Ms Plibersek has agreed to step away from foreign affairs to take on one of the key election-determining portfolios in an expanded role that will see her steering Labor's policies on schools and universities.

Kate Ellis, who had been in the shadow education role, will remain in shadow cabinet with responsibility for early childhood education, TAFE and vocational education.

Mr Shorten is due to announce the full shadow ministry in Canberra on Saturday, with Labor sources saying his will be a bigger reshuffle than Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's wider-than-expected rejig this week.

Among the likely winners are Queenslander Jim Chalmers, who could enter shadow cabinet via the finance portfolio, allowing Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke to take a more frontline role, perhaps as environment spokesman.

There will be much interest in whether Catherine King retains health and whether Penny Wong remains with trade.

Labor's small business spokesperson will be included in shadow cabinet as a point of difference with the Turnbull cabinet.

Mr Shorten said Ms Plibersek's move into education was "about putting a great policy thinker on the political frontline".

"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," he said.

"There are few issues as critical to our nation's future prosperity than education, which is why I am giving it such a priority."

On Friday, Mr Shorten stepped in to save the frontbench career of Kim Carr while David Feeney's gaffe-blighted election campaign has cost him a spot in a shadow ministry that includes five new faces.

The expanded 32-member line-up will include the first female indigenous MP, Linda Burney, and the first two Muslim shadow ministers in Ed Husic and Sam Dastyari.

After a week of upheaval in the Left that included the creation of a breakaway Left faction around Senator Carr, the veteran Victorian was protected from the chop by Mr Shorten and the Right.

But Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh has been forced to quite literally pay the price for Mr Carr's retention. He will take a $40,000 pay cut back to a backbencher's salary of $195,000 to accommodate Mr Carr in the shadow ministerial pay bracket, which is strictly limited to 30 people.

Senator Dastyari is the other shadow ministry appointee not to get the full pay packet.

Senator Dastyari and fellow rising star Ed Husic will be first Muslim members of Parliament to attain the shadow ministerial level. Both men are non-practising Muslims.

Mr Husic prevailed in a stoush in the NSW Right after the well-regarded shadow minister for vocational education, Sharon Bird, chose not to contest a ballot of colleagues on Friday.

Another up-and-comer, Clare O'Neil from Victoria, will be elevated to the frontbench along with Tasmania's Senator Carol Brown.

As expected, the Left did not include Senator Carr in its 14 nominees for the shadow ministry but the Right will ensure he is retained.

Senator Carr had been instrumental in Mr Shorten taking the ALP leadership in 2013 and also preventing the Left from blocking his hardline stance on asylum boats at last year's national conference.

Shortly after the full caucus meeting, Mr Carr tweeted: "Honoured to be re-elected to Labor's frontbench - big thanks for all your messages of solidarity."

Labor has defended the expanded size of the shadow ministry, saying Mark Latham and Kim Beazley had 32 or more.

But Mr Shorten appears intent on maintaining his criticism of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's enlarged cabinet and his handling of Parliament.

Mr Shorten told the caucus meeting: "Mr Turnbull has announced the biggest cabinet since Whitlam but he's given us a parliamentary calendar worthy of Billy McMahon. During the election, he showed he was afraid of the Australian people. It's clear now that he's also afraid of the Parliament. Most of all he's afraid of having all his good friends, his loyal colleagues and his enemies all in the same place at the same time."

Backers of Ms Bird, who included Tony Burke, had warned that the demotion of a woman – with just Michelle Rowland left on the frontbench representing the NSW Right – would be a negative at the same time as Mr Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek have been taking aim at the lack of female representation in the Coalition party room and cabinet.

But the move against Ms Bird had been justified on the ascension of Ms O'Neil, Ms Burney and Senator Brown, which has ensured a higher ratio of women on the frontbench.

Amanda Rishworth remains on the frontbench despite speculation that the returning South Australian powerbroker Don Farrell would take her place.

Mr Shorten make an official announcement of portfolios on Saturday.

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