Peter Dutton is likely to promote Jacinta Price or Kerrynne Liddle to take on portfolio responsibility for Indigenous Australians. However, the post may be relegated to a shadow assistant ministerial role.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is considering how to replace Julian Leeser, who on Tuesday quit as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians.
Price and Liddle – the Coalition’s two Indigenous members – were initially viewed as favourites to be promoted to minister for Indigenous Australians, with some pushing for Price’s elevation to increase the National’s influence within the cabinet.
But Price is understood to have told some colleagues she agreed it would be too soon in her federal political career to move into cabinet or carry sole responsibility for a ministry.
Sources say the elevation of either MP to shadow cabinet is unlikely because they are first-term senators who have not held shadow ministerial portfolios and premature promotion could spark professional jealousy among colleagues.
The alternative is to give Price or Liddle the shadow assistant ministry, with Indigenous Australians represented in shadow cabinet by an existing minister, such as Anne Ruston.
In order to minimise the impact of the reshuffle, the attorney general portfolio is expected to go to a lawyer already in cabinet, such as Michaelia Cash, Paul Fletcher or Michael Sukkar.
Cash, the shadow minister for employment and workplace relations, and Fletcher, the shadow minister for science, arts, government services and the digital economy are considered more likely due to their lighter load of existing portfolios.
Sukkar is responsible for social services, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, housing and homelessness, meaning allocating him the attorney general portfolio may only be possible if a wider reshuffle is envisaged.
This week Price joined Dutton on a tour of Alice Springs, talking up the possibility of the Australian Federal Police being called “to lend a hand” in the Northern Territory. Price claimed that locals had become “desensitised”, had “almost lost hope” and some had described that “the territory is now a failed state”.
Catherine Liddle, the chief executive of SNAICC, which advocates for Indigenous children, said that “sexual abuse is a really serious crime, which has a devastating impact on children, families and communities – this is not a political football”.
“If Mr Dutton, any politician, or any community member has evidence about sexual abuse of children then the mandatory process is to make a report to the authorities,” she said in a statement.
“The claims of ‘rampant’ abuse fly in the face of evidence. Data from Territory Families show there has been no escalation in investigations of sexual abuse or exploitation.”
On Friday, Senator Kerrynne Liddle defended Dutton’s position on law and order issues in Alice Springs, telling Radio National that the situation was “dire” with children wandering the streets and residents leaving in great numbers.
Asked if Dutton should temper his language given he hasn’t shown evidence of widespread child sexual abuse, Liddle replied: “I say prove it’s not happening, then we can have a conversation about the kind of language we can use for this.”
Liddle explained her intention to vote no in the referendum due to a “whole range of concerns”, including that the Albanese government had not given enough detail.
“The focus now should be on the regional and local voices and the importance of getting those up and running,” she said.
On Thursday the shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, said the Coalition was “is in a great position that we have two very obvious choices” for the Indigenous portfolio but added “of course there are others who may well step into that role”.
Andrews said Price “is an excellent senator” who would have her “support 100%” if she were chosen.
“To be honest, I’ve spent more time with Senator Liddle than I have with Senator Price,” she told Sky News.
“I think Kerryn Liddle is excellent. I think she understands the issues in the Northern Territory. She’s a senator for South Australia. She would absolutely be fantastic in the job. And she of course would have my 100% support as well, too.”
