Water.

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<v Speaker 3>The Greens have already signaled that they're going to try

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<v Speaker 3>to focus more on the environment as an issue in

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<v Speaker 3>the next term, so they're going to be up against

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<v Speaker 3>the Greens who again on that issue, and I think

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<v Speaker 3>Labor has to demonstrate that it takes the environment seriously.

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<v Speaker 3>So I think, yeah, Murray, what can really turn this

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<v Speaker 3>into a winner for this second term Albanzi government.

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<v Speaker 1>From the outside, the fight for positions in the new

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<v Speaker 1>ministry looked pretty ugly. You know, any time you hear

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<v Speaker 1>the factions mentioned in the news, it feels like it's

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<v Speaker 1>an example of people looking after their own interests rather

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<v Speaker 1>than the good of the country. So, given Albanezi had

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<v Speaker 1>such a win, like such a mandate, why do you

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<v Speaker 1>think he didn't make the call to go against the

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<v Speaker 1>factional system. Why didn't he assert his own authority?

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<v Speaker 3>Well? I think several things here, Michael. Firstly, despite the

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<v Speaker 3>massive majority that Anthony Albinizi has won, he still has

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<v Speaker 3>a limited amount of political capital to spend in this term,

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<v Speaker 3>and I just think he didn't want to waste any

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<v Speaker 3>of that capital trying to break down a system that

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<v Speaker 3>is really entrenched in the Australian Labor Party.

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<v Speaker 1>Now.

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<v Speaker 3>The other part of it is that Anthony Alberizi is

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<v Speaker 3>very much of the factions. He's been a factional warrior

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<v Speaker 3>his whole political career, and I think he really believes

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<v Speaker 3>in this system. He didn't see any need to try

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<v Speaker 3>to challenge it or to break it down. And the

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<v Speaker 3>other thing is that Anthony Alberinezi has come out of

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<v Speaker 3>this unscathed. He can point to Richard Miles as the

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<v Speaker 3>person that is primarily responsible for cutting down Ed Husick

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<v Speaker 3>and Mark Dreyfus. So it hasn't cost him anything. He

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<v Speaker 3>hasn't spent any of that very precious political capital that

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<v Speaker 3>he has got to up his sleeve.

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<v Speaker 1>Never hurts to have an assassin nearby when you need one, Jason,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you so much for your.

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<v Speaker 3>Time, Michael, a pleasure speaking with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Also in the news, Susan Lee has been named as

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<v Speaker 1>the new leader of the Liberal Party, with Ted O'Brien

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<v Speaker 1>as her deputy. Lee is the first woman to hold

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<v Speaker 1>the position. Immediately after she became leader, Lee's staff kicked

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<v Speaker 1>Peter Dutton's staff out of the Liberal campaign's WhatsApp group.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll have a full report of what Susan Lee's leadership

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<v Speaker 1>will mean for the future of the Liberal Party tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>and Jacinta namp and jimper Price says the outcome of

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<v Speaker 1>yesterday's Liberal leadership contest is not the one she wanted,

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<v Speaker 1>but that she's still committed to the Liberal Party, Price

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<v Speaker 1>affected from the Nationals to stand as Angus Taylor's deputy.

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<v Speaker 1>After Taylor was unsuccessful securing the leadership, Price withdrew from

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<v Speaker 1>the contest. In a statement following the result, Senator Price

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<v Speaker 1>said unity now must prevail. I'm Michael Williams. This is

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<v Speaker 1>seven a m. Thanks for listening.