Anthony Albanese will announce his first reshuffle since Labor came to power in 2022 on Sunday.
The announcement will be made on Sunday, but Malarndirri McCarthy, an Indigenous senator from the Northern Territory, is the front-runner to take over Ms Burney’s position.
This would allow the government to look beyond the humiliating defeat and reformulate its policies and goals for Indigenous Australians.
Tasmanian Senator Carol Brown announced on Saturday that she is stepping down from her role as assistant minister for transport and infrastructure.
Mrs Brown is stepping down for health reasons and will remain in parliament, but it will create an opening in the outer ministry.
New South Wales Senator Jenny McAllister is expected to be promoted to the Department of Foreign Affairs, while Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy or Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh could be promoted to Cabinet.
Further openings could be created by firing people, but this is unlikely as it would give the coalition the opportunity to claim that incompetent ministers caused the government’s downfall.
Instead, Home Secretary Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles would likely be moved to other positions rather than being sacked.
The opposition has been demanding the resignation of both since the Supreme Court ruling in the NZYQ case late last year, which led to the indefinite release of convicted criminal asylum seekers from detention because no other country would accept them.
Another 72 people were convicted of assault and violent crimes, including kidnapping and armed robbery, 16 people were convicted of domestic violence and stalking, and 13 people committed serious drug offences.
Supreme Court rulings are separate from government decisions, but labor ministers have faced the most criticism.
Murray Watt, currently Agriculture Minister, could be promoted to the Home Affairs portfolio to replace Ms O’Neil.
Another possibility is that Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke could take over the Home Office role, with Mr Watt replacing him in industrial relations.