Labor leader Bill Shorten may be planning larger-than-expected changes to his frontbench, with rising star Jim Chalmers in the running to move into shadow cabinet.
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And with discussions under way about changes to the frontbench ahead of Friday's factional and caucus meetings, Victorian powerbroker and shadow cabinet member Kim Carr is fighting a furious rearguard action to keep his spot on the frontbench.
Senator Carr enjoys significant support from his industrial base in the union movement in Victoria and that state's Left faction is holding an emergency meeting late on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, discussions have been held about Dr Chalmers possibly taking on the shadow finance portfolio, with NSW Right MP Tony Burke moved to another senior portfolio.
Mr Burke is highly regarded both for his portfolio work and the job he has done as manager of opposition business, and is said to be relaxed about moving.
He would be awarded another senior shadow cabinet portfolio but one that would see him take a more frontline role that would allow him to better use his skills as a retail politician.
A senior source said Mr Burke's skills were "considerable", that he was open to a change of role, and that he should be given greater prominence to "express his creativity".
The current shadow assistant treasurer, Andrew Leigh, who is not factionally aligned, is said to be safe in his current position as he enjoys the support of Mr Shorten but is less likely to take on the shadow finance post.
The Queensland-based Dr Chalmers is a respected former chief of staff to Labor treasurer Wayne Swan and has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks since being elected in 2013.
A senior source in the Left Faction in Victoria said that Senator Carr would not be demoted without a fight and accused his opponents of using the newly elected NSW MP Linda Burney "as cover for this move against Carr. It is a sickening and callous exploitation of race to disguise a factional hit".
"Albo's [Anthony Albanese's] hatred of Kim is so blinding, that he's happy to see federal Labor's frontbench structurally weakened by the promotion of Carol Brown," the source said.
Under the arrangements worked out by the national Left, Ms Burney - the first Indigenous woman elected to the lower house - occupies the 14th and final spot on the Left's "ticket" for frontbench spots.
That means, in effect, that if Mr Shorten were to intervene to save Senator Carr, Ms Burney may have to miss out on promotion.
However, Senator Carr could avoid that showdown - but prompt a larger Left-Right one - by instead challenging Ms Brown during the meeting of the full caucus on Friday.
A source on the Right said that while it was true Mr Shorten could step in to save Senator Carr, "I don't see how it happens".
"It's just not tenable for the Left to conduct their pre-selection for the frontbench and then the Right intervene and knock them off. And would the Right do that to save Kim Carr of all people?"
