Long-serving climate change spokesman Mark Butler is the most notable casualty of Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s frontbench reshuffle.
Mr Butler has held the portfolio for the past three elections, although Mr Albanese has denied the move indicates broader climate policy tensions within the party.
Labor MP Chris Bowen is set to take up the climate change and energy portfolio, with Mr Albanese promising the former shadow Treasurer would bring an “economic perspective” to the role.
Mr Butler has replaced Mr Bowen as Labor’s spokesperson for health and ageing.
“There is no way that a Labor government that I lead won’t take action on climate change,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“We will have strong action.”
Labor took a policy of reducing carbon emissions to 45 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030 to the election in 2019.
Last year, the party backed a net-zero emissions target by 2050 but it is yet to confirm a revised short-term target promising to do this before the next election.
Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon, who quit the frontbench in November, has been outspoken in his warnings about overreach on climate policy and drifting away from its traditional base.
He told SBS News a change in policy direction was needed to present the concerns in a way that didn’t make people feel threatened about their economic security.
“You can spend a lot of time in opposition and achieve nil, to have a meaningful approach to climate change,” he said.
“You need to be in government and to be in government, you need to take sufficient number of people with you.”
The reshuffle comes as Mr Albanese faces pressure within his party to do more to make up political ground lost to the Liberal-National coalition since the coronavirus pandemic struck a year ago.
In other moves, Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles has taken on the role of national reconstruction, employment, skills and small business and science spokesman, passing his defence portfolio to Brendan O’Connor.
Ed Husic has shifted to the industry and innovation portfolio, after late-last year taking on the resources and agriculture portfolio from Mr Fitzgibbon.
Trade spokesperson Madeline King will add the resources portfolio, while Julie Collins takes on agriculture.
Education spokesperson Tanya Plibersek adds the portfolio of women and Home Affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally adds government accountability.
Mr Albanese said the reshuffle would ensure the opposition can hold the government to account and present an alternate vision for leadership.
“This reshuffle and every day that I do in the job is about the Australian people,” he said.
“The reshuffle is all about putting jobs at the centre of what we will do.”
