E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP
CANBERRA
THURSDAY, 30 MAY 2019
 
SUBJECTS: New Shadow Ministry

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW MINISTER FOR FINANCE: Today's a really important day. Today, we look to the future under new leadership and with a new team. The election defeat that was inflicted on us a couple of Saturdays ago was obviously disappointing and dispiriting, but it's important now that we don't mope around. We've got people who rely on us to get back on our feet; to do a good job for them; to advocate for good policy; to stand up for them, and to speak up for them in communities right around Australia.
 
What we need to do now is to rebuild and refresh and renew our policies for the next election under the leadership of Anthony Albanese, leading an amazing Shadow Cabinet and Shadow Ministry team. Those portfolios will be allocated in due course, obviously. But I look forward to playing whatever role I can in making sure that we can take to the next election policies which are forward-looking; policies which will be supported by the Australian people. 
 
I wanted to congratulate Anthony Albanese, who will be an amazing leader of the Australian Labor Party. We are 100 per cent united behind his leadership and the leadership of the team, and we look forward to getting into it after this important day today.
 
JOURNALIST: Would you like to see Don Farrell stay on as Deputy Leader of the Senate, or should it be a chance for a woman to step up into a leadership role?
 
CHALMERS: I don't intend to get into the various choices before the caucus room today. I think I'll make my contributions there with my colleagues rather than via the media. One of the challenges that we have in the Labor Party is we have too much talent to cram into 30 positions, so there are hard decisions that are made right throughout the party. And those of us who expect to be in the 30 know that there are a number of people who might not quite make it today who are equally capable of doing a fantastic job. That's a good thing, to have that kind of healthy competition.
 
JOURNALIST: Have you asked for Shadow Treasurer?
 
CHALMERS: I won't go into the discussions I've had with Anthony Albanese. The allocation of portfolios is entirely a matter for him and the timing of the announcement of those portfolios, again, entirely a matter for him. I've indicated to Anthony and to all my colleagues that I want to play a prominent role in Labor rebuilding and refreshing and renewing up to the next election. I think it's important that Queensland has a prominent say in the alternative Government. I think the best state in Australia deserves to have its voice heard. But as for the exact role that Anthony has in mind for me, that's entirely a matter for him. That's as it's always been, and I'm comfortable to serve wherever he thinks I can make the best contribution.
 
JOURNALIST: You wouldn't say no though, would you?
 
CHALMERS: (Laughs) Nice try. I've said all I'll say on that. 
 
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Is it time to be united and move forward and show to the Australian people (inaudible)?
 
CHALMERS: I think we've shown remarkable unity at a difficult time. The Labor Party suffered a dispiriting, disappointing defeat only a couple of Saturdays ago, and I think it augurs well for our Opposition for the next three years that we have been able to unite quickly and effectively behind a terrific new leader in Anthony Albanese, and the team that we will select today. I think that the decision, for example, that Ed Husic took - Ed Husic took a remarkably selfless decision. I wanted to pay tribute to him. I think that augurs well for the kind of selflessness and team culture that we will build in Federal Labor over the next three years. It's another indication that we have too much talent to fit into those 30 positions. There are people in our team who might not get a go today, who would easily be more talented than the team that Scott Morrison announced earlier in the week. So Ed Husic did a very selfless thing. I pay tribute to him for that. I think it does augur well for the future.
 
JOURNALIST: Should Bill Shorten be making way for some of that talent on the frontbench?
 
CHALMERS: I think Bill Shorten has every right to make a contribution, and it's up to him to decide what kind of contribution that is, and it's up to our colleagues, and it's up to Anthony Albanese and the allocation of portfolios. He's a former leader of substantial experience and I don't believe that we should discard people so easily. Thank you.
 
ENDS