Julia Gillard clashes with Joel Fitzgibbon over reshuffle

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and newly minted foreign minister Bob Carr. Picture: Kym Smith

Details of the clash emerged yesterday as the Prime Minister's star recruit to the foreign affairs portfolio, Bob Carr, told The Sunday Telegraph the party needed to "junk" the culture of leaks and backbiting.

Mr Carr will get off to a flying start as Foreign Minister as early as next week - with New Zealand the likely destination - as the federal government fast-tracks his instalment into the Senate.

The NSW parliament has agreed to conduct a special joint sitting of parliament on Tuesday or Wednesday to formalise Mr Carr's role as senator after outgoing Senator Mark Arbib volunteered to vacate the post a week early.

"Our challenge is to close ranks. Stop backbiting. Junk the culture of talking about one another to the media," Mr Carr said. "It's the pressures of a hung parliament and personality disputes. But we've got to make a heroic effort to leave that behind."

But Labor MPs are still chattering over the angry phone call between Ms Gillard and Mr Fitzgibbon. The Prime Minister offered a junior parliamentary secretary post to Mr Fitzgibbon, the convenor of the NSW Right and a former defence minister.

The move is widely interpreted as a snub to Mr Fitzgibbon, whom many had expected to be offered a more prestigious ministry job in the reshuffle.

When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Fitzgibbon, who is chief government whip, declined to comment beyond confirming an offer was made.

"Yes I was offered a junior position. But I declined it because I believe I could better serve the party as chief government whip," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Labor MPs said he had considered resigning as whip over the snub and after "cleaning up a lot of messes" for the Prime Minister.

The dispute follows Ms Gillard's spurning of Defence Minister Stephen Smith for the foreign affairs portfolio - a man many Labor MPs believe is likely to be drafted as Ms Gillard's replacement if she continues to falter.

Former emergency services minister Robert McClelland was also dumped and considered quitting politics, sparking a by-election, but was advised not to by colleagues.