Anthony Albanese is set to unveil his new frontbench as Labor looks to strengthen its hold on majority government, declaring the party should never take office for granted.
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Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain as well as Anne Aly and Anika Wells are poised to be elevated to Mr Albanese's frontbench, after Labor's factional powerbrokers agreed to the promotions at meetings on Monday night.
The trio will replace Terri Butler and Kristina Keneally, who lost their seats at the May 21 election, and cast-aside veterans affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann.
Labor caucus will endorse the picks at a meeting in Canberra on Tuesday morning before the Prime Minister unveils his full 30-member frontbench team.
Entering the government party room, Mr Albanese greeted a host of new Labor MPs whose victories propelled him to majority government.
"What a privilege it is to gather in this room, one which we should cherish, one which we should never take for granted," he said.
"I've been in this building now for 26 years, I've had six at this end of the corridor. I don't intend on going back."
Mr Albanese has also revealed the 47th parliament will sit for the first time in the last week of July.
The Prime Minister said Labor won the election by showing discipline and unity, urging the party not to look to the Australian public, rather than itself.
"You shouldn't waste a day in government. We don't intend to," he said.
Mr Albanese's cabinet will reportedly include either 21 or 23 positions, depending on whether he chooses to promote Ms Butler and Senator Keneally's replacements straight into senior positions. The remaining frontbenchers will sit in the outer ministry.
The new ministry will be sworn in on Wednesday.
The Canberra Times understands Bean MP David Smith is set to secure the deputy whip position.
The announcement comes as Josh Burns claimed victory in the seat of Melbourne-based Macnamara, handing Labor the 76th seat it needed to govern in majority.
Labor remains hopeful of picking up a 77th seat as Fiona Phillips edges ahead of Andrew Constance in the NSW South-Coast seat of Gilmore.
After shooting to national prominence during the Black Summer bushfire crisis, the Merimbula-based MP has quickly established herself as one of Labor's rising stars.
She retained Eden-Monaro with a swing of 7.2 per cent, turning a hyper-marginal seat into a relatively safe one.
Ms McBain leapfrogged a number of more senior right faction colleagues to win the promotion to the ministry, including Paterson MP Meryl Swanson.
The loss of Ms Butler and Senator Keneally means Mr Albanese has to find new faces to pick up the environment and home affairs portfolios respectively.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is widely expected to be named the new defence minister.
Finn McHugh
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
