Prime Minister's Top Speechwriter Resigns Mid-Term
James Newton, the principal speechwriter for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is set to resign less than halfway through the PM's second term.
Newton informed colleagues that he would leave his post after the Labor national conference in Adelaide next month, citing family reasons. He will be replaced by speechwriter and author Dennis Glover, who previously worked on statements for Albanese when he was in opposition. Glover will collaborate with former columnist James Jeffrey.
"My family have had enough"
In a leaked message to the Prime Minister's Office group chat, Newton wrote:
"My family have had enough and more than four years in to what I originally presented as a one-year deal... I love so much about this job and consider every day that I've spent writing for our Prime Minister the greatest privilege of my working life."
The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the departure.
A pattern of high-profile exits
Newton's resignation follows a series of other high-profile departures from the Prime Minister's Office, including:
- Katharine Murphy, press secretary (June last year)
- Phoebe Drake, senior adviser
- Prue Mercer, advancer
- Katie Connolly, strategic communications director
- Irene Oh, media adviser
- Lachlan McKenzie