What are factions, and why have Labor MPs lost Cabinet jobs?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon announce which MPs will form his Cabinet in this term of Parliament.

Cabinet positions include roles like the Defence Minister, the Treasurer, and the Minister for Women.

Competition is emerging between different ‘factions’ in the Labor Party for these spots.

So, what actually are factions?

Factions

Let’s start with an analogy: You know how when you go to a party, and there are lots of small groups all having discussions in their separate corners?

That’s basically what factions are.

In politics, factions are a ‘party’ within a party. They are smaller, ideologically aligned groups who share close ties.

They exist at both the state and federal level, and in both the Liberal and Labor parties. They tend to be most important when a party is choosing a new leader as the factions will create deals with each other.

For example, one faction might say to another faction: “If you let one of us become leader, we’ll let one of you be the deputy leader.”

Factional deals happen in the course of parliamentary business too. One faction might offer to compromise on legislation to keep another faction happy if they need something else down the road.

Factions are typically formed around political interests.

Labor

There are two major factions in the Labor Party: the Left and the Right.

Albanese is a member of the Left and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is on the Right.

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Early next week, Albanese will announce a new Cabinet — the main decision-making body of Government, made up of Ministers who are responsible for areas of Government.

Albanese technically gets the final say over who holds which portfolio, but it is clear that factions are playing a role.

With former leader and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten (Right) and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones (Left) retiring, competition is now open within factions, and between factions, for their replacement.

Yesterday, it was reported that two cabinet members from the Right, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Science Minister Ed Husic, have been removed from the Cabinet. Albanese has not confirmed this.

Dreyfus’ spot is set to be taken by Sam Rae, MP for Hawke. Husic’s dismissal is reportedly due to the number of NSW Labor Right members in the cabinet.

Keating

Former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating has criticised the party for dumping Husic and Dreyfus from the Cabinet.

Keating said Husic’s demotion serves only to “keep up some notional proportional count between factions”.

He noted that Husic is currently the only Muslim MP in the inner Cabinet, and Dreyfus is the most senior Jewish MP in the Parliament, saying the factional moves display “poor judgment, unfairness, and diminished respect for the contribution of others.”