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Most politicians have white-collar backgrounds, often with jobs like barrister, manager, consultant or political staffer on their resumes. But what do they do once they’re done with politics?
Analysis by Crikey and the transparency project Open Politics shows many Labor and Coalition frontbenchers who have retired in the past five years have gone on to cushy roles such as corporate advisers or appointments to boards of directors. Many have also started their own advisory businesses related to the government, or gained employment with firms that used to be their stakeholders, monetising the influence and connections they made in their public roles. Others have focused on charity and non-corporate roles or left public life altogether.
The Centre for Public Integrity said the post-Parliament careers of some politicians raised questions of whether certain private enterprises gained an unfair advantage, and whether government decisions were being made in the public interest or not. These risks could be mitigated by introducing minimum times ex-politicians would have to wait until accepting private sector employment.
“In line with global best practice, the Centre for Public Integrity recommends a five-year cooling-off period,” executive director Catherine Williams told Crikey.
“Specifically, it would help reduce both the risk that confidential government information is used for the benefit of private interests, and the possibility that politicians make decisions with an eye to their post-parliamentary career possibilities, instead of in the public interest.”
Below is a list of the post-politics careers of all the frontbenchers who have served in the current Parliament or the one before, who have quit Parliament or said they will retire at the next election. Because we decided to look at only the past two Parliaments, some famous examples of ex-ministers making money in their former portfolio areas, including defence minister-turned-defence consultant Christopher Pyne, were not included.
The Anthony Albanese ministry, and his shadow ministry in opposition
Mike Kelly — MP from 2007-2013 and 2016-2020, on the frontbench from 2007. Experience includes defence, water, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Within days of resigning from Parliament in 2020 for health reasons, Kelly joined defence-related data analytics company Palantir. Kelly praised the company in Parliament on a couple of occasions, including for reportedly playing a role in finding Osama Bin Laden.
Joel Fitzgibbon — MP from 1996 to April 2022, first on frontbench in 1998. Experience includes small business, tourism, resources, mining, energy, banking, Treasury, defence, agriculture, and rural affairs. Started his own advisory firm in March 2022, according to LinkedIn, and has taken on many other roles since then, including some relating to defence and the AUKUS pact.
Bill Shorten — MP since 2007, first made the frontbench in 2010. Experience includes NDIS, bushfire recovery, financial services, employment, workplace relations, education, government services, and Indigenous affairs. Will retire at the next election, and has said he will begin a new job at the University of Canberra.
Linda Burney — federal MP since 2016, first on the frontbench in 2018. Experience includes human services, family violence, social services, and Indigenous affairs. Burney will retire at the next election, and when reached by Crikey she was coy about her future plans, avoiding a direct question about what she’ll do after retiring and saying in a statement: “I am focused on serving the electorate of Barton, and will continue to work for constituents until the next federal election.”
Terri Butler — MP from 2014-2022 (defeated at election), on the frontbench since 2016. Experience includes universities, family violence, equality, young Australians, employment services, environment, and water. Started a consulting business in 2022, became industrial commissioner with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in January 2024, and was appointed to the Fair Work Commission in August 2024.
Kristina Keneally — Senator from 2018 to April 2022, first on frontbench in 2019. Experience includes Home Affairs, immigration, and government accountability. According to LinkedIn, Keneally has been the chief executive of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation since November 2022.
Doug Cameron — Senator from 2007-2019, appointed to frontbench in 2013. Portfolio experiences include housing and homelessness. Cameron is a commissioner of the People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis.
Brendan O’Connor — MP since 2001, first on the frontbench in 2007. Responsibilities have included employment, Home Affairs, justice, privacy, human services, education, housing, small business, immigration, and skills and training. Will retire at the next election, unclear what he will do next (his office did not reply to a question from Crikey).
Warren Snowdon — MP from 1987 to April 2022, first on the frontbench in 2007. Experience includes defence science, Indigenous and rural health, veterans’ affairs, external territories, and Indigenous affairs. Snowdon has been a government relations adviser at Diabetes Australia since 2022 and was appointed to head a federal review of the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility in August 2024.
Pat Dodson — Senator from 2016 to January 2024, on the frontbench since 2016. Experience includes Indigenous affairs, reconciliation, and constitutional recognition of First Nations Australians. Dodson retired for health reasons and it is unclear what he does now.
Nick Champion — MP 2007-2016 and 2019-2022. Never made ministry, on shadow frontbench from 2014. Experience includes health, manufacturing, and science. Champion resigned from Parliament shortly before the May 2022 election to become a minister in the South Australian government. His portfolios include planning, housing, and urban development.
Claire Moore — Senator from 2001-2019. Never made ministry, on shadow frontbench from 2002. Experience includes women’s affairs, carers, communities, international development, and Pacific affairs. Post-political career unknown.
Kim Carr — Senator from 1993-2022, first sat on the frontbench in 2007. Experience includes industry, science and research, manufacturing, defence material, human services, and higher education. Following his retirement in 2022, Carr was appointed vice-chancellor’s professorial fellow at Monash University. He is also a director of the Made in Australia Campaign Limited and an honorary fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) and the Academy of the Humanities (AHA).
Julie Owens — MP 2004-2022. Never made ministry, on shadow frontbench from 2013. Experience includes education and early childhood education, small business, citizenship and multicultural affairs. Post-political career unknown.
The Peter Dutton shadow ministry, and the former Coalition ministry in government
Scott Morrison — MP from 2007 to February 2024. First appointed to the ministry in 2013. The minister for almost everything’s experience includes immigration, border protection, Treasury, social services, health, finance, industry, and resources. After resigning from Parliament in early 2024, Morrison joined US advisory firm American Global Strategies LLC as non-executive vice chairman. The firm’s chairman and founder is Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Following the 2022 election, Morrison was appointed to several advisory board positions with international bodies, including the centre-right International Democrat Union, the China Center of the Hudson Institute (in November 2022), and the Center for New American Security (CNAS).
Josh Frydenberg — MP from 2010 to May 2022, appointed to the ministry in 2013. Frydenberg’s experience includes Treasury, resources and energy, and the environment. Two months after his defeat at the 2022 election he was appointed senior regional adviser for Goldman Sachs Australia and New Zealand, with Goldman Sachs’ local chief executive Simon Rothery stressing at the time that Frydenberg would not be involved in any government business for the bank. In September 2023 Fryendberg was promoted to chairman of Goldman Sachs Australia.
Stuart Robert — MP from 2007 to May 2023, appointed to the ministry in 2013. Robert’s experience includes digital services, human services, defence, veterans’ affairs, Treasury, NDIS, employment, skills, and small business. Following the 2022 election, Robert established a private company Coram Deo Capital Pty Ltd, with Nine papers reporting in October 2024 that the company is involved in a proposed $500 million data centre to store sensitive government information. Nine reported Robert was said to have “leveraged” his position as Australia’s first digital minister to negotiate the business deal.
Christian Porter — MP from 2013 to April 2022, appointed to the ministry in 2014. Porter’s experience includes social services, as attorney-general, industrial relations, industry, and science and technology. Following his resignation from cabinet in 2021 over his blind trust, he established two companies: Henley Stirling Lawyers Pty Ltd and Henley Stirling Consultants Pty Ltd, with the first created for the purpose of conducting a legal practice and the second for “possible future writing ventures”. While the public awaits publication of Porter’s first book, he’s been busy as a barrister since leaving Parliament, representing crime figure Mick Gatto in a defamation case against the ABC and one of Clive Palmer’s companies in a lawsuit against the federal government.
Marise Payne — Senator from 1997 to September 2023, appointed to the shadow ministry in 2009/ministry 2013. Experience includes Indigenous affairs, housing, human services, defence, foreign affairs, and women’s affairs. Appointed distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution in January 2024. In the same month, Western Sydney University appointed Payne as vice-chancellor’s fellow and professor of practice in international relations and public policy.
Greg Hunt — MP from 2001 to May 2022, appointed to the ministry in 2004. Hunt’s experience includes health, environment and heritage, climate change, urban water, industry, innovation, science, and sport. In October 2022 Hunt was appointed chair of the advisory council of the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health.
Alan Tudge — MP from 2010 to February 2023, appointed to the ministry in 2015. Experience includes social services, human services, multicultural affairs, infrastructure and cities, and education. According to LinkedIn, Tudge has worked as a “corporate adviser (government, education, migration)” since April 2023.
Ken Wyatt — MP from 2010-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2015. Wyatt’s experience includes Indigenous affairs, health and aged care, and Indigenous health. After his loss at the May 2022 election, Wyatt joined the Albanese government’s Voice to Parliament referendum working group and campaigned for the Yes vote.
Ben Morton — MP from 2016-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2019. Morton’s experience includes public service, electoral matters, and as special minister of state. Morton is an external consultant to Woodside, a director of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, non-executive commissioner of the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), and a director of the Southern Ports Authority.
Zed Seselja — Senator from 2013-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2016. Seselja’s experience includes social services, multicultural affairs, science, employment, innovation, Treasury and finance, and international development. Following his defeat at the 2022 election, Seselja established a company, Zed Advisory, and is executive director. He is also a director of Group Colleges Australia and Campion Australia.
Amanda Stoker — Senator from 2018-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2022. Stoker’s experience includes industrial relations, women’s issues, and legal affairs. After her defeat at the 2022 election, Stoker joined Sky News with her own show, Sunday with Stoker, and joined the advisory board of the arch-conservative Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Stoker is seeking to resurrect her political career, running as an LNP candidate for the state seat of Oodgeroo in the upcoming Queensland election.
Trevor Evans — MP from 2016-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2019. Evans’ experience includes waste reduction and environmental management. Evans was appointed as special adviser in the National Retail Association’s (NRA) policy division in July 2024 — he was chief executive of the NRA prior to his election to Parliament. Beyond this, it’s not clear what Evans does, though his LinkedIn profile says, “Board member, advisory, consultant.”
Tim Wilson — MP from 2016-2022, appointed to the ministry in 2021. Wilson’s experience includes emissions reduction, energy, and industry. Following his election defeat Wilson established an advisory firm with a focus on environmental and social governance risk management, strategic communications and campaigns, and policy analysis and insights. He is running as the Liberal candidate for his old seat of Goldstein at the next election.
Karen Andrews — MP since 2010, appointed to the ministry in 2014. Andrews will retire at the next election. Her experience includes Home Affairs, industry, science, and vocational education and skills. She has said she has already been invited to sit on “a number of boards” but hasn’t yet accepted anything, and that she has considered starting a political podcast.
Did we miss anyone? Spotted your former member working at the checkout? Get in touch! Email anilsson@crikey.com.au.