"Sussan Ley Justifies Composition of Her New Cabinet"

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A day after the Coalition reunited following an eight-day Liberal–Nationals split and the unveiling of a new shadow ministry, Opposition leader Sussan Ley has sought to differentiate her leadership style from that of her predecessor, Peter Dutton

“I said we would do things differently and I would bring a fresh approach,” the Opposition leader told ABC News Breakfast on Thursday.

“I intend to be very consultative, very approachable, and to listen carefully, not just to my colleagues in the party room … But listening to the Australian people, not lecturing from the top down, listening from the ground up.

“It’s tough times for many Australians out there. We got a tough message from them at the last election, and we need to approach communities that we seek to represent with humility.”

Back together again: a new Coalition deal after eight days apart image

Why are there fewer women in the shadow ministry?

Ley unveiled the Coalition’s new front bench on Wednesday, making several changes in the shadow ministry.

While Ley is the Opposition’s first female leader, the number of women in the cabinet has decreased compared to the previous term.

When questioned on this, Ley said 40 per cent of her cabinet is “made up of women”.

“The party is led by a woman. When we make the calls that we need to, I will be at the table for every single one of those big calls,” she told the ABC.

There are 15 men and eight women in the new shadow cabinet, and 19 men and 11 women across the wider ministry. Peter Dutton’s final shadow cabinet included 11 women and 12 men, and his wider ministry had 17 men and 13 women overall.

Jane Hume, former finance spokesperson, is one of the women who lost their role in the new Coalition cabinet.

Ley said Hume’s demotion was not related to this policy.

“This isn’t about who is sitting at what table and what role they have. It’s broader than that … It’s about every one of the 54 members of our party room having a role to play,” she said.

“This is about putting the best team on the field and respecting Jane’s talents … The communication skills of so many of my team mean that they will feature prominently across the debate and carry that argument and that advocacy forward.”

‘Last week was a messy week’

Former National Party leader Michael McCormack, who had been advocating for the reunification of the Coalition, said the parties “shouldn’t have split in the first place.”

“Last week was a messy week … It looked messy and people out in voter land must have looked and thought, what on earth are those people doing, naval-gazing, talking about themselves?” he told ABC News Breakfast.

“The Liberals and Nationals have been very good, very, very good for decades, and it was madness that we separated, but it’s taken a week, we’re back together, and thankfully that is so.”

Asked if Nationals leader David Littleproud had “misled the party room”, McCormack said: “We weren’t told everything that went on between Sussan Ley and David [Littleproud], … That was, I suppose, a thing that David chose to do,” he said.

The former party leader, who had previously criticised Littleproud’s handling of the split, acknowledged that he approached Ley for the reunification.

When questioned about whether he had been punished for this by not being offered any frontbench positions, he said, “you have to ask David Littleproud about that”.

Littleproud has previously denied claims of vengeance, pointing out his plans on “generational change”.

In response to a question on whether he will lead the party again, McCormack said: “You never say never.”

“I’m not going to draw a line through my name because that would be silly, but it’s up to the party room … If it comes to pass that the party decides that I’m the one to lead them again in the future, so be it.”