by REX WIDERSTROM – ASSISTANT Treasurer Stephen Jones is the latest addition to a list of Labor politicians retiring before the next Federal election.
There are suggestions an election could be called for April, 2025, especially if the Reserve Bank cuts the official cash rate at its February meeting.
- It marked the seventh month in which the Liberals have out-polled the government.
- Pundits believe Labor-led is heading for a minority government at best – and possibly defeat.
Mr Jones joins former Labor leader and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten – who departed last year to take up a vice-chancellor role at Canberra University – frontbencher Brendan O’Connor, former Indigenous Minister Linda Burney, and backbenchers Graham Perrett and Brian Mitchell.
Mr Jones will remain in his portfolios until the election, but his departure means Albanese will need to reshuffle his economics team, probably after the election.
SPENDING
The assistant treasurer role is a sought-after one, as the incumbent also sits on the government’s expenditure review committee of cabinet, which approves all new spending programs.
Jones entered federal parliament in 2010 after winning the NSW seat of Whitlam and became an opposition parliamentary secretary in 2013. A year later, took on the first of a series of roles as an opposition spokesperson.
He has been on the government’s frontbench since Labor won the 2022 election.
He leaves as the latest AFR Freshwater poll shows the Coalition leading Labor 51 to 49 per cent in the two-Party preferred count, a result that has remained unchanged for four consecutive months.
It marked the seventh month in which the opposition has out-polled the government.
Pundits believe Labor-led is heading for a minority government at best – and possibly defeat.
Jones’ NSW seat of Whitlam covers parts of the Illawarra region and the Southern Highlands.
At the last election, he won with 60.1 per cent of two-Party vote.
In announcing his retirement, Jones said “15 years is a long time”, and that he had yet to decide his next steps.
The 59-year-old recently married public sector union National President Brooke Muscat in a ceremony at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Mr Jones’ ALP replacement in Whitlam will contest the seat against experienced Liberal Party candidate Ben Britton, who led the local NO campaign in the 2023 Voice referendum.
Whitlam voted No to the Voice by more than 64 per cent.PC
Labor/Liberal, 49/51%….is that the best the Libs can do against such a dysfunctional government? Weak!
With Trump pulling out of Paris Climate Change and drilling for US oil, you’d wonder how Albo, Bowen and co are feeling about this. We all know they aren’t subject to commonsense, but how low will they go to support their stand for 85% renewables?
Let’s hope blackout Bowen flees too: by being voted out at the next election.
Looks a bit like Bob Carr.
And that’s all I’m going to say about that.