Chalmers Rises as Australia's Defeated Labor Revamps Front Bench
Chalmers Rises as Australia's Defeated Labor Revamps Front Bench
(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s opposition Labor party is tasking Jim Chalmers, 41, with crafting a new economic agenda after it failed to claim power in national elections last month.
Chalmers’ appointment as shadow treasurer was announced in Sydney on June 2 by new opposition leader Anthony Albanese. The Queenslander, seen as a rising star within Labor’s ranks, was a researcher and media adviser for the party before entering parliament in 2013.
“It’s a challenge for us returning to government, but I think that this team is a major step forward in that,” Albanese told reporters.
After Prime Minister Scott Morrison secured a surprising, narrow victory for his Liberal-National coalition government on May 18 with a thin policy agenda, attention has turned to how Labor lost the election despite leading in opinion polls for years.
The party’s focus on redistributing wealth by cutting tax perks for older, wealthier Australians and funneling those savings into better public services failed to resonate while Bill Shorten, who resigned as leader after the defeat, was hamstrung by voter mistrust. Shorten is now shadow minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and government services.
While Morrison turns his focus on legislating promised income-tax cuts when parliament resumes, probably in July, Albanese, 56, will start to craft a revamped policy platform for Labor before the next election due 2022.
The Labor shadow ministry will have 12 men and 12 women, with a number of females being given key roles, including Katy Gallagher in the finance portfolio. Of four new faces in the shadow cabinet, three are women.
“There will be 12 men and 12 women sitting around the shadow cabinet table,” Albanese said. “They are all there on merit, reflecting the balance in Australian society.”
Other key members of Albanese’s shadow ministry:
* Kristina Keneally -- home affairs, immigration and citizenship. New to shadow cabinet.
* Terri Butler -- environment and water. New to shadow cabinet.
* Madeleine King -- trade. New to shadow cabinet.
* Richard Marles -- new deputy opposition leader, retains defense.
* Chris Bowen -- shifts from treasurer to health.
* Tanya Plibersek -- former deputy opposition leader keeps education and training.
To contact the reporters on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.net;Andreea Papuc in Sydney at apapuc1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Andreea Papuc, Stanley James
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