Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek appointed education minister in shadow ministry shakeup

Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek will take on a new education super-portfolio in a shake-up of the shadow ministry.

Ms Plibersek and Labor leader Bill Shorten will unveil a 32-member frontbench in Canberra on Saturday, a day after a caucus battle in which veteran senator Kim Carr was spared from being dumped.

Most of Senator Carr's Left faction abandoned him, but intervention from Mr Shorten led to two extra shadow ministry positions being created and the Victorian keeping his frontbench role.

Ms Plibersek, who formerly held the foreign affairs job, will take on the education portfolio incorporating schools and higher education.

South Australian MP Kate Ellis will hold a shadow cabinet portfolio taking in early childhood education and development, TAFE and vocational education.

Mr Shorten will also announce Labor will have a shadow cabinet minister overseeing small business.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull took small business out of cabinet in his post-election reshuffle.

"I am determined to keep the issues important to Australians at the top of our agenda -- better schools and education, Australian jobs and protecting Medicare," Mr Shorten said.

Handing education to Ms Plibersek showed it would be a priority for Labor, he said.

"This is about putting a great policy thinker on the political frontline," he said.

It has been speculated Victorian MP Richard Marles could take on the foreign affairs portfolio.

The five new faces in the shadow ministry will be Tasmanian senator Carol Brown, NSW MPs Ed Husic and Linda Burney, Victorian Clare O'Neil and NSW senator Sam Dastyari.

The two extra shadow ministers – Senator Dastyari and ACT MP Andrew Leigh – will be paid a backbench salary as the rules only allow for 30 shadow ministers.