Peter Dutton has been seen in public for the first time since losing his seat in parliament and the federal election.
The opposition leader returned to Canberra on Wednesday afternoon.
Wearing a dark blue suit, an opened-collared shirt and his signature specs, he offered a few words to waiting journalists.
When asked who should replace him, Mr Dutton suggested it was best for former leaders to “maintain a graceful silence”.
As to his next steps, he said he was looking forward to spending more time with friends and family.
As the outgoing member for Dickson ran the media gauntlet, Labor backroom powerbrokers continued to divide the spoils of victory.
Not everyone wins a prize following Labor’s landslide win, with one senior minister expected to lose their position as cabinet spots are shared around.
Powerbrokers are meeting to determine the makeup of the new cabinet and ministry, with spots allocated according to a delicate balance between left and right factions as well as state representation.
Labor’s caucus will meet in Canberra on Friday with ultimate authority resting with Anthony Albanese after his thumping election win, extending his majority by at least nine seats.
Its left faction, from which the prime minister hails, is generally considered the more socially progressive and economically liberal wing.
Following the election, it outnumbers the more conservative right faction in caucus.
A senior minister could be on the chopping block as the NSW right is over-represented in cabinet and their Victorian counterparts are screaming for another spot.
There are five members of the NSW Right in federal cabinet: Tony Burke (home affairs), Chris Bowen (climate change and energy), Jason Clare (education), Ed Husic (industry and science), and Michelle Rowland (communications).
Geographic spread and gender balance will be considered as part of the deliberations.
Labor’s senior leadership team is expected to remain in their portfolios.
The depth of Labor’s cabinet contenders contrasts a Liberal leadership dearth as the party soul searches after Peter Dutton became the first opposition leader to lose his seat.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley have been hitting the phones to garner support, with immigration spokesman Dan Tehan likely to run as deputy to one of the two.
There is some anger directed at Mr Taylor for a failure to come up with economic policy ahead of the election, which MPs believe cost them votes.
There is also a belief he was too focused on factional politics in NSW rather than focusing on his job.
The leadership race has started getting dirty, with backgrounding against Ms Ley accusing her of undermining Mr Dutton and failing to make an impact as deputy.
A coalition source described leadership talent as being “as shallow as a kiddie pool” with it being widely accepted the new Liberal leader would lose the next election starting so far behind the eight ball.
It is looking increasingly likely Mr Dutton won’t be the only party leader scalped in the landslide, with Labor edging ahead in Adam Bandt’s seat of Melbourne.
The Greens leader narrowly trails Labor candidate Sarah Witty in the count with just over two-thirds of ballots counted.
The minor party was all but wiped out in the lower house, losing two seats in Brisbane and Mr Bandt’s seat on a knife edge favouring Labor.
It is only ahead in Ryan, which could leave Elizabeth Watson-Brown as the sole Greens member in the lower house – down from four – despite the party’s primary vote largely holding up.
It will retain the balance of power in the Senate.
About a dozen seats remain with Labor leading in six, the Liberals in four, independents in two and the Greens in one.
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