Australian prime minister names new Cabinet that drops Israel critic

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his new Cabinet on Monday after former minister Ed Husic blamed his demotion on his own criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Albanese named the 30 lawmakers who will fill Cabinet and outer-ministry positions after his center-left Labor Party won a landslide victory in the May 3 elections.

Labor has claimed 92 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form government. As vote counting continues, Albanese said his government could hold as many as 95 seats.

Labor had never held more seats since the first Parliament sat in 1901, he said.

“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.

While Labor prime ministers allocate the ministerial portfolios, the party’s factional leaders pick the 30 lawmakers who will get them based on the proportion of seats each faction won.

The factional leaders dropped former Industry and Science Minister Husic, who was born in Sydney to Bosnian Muslim immigrants, and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish.

Husic, who after the 2022 election became Australia’s first federal minister to be sworn into office on a Quran, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that Albanese should have intervened to keep him and Dreyfus in Cabinet.

Husic said his demotion was in part punishment for his views on how Israel has waged war in Gaza.

“I think it’s been a factor in there. Would I do things differently? I don’t think so,” Husic told ABC.

“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,” Husic added.

Albanese did not directly answer when asked whether he had fought for either Husic or Dreyfus to remain in Cabinet.

“We have a process in the Labor Party caucus. You’ve been watching it for some time,” Albanese told reporters.

Albanese said he had a ”constructive discussion” with Husic on Monday morning.

“What I’ve done is to allocate portfolios. That’s the system that’s there. It’s one that Ed and others have supported for a long period of time,” Albanese said.

Bilal Rauf, an adviser to the Australian National Imams Council, called for Albanese to explain whether Husic’s demotion was due to his views 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,” Rauf said. “It’s hard to deny that it likely is a factor.”

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said his advocacy group had enjoyed good relations with both Dreyfus and Husic.

Husic had made statements after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that were “very troublesome for the 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 said two weeks after the Hamas attacks: “I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished … for Hamas’ barbarism.”

Husic said on Sunday the Israeli government had “atrociously managed this.”

Egypt-born Anne Aly has been promoted to Cabinet, making her the government’s most senior Muslim. She is minister for small business, international development and multicultural affairs.

Albanese’s second-term administration is the first Australian government since 2010 to have no Jewish Cabinet minister.

Most of the government’s most senior ministers have portfolios that are unchanged or slightly varied.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remained defense minister. Home Affairs Tony Burke’s portfolio has been expanded to include the Australian Federal Police and the nation’s main domestic spy agency, Australian Security Intelligence Organization.

Tim Ayres, the former assistant trade minister, was promoted to Cabinet to take Husic's portfolio.

Dreyfus was replaced by Michelle Rowland, who had been communications minister in the government's first term.