Albo & Co’s staff exodus

In delightful news for fans of literary escapades, former Guardian Australia columnist Brigid Delaney is leaving Parliament House, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

Delaney is reported to be returning to full-time writing, including a novel-memoir about stoicism (presumably a follow-up to her 2022 book Reasons Not To Worry), a Substack, and consulting. She is also the co-creator of Netflix comedy Wellmaniaan adaptation of her own book of the same title on the wellness industry.

Of most interest to political staffers and politicians alike, however, is the revelation that Delaney is also planning a novel of some autobiographical complexion, though it’s understood it won’t canvas her time on the Hill. The author told Crikey it would be more “in the style of Bridget Jones’ Diary”.

Delaney is not the only departure in recent months from the cushy embrace of a staffing gig within the government. There have been a number of senior departures from the staff supporting the government benches. We rounded up some of the most high-profile ones.

Katharine Murphy

Affectionately known as Murpharoo, last year former Guardian Australia political editor and press gallery veteran Katharine Murphy jumped ship from journalism to the world of spin, taking a communications role in Anthony Albanese’s office in early 2024. Murphy’s departure was the subject of plenty of attention, being the first move of a chief correspondent or political editor to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a decade.

A fortnight ago, Murphy was reported to be moving on from the role after just 18 months, doing the rounds in the press gallery to say farewell. She was quickly replaced at Guardian Australia by fellow press gallery veteran Karen Middleton, a move first reported in Crikey. The outlet has been without a political editor for more than three months now since Middleton left amid internal workplace turmoil.

Prue Mercer

Prue Mercer was the PM’s advancer: his right hand and the person responsible for making sure media footage and photography of the PM is clean. Mercer took to LinkedIn last week to pen a long ode to the job and her memories over the course of it, having been an “Adviser — Advance” for the leader of the Labor Party dating back to May 2018 with Bill Shorten.

Among the various stats Mercer included in summarising her time with the PMO were 40 consecutive days on the road in 2022 and 170 days overseas since the 2022 election, as well as these anecdotes: “One Australian commando who deadpan looked me in the face and told me ‘I’d be left in Ukraine if I injured myself and posed a threat to the overall safety of the prime minister”, and “one Freedom Of Information Act enquiry that will haunt me for the rest of my life”.

A penny for the FOI.

Stela Todorovic

Another former journalist Stela Todorovic joined the PMO in 2023 from Network Ten and formed part of an enormous media staff that was once big enough to field its own cricket team. Todorovic recently left to join quantum computing startup PsiQuantum in a media role.

Skye is in demand

Laris has been in federal political staffing a long time. As early as 2008 she was chief of staff to now Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (whom she subsequently married), and has since been in a number of other federal staffing roles around the red side of politics. Laris joined Prime Minister Albanese’s staff in 2020 and recently departed the office.

Thomas Mooney

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has had a change of leadership in her office after nine years, with long-term staffer and outgoing chief of staff Thomas Mooney moving on. Mooney has been a staffer since 2011, initially working in the South Australian Parliament. He had been Wong’s chief of staff since February 2020.

Caitlin Raper

Sticking with the foreign minister, spinner Caitlin Raper is also moving on after five years in the role. Raper is also an experienced former journalist, having come from the Seven Network and having had roles at News Corp and Al Jazeera in the past.

Mark Davis

Mark Davis is the outgoing chief of staff to Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, and is reportedly set to be replaced by Nigel Bruce, the current deputy. Davis is also married to outgoing PMO spinner and former Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy.

Maggie Lloyd

Lloyd is the outgoing chief of staff for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King and worked as a spinner for Kevin Rudd in the past. Lloyd returned to political staffing following the 2022 election as a deputy chief of staff for then communications minister Michelle Rowland, before joining King’s office in the top job in 2024. Lloyd is an experienced gig economy executive, having come from DoorDash as head of public policy and government relations, and Uber before that in a similar role.