Tasmania’s Julie Collins new federal shadow agriculture minister as Ed Husic shifted after three months

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has overhauled his frontbench line-up with senior shadow cabinet figures shuffled in major changes ahead of the next election. Deputy leader Richard Marles has dropped defence for the new portfolio of national construction, while also picking up employment, skills, small business and science. Ed Husic has been shifted to innovation and jobs after just three months with responsibility for agriculture and resources. Veteran Victorian MP Brendan O’Connor will be Labor’s new defence spokesman, with Pat Conroy and Matt Keogh promoted to supporting roles. Left faction heavyweight Mark Butler has been bumped from the contentious climate change portfolio, swapping positions with former health spokesman Chris Bowen, who is from the right. Mr Albanese branded suggestions Labor was softening its climate policy as nonsense. “Chris Bowen has a very strong position on climate change. I have a strong position on climate change,” he said. He said Mr Bowen, who was shadow treasurer before the 2019 election, would bring a jobs focus to the portfolio, and backed Mr Butler to take the reins on health mid-pandemic. The Labor leader continues to brush off questions about short and medium-term emissions reduction targets but the party is committed to net zero emissions by 2050. Tanya Plibersek — a potential leadership rival to Mr Albanese — retains education but loses training, which has been reallocated to Mr Marles under skills. Mr Albanese declared the new-look team was the strongest chance to form government. “The reshuffle is all about putting jobs at the centre of what we will do,” he said. Leadership tensions continue to simmer, with some Labor MPs privately losing faith in Mr Albanese’s ability to defeat Scott Morrison at the next election, which could be held from August onwards. Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon, who has been urging the party to tone down its climate policies, believes moving Mr Butler is the right decision. But he’s also raised the prospect of changing Labor's leadership rules to give caucus majority support more weight. Mr Albanese said the rules were introduced to end the years of instability that dogged Labor the last time it was in government. “People will make their own judgement as to whether Joel Fitzgibbon is playing a constructive role as to the prospect of the election of a Labor government or not,” the opposition leader said. In a defiant end to his media conference, Mr Albanese compared himself to Joe Biden, who some commentators said would lose to Donald Trump. “He's now president of the United States and I will be the leader of this country after the next election.” Clare O'Neill is taking on a new role as shadow minister for senior Australians and aged care services, working alongside Mr Butler. Labor's deputy Senate leader Kristina Keneally will take on extra responsibility as the spokeswoman for government accountability, with Pat Conroy to assist her. Tasmanian Julie Collins has been appointed as shadow agriculture minister after losing responsibility for aged care. West Australian MP Madeline King has added resources to her workload and will continue as trade spokeswoman. Senator Murray Watt will become spokesman for Queensland resources.