Ley Unveils Shadow Cabinet Reshuffle Following Price’s Dismissal

NewsFinale Journal

2 months ago

Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price pictured at Parliament House in Canberra earlier this month.

Share and Follow

Western Australian MP Melissa Price was announced as the new Shadow Minister for Defence Industry and Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel, taking over from Senator Price.

The Northern Territory senator, who had defected from the Nationals to the Liberals after May’s Federal election, was forced to resign from her position in the shadow cabinet last week after refusing to apologise for comments made about Indian Australians.

Price was forced by Ley to resign from her position in the Shadow cabinet. (Alex Ellinghausen)

Senator Price had claimed the federal government was allowing more migrants in from India to skew votes towards Labor, comments which drew sharp criticism from members of her own party such as Alex Hawke and Julian Leeser.

Melissa Price, the Member for Durack, previously served as the minister for the Defence Industry under Scott Morrison, and was also the Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Science.

“As a former Minister in the portfolio, she brings crucial experience to these responsibilities,” Ley said in a statement.

The Jacinta Price saga has heaped more pressure on the opposition leader. (Alex Ellinghausen)

Price will be replaced by Senator Claire Chandler from Tasmania, whilst Simon Kennedy has also joined the Shadow Ministry in a newly-created role of Shadow Assistant Minister for Artificial Intelligence.

Kennedy replaced Morrison in the southern Sydney electorate of Cook, and has also been handed the shadow portfolios of Digital Economy and Assistant Minister for Scrutiny of Government Waste.

In another shake-up, Senator James Paterson from Victoria has been elevated to the formal Leadership Group of the Coalition, whilst Ley also reaffirmed defeated Bradfield candidate Gisele Kapterian will have a position in her shadow cabinet if her appeal is successful.

Kapterian lost the seat on Sydney’s north shore by 26 votes to teal independent Nicolette Boele, however the Liberal Party have launched an appeal to the High Court of Australia in the Court of Disputed Returns.