Angus Taylor has given moderate MP Tim Wilson the treasury portfolio and brought the Nationals back into shadow cabinet, in a frontbench lineup that rewards conservatives and purges some of Sussan Ley’s backers.
Days after becoming Liberal leader, Taylor promised that his new shadow ministry – announced on Tuesday – would improve living standards and “protect” Australia’s way of life.
The deputy Liberal leader, Senator Jane Hume, has chosen the employment and industrial relations portfolio, and will lead the party’s economic team alongside Wilson. Conservative leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie has been given the new industry and sovereign capability portfolio, and was appointed deputy leader in the House of Representatives.
Taylor has also rewarded key backers, with Sarah Henderson given the communications portfolio and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to be shadow minister for skills and training. Henderson and Price had made no secret of their aspirations to return to the frontbench in the lead-up to Friday’s leadership spill.
Jonno Duniam, a key Taylor ally, retains the home affairs portfolio and also receives immigration. Senior conservative senator Michaelia Cash remains as shadow attorney-general, while James Paterson moves from finance to defence.
Despite the deputy leader of the party sitting in the upper house, Cash has retained the role of leader of the opposition in the Senate.
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The Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler was one of the big winners, elevated to shadow finance minister, opposite Labor’s Katy Gallagher. Victorian Aaron Violi will enter the shadow ministry and have responsibility for science, technology and digital economy in the new line-up. Conservative Phil Thompson has been promoted to shadow cabinet, in charge of defence personnel and defence industry.
Announcing his new frontbench in Sydney, Taylor said: “This is a team that blends proven experience with the next generation of Coalition talent.”
“The team is designed to do two key things. One, prosecute Labor’s failures … and two, ensure the Coalition is ready to govern and change Australia for the better.”
Ted O’Brien, who held the treasury portfolio under Ley, will take on foreign affairs, while Dan Tehan retains energy, and has added manager of opposition business to his responsibilities.
The Nationals have also been re-allocated their portfolios after the Coalition split, returning to the shadow ministry several weeks earlier than negotiated under Ley.
It was the minor party’s split with the Liberals that helped end Ley’s leadership, but Taylor said Tuesday’s announcement signalled a “strong reset” in the relationship.
“I think it’s signalling a strong reset, the important resetting relationship, which I know the National party is committed to … we are a united Coalition with a united frontbench, and we’re getting on with the job,” Taylor said.
Several senior moderates and members of the centre-right faction have held their spots in the shadow cabinet, while some of Ley’s allies have been purged.
The moderate New South Wales senator Andrew Bragg remains in his role as shadow housing minister while adding environment to his responsibilities, while one of Ley’s closest allies, Anne Ruston, retains her health and ageing portfolio, and will also remain the deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate.
Meanwhile, moderate MP Julian Leeser retains the education portfolio in addition to being shadow minister for Indigenous Australians.
The losers from the reshuffle included some key members of Ley’s inner circle: Alex Hawke, Paul Scarr and Andrew Wallace. Melissa Price, Scott Buchholz and Jason Wood were also dumped.
Kerrynne Liddle has been demoted from the shadow cabinet to shadow assistant minister for health and ageing.
Taylor has also promoted conservatives to his outer ministry, including Garth Hamilton to shadow assistant energy minister, Henry Pike, who will be shadow assistant minister for the NDIS, and Ben Small to shadow assistant minister for infrastructure. The three MPs were key backers of Hastie for the leadership. Zoe McKenzie will remain in her role as shadow cabinet secretary.
Taylor signalled he would not move to rush out policies on immigration or the cost of living, falling back instead on a set of principles he has repeated regularly since taking the top job.
He said again that numbers in the immigration system were too high and standards too low, sidestepping questions about One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s latest inflammatory comments about Muslim migration.
“You never know what the numbers are going to be under Labor,” Taylor said.
“They’re always higher than what they forecast, but their forecasts are also always wrong.”
