The Squiz 

With the Albanese Government’s handling of the release of criminals from immigration detention getting more attention than they would like as we head towards the next federal election, some ministers have been moved along. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles have been assigned new portfolios in a broader reshuffle by PM Anthony Albanese yesterday. He downplayed it as a reflection on their performances, saying the reshuffle is simply “a knock-on effect” of last week’s resignation of frontbenchers Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor, but plenty of commentators and the Coalition say the pair have been punished. 

Remind me about the issues…

Last November, the High Court ruled more than 150 immigration detainees were being illegally detained and ordered their immediate release. Many of those detainees were convicted criminals and nearly a fifth of them went on to commit other crimes in the community after their release. That sparked criticism of O’Neil and Giles’s handling of the issue – particularly their slow response in drafting emergency legislation to monitor the detainees days after their release, despite being warned of the potential ruling beforehand. Senior minister Tony Burke will take on both of their roles – he was the Immigration minister in 2013 and will “bring that experience to what remains a challenging portfolio,” the PM said. It’s worth noting that O’Neil and Giles will remain in the ministry – she is set to take on the Housing/Homelessness portfolio, and he goes to Skills and Training. 

What else happened? 

Here’s a summary of the changes, but a couple of key promotions include Senator Malarndirri McCarthy becoming the new Minister for Indigenous Australians, and Senator Jenny McAllister taking over Emergency Management and Cities. Another thing to note is ASIO – our spy agency – has been moved out of Home Affairs and into the Attorney-General’s department, which is where the Federal Police is administered from. Albanese said it “made sense” for the 2 to be in the same spot. As for the response from Coalition leader Peter Dutton, he said it’s a sign that Albanese had “no confidence” in his team. “This is a significant reshuffle because the Albanese Government is in all sorts of trouble,” he said. Reports say the new ministry is due to be sworn in this morning, before its first meeting.