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Liberal leader Sussan Ley denies punishing colleagues when deciding her new shadow ministry, revealed hours after the Coalition renewed their decades-long partnership.
Ley said she had “balanced experience with new talent” and talked to all 54 members of her party room before announcing the roles.
The Nationals got six positions, one fewer than leader David Littleproud had pushed for. Littleproud will remain as agriculture spokesperson.
The Liberals, who are still the majority party despite losing 13 lower house seats, got the biggest portfolios.
Ted O’Brien, architect of the Coalition’s nuclear election pitch, has been promoted to treasury spokesperson.
He replaces Angus Taylor, who ran against Ley for the Liberal leadership and has since been moved to be defence spokesperson.
Michaelia Cash has been elevated to foreign ministry spokesperson, James Paterson is the finance spokesperson and Andrew Hastie will take on home affairs.
Julian Leeser retakes his old role as shadow attorney-general after he resigned from the shadow cabinet to campaign for the Indigenous Voice referendum in 2023.
Dan Tehan takes on energy and emissions reduction, with Ley downplaying the removal of climate change from the portfolio title.
“I look at the substance of what’s going on and the policy areas and don’t get hung up on the titles,” she said.
Nationals deputy Kevin Hogan retains trade and Senate leader Bridget McKenzie keeps infrastructure.
Who has been demoted?
Ley denied Hume and other conservatives, such as Sarah Henderson, had been punished for supporting Angus Taylor during the Liberal leadership spill.
“Absolutely not. I’m not going to reflect on the qualities of individuals with respect to the qualities of other individuals. I don’t think that’s a fair question,” she said.
She will become the Opposition’s defence industry and personnel spokesperson.
Littleproud denied similar claims of vengeance after both former national leader Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce questioned his leadership in recent days and were not offered positions.
“I made it clear when I became leader three years ago that I wanted to have generational change but, at that point, wanted to respect the leadership that was before me to allow them to impart their wisdom,” Littleproud said.
Queensland senator Matt Canavan is also absent from the shadow ministry, allowing him to break cabinet solidarity on issues such as net zero.
Ley denies ‘bitter break up’ amid new Coalition agreement
Ley denied the Coalition’s temporary split had been “bitter”, maintaining that she gets along well with Littleproud and looks forward to moving “forward together”.
“Personally, David and I will be friends,” she said.
“I think a woman who got her start in the shearing sheds of western Queensland can always find something to talk about over a steak and a beer, David, with you, the person who represents those communities now.”
Last Tuesday, Nationals leader David Littleproud announced his party would be leaving the Coalition as it wanted to cement four policy areas into the agreement.
This included lifting a moratorium on nuclear, powers to split up the major supermarkets, a $20 billion regional fund and mobile coverage in the bush.
The Liberals wanted time to review their election policy agenda after a historic loss but offered to support the demands “in principle” by the end of the week.
After days of conjecture over the terms of the split, the Nationals party room met on Wednesday morning to sign off on the agreement.
Littleproud noted negotiations over the week with Ley had been effective, despite “gossip and innuendo through the halls of the gallery”, seemingly a shot at the Canberra reporters.
“Sussan and I have always kept the lines of communication open. We’ve risen above that. We haven’t let us get distracted by what’s been reported.”
With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
