16 August 2026
Heart, smarts and pragmatism: why health minister Mark Butler is suddenly a contender as a future PM

Cabinet colleagues say the veteran politician’s carriage of the NDIS firestorm shows his political judgement and collaborative style Outlining some $40bn in cuts to the NDIS – a policy the Labor faithful consider a core achievement of the Rudd-Gillard years – Butler sparked a huge backlash from the disability community and risked anger from the party’s rank and file.
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