Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, who will be sworn in as Australia’s 31st prime minister on Monday, after his party won Saturday’s federal elections, will, soon after his swearing-in, leave for Tokyo, Japan, to attend a summit of the Quad group of nations. However, Albanese will not be the only Labor leader to take oath of allegiance on the day; four other party MPs will also be sworn-in.
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Each of the four MPs was a member of the Albanese-led ‘Shadow Ministry’ to the government of the outgoing premier, Scott Morrison. Here’s a brief profile of the quartet and the respective ministries each is likely to handle.
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(1.) Richard Marles: The 54-year-old Member of Parliament from Corio is likely to be Australia’s next defence minister, and will be in-charge of the country while Albanese is away to Japan. Marles was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader of Labor, and minister for national reconstruction, as well as science, in the Shadow Ministry.
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(2.) Penny Wong: Expected to be named the new foreign minister, Wong will accompany Albanese to Tokyo. Born in 1968 in Malaysia to an Australian mother and Malaysian father, Wong introduced the Labor leader for his victory speech at the party headquarters in Sydney. A Senator for South Australia since 2002, she was the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and minister for foreign affairs in the Shadow Cabinet.
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(3.) Katy Gallagher: The Senator from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is tipped to be the incoming finance minister. Also the ACT’s sixth chief minister, from 2011 to 2014, Gallagher, 52, served as the Shadow Minister for finance and public. She is also a former British citizen.
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(4.) Jim Chalmers: At 44, Chalmers is the youngest among the five and is likely to be the next Treasurer. He is an MP from Rankin and was the Treasurer in the Shadow Ministry as well.
