Ed Husic swapped his work suit for a T-shirt on 4 May to mark what is known among sci-fi fans as 'Star Wars day.' Shared with his 'fellow nerds' on Instagram, the Labor backbencher's apparel depicted an X-Wing fighter jet and the words: 'REBEL SCUM.' The phrase was an insult an officer from the evil Empire muttered at heroes from the Rebel Alliance in Return of the Jedi. It has become popular in Star Wars fan culture as a badge of honour pinned to valiant underdogs who fight the establishment. The message implied in Husic's choice of attire would not have been lost on followers or colleagues.
The former industry minister has fashioned himself as a rebel inside the Albanese government since he was dumped from cabinet in a factional power play after the 2025 election. Husic broke ranks again this week to call for a rethink of the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine deal, resurfacing an internal debate that the party leadership hoped had long been resolved. Ministers publicly brushed off his latest intervention as the opinion of a lone backbencher. The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, an Albanese loyalist, described the criticism as 'disingenuous.' Senior colleagues are more scathing in private, accusing a 'bitter' Husic of undermining the defence minister, Richard Marles, as payback for his demotion.
But others see virtue and bravery in his freelancing on issues from Gaza to a gas tax, which they view as an important counter-balance to the 'groupthink' that has developed under Anthony Albanese's leadership. 'Superficially it looks like [Husic] is all bent out of shape,' a senior Labor source said. 'But at a deeper level what he's doing is pretty important. On this issue, he could be prescient. Is he right about Aukus? Maybe he is.'
You should have the ability to question
There were hints of Husic's rebellious streak in his maiden speech to the federal parliament after he became the first Muslim to be elected as an MP in 2010. 'My fundamental worldview rests at its core on the notion of balance,' the new member for the western Sydney seat of Chifley said. 'I do not just tolerate alternate views; I remain open to them, I learn from and grow from them, and I value differences in our society and in our debates about the future of our society.'
In the government's first term, Husic featured in several of the rare public splits in cabinet. He called for corporate tax breaks, infuriating the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and attacked the 'greed' of gas companies, exposing a rift with the resources minister, Madeleine King. Husic was also more forthright than his cabinet colleagues in criticising Israel's war in Gaza, saying Palestinians were being 'collectively punished for Hamas' barbarism' in the first few weeks after the 7 October 2023 attack. The 56-year-old believes his outspokenness is among the reasons he was dumped from the ministry in May 2025.
Albanese decided not to intervene to save Husic after the New South Wales right faction was forced to drop one of its own to create another seat for Marles' Victoria right, which was underrepresented after the election. Husic labelled Marles a 'factional assassin' after the deputy prime minister also used his numbers to scythe down the then attorney general, Mark Dreyfus. 'I fulfilled my role not just as a cabinet minister but as a caucus member,' Husic said in an ABC Insiders interview after his demotion. 'You should have the ability to speak on the issues that you believe in. You should have the ability to question. It builds a stronger not a weaker party.'
After ministers lined up to rebuke him this week, Husic again alluded to an internal Labor culture that suppressed contrary views, saying the scolding was designed to 'stop people from doing exactly what I've done.' 'I don't think that's good for the party long term, and it's certainly not in the best traditions of the party,' he told ABC television.
It was good for him to speak up
Marles' power grab triggered an outpouring of sympathy for Husic, who had voluntarily stepped down from the ministry in 2019 to make way for Kristina Keneally. Several Labor MPs who spoke to Guardian Australia this week still believe he was treated poorly. The resentment toward Marles lingers. But some argue that the well of goodwill has diminished over a 12-month period in which Husic has repeatedly split from the government's position, disrupting the caucus unity that has defined Albanese's prime ministership. One MP said the pattern of Husic speaking out in closed-door caucus meetings then re-airing those views in public, as he did this week on Aukus, was 'annoying' but also a 'predictable part of the cycle,' diluting its significance.
Another Labor MP said: 'For me, a lot of it comes down to bitterness. It is hard not to see it just as an attempt to undermine Richard Marles, who he would blame for what has occurred, and Jim Chalmers.' Labor figures agree that Husic does not have a path back to the ministry in the foreseeable future, although it is understood he has no interest in serving again under Albanese and Marles. He has fallen below Andrew Charlton as the next member of the NSW right in line for promotion to the 30-member ministry. The second-term MPs Sally Sitou and Gordon Reid have also leapfrogged him in the minds of some colleagues. So, what is Husic's long game? 'We are trying to figure that out,' one colleague said.
Husic did not respond to an invitation to comment for this article. But conversations with several of his colleagues suggest his outspokenness is considered critical by some inside the Labor caucus, where the views of Albanese and his allies are almost never challenged. 'There's a lot of newbies in caucus who are happy to be there,' one Labor source said. 'Albanese has the most support of any Labor leader and there's a lot of groupthink at the top.' One MP rejected the characterisation of Husic as 'bitter' and said his views, including on Aukus, reflected the mood of 'some' in the party. 'There are questions and I think that Ed is doing the right thing,' the MP said. 'On Aukus it was good for him to speak up.'
Some veterans of the Labor movement believe what is surprising is not that Husic is breaking ranks but that more MPs are not falling in behind him. Husic is championing causes with broad support among rank-and-file members and the trade union movement, including the proposed 25% tax on gas exports. When he does speak out, one confidant says, he is speaking not to his parliamentary colleagues but to the Labor base. After Albanese ruled out introducing a gas export tax in the lead-up to the May budget, Husic sent a direct message to Labor members on social media. 'Keep this conversation going,' he said. 'Keep talking about it in the party, within branches. And make it an issue too big to ignore.' Three days later he posted the image of himself wearing the 'REBEL SCUM' T-shirt. The timing and the message was not lost on his colleagues, who have come to view Husic as either bitter or brave.
