Simon Crean - Leader of the Opposition

Media Statement - 22 November 2001

I am deeply honoured by today's decision of the ALP Caucus to unanimously elect me as leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party.

I also congratulate Jenny Macklin on her election as Deputy Leader, John Faulkner on his re-election as Opposition Senate Leader and Stephen Conroy on his election as Deputy Senate Leader.

I look forward to working with them towards the return of a Labor Government.

I wish to thank my Caucus colleagues for unanimously endorsing my call for generational change by electing 12 new faces to the Shadow Ministry: Anthony Albanese, Mark Bishop, Kim Carr, David Cox, Craig Emerson, Julia Gillard, Mark Latham, Daryl Melham, Kerry O'Brien, Nicola Roxon, Kevin Rudd and Nick Sherry.

I also congratulate Chris Evans, Joel Fitzgibbon, Laurie Ferguson, Martin Ferguson, Carmen Lawrence, Kate Lundy, Robert McClelland, Bob McMullan, Stephen Martin, Gavan O'Connor, Stephen Smith, Wayne Swan, Lindsay Tanner and Kelvin Thomson on their re-election to the Shadow Ministry.

The average age of the Shadow Ministry is 45. I will announce the allocation of portfolios in the next few days.

I extend my sincere thanks to Kim Beazley for his magnificent leadership of the ALP over the past five and a half years. Kim led the Party back from the brink after 1996, and it is a tragedy that he was denied the chance to be Prime Minister. It was a privilege to be his deputy over the past three years and I know he will continue to make a valuable contribution to the Party.

The Caucus also elected Jill Hall as its Chairperson. John Hogg was elected as Labor's nominee for the position of Deputy Senate President, and Harry Jenkins was reaffirmed as the Caucus nominee for Second Deputy Speaker. Janice Crosio was elected as Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives and Sue Mackay becomes Opposition Whip in the Senate.