Peter Dutton has announced a long-awaited shadow ministerial shake-up before this year’s federal election, appointing former immigration minister David Coleman to the foreign affairs role.
The reshuffle also included the establishment of a new platform, “government efficiency”, touted to crack down on “wasteful spending” including the “divisive voice referendum”. The current shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, took on the platform, which echoed the new US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led by Elon Musk.
“With Australians sick of the wasteful spending that is out of control under the Albanese government … Jacinta will be looking closely at how we can achieve a more efficient use of taxpayers’ money,” Dutton said in a statement on Saturday.
Price said the new role would “complement” her current portfolio.
“The Coalition has already committed to undertaking an audit of expenditure in Indigenous affairs for the very purpose of ensuring efficiency,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to the complementary task of increasing efficiency more broadly and ensuring government priorities align with the priorities of everyday Australians.”
Four of the promotions announced by Dutton were for women. Last week, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also promoted or gave new roles to four female frontbenchers, in a pre-election reshuffle for Labor triggered by the retirement of the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten.
Coleman, the former immigration minister, was not expected to be a frontrunner for the highly contested foreign affairs position, prompted by the resignation of Simon Birmingham, who starts a role at ANZ bank in February.
Four names mentioned internally as Birmingham’s possible successor were the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson – today added to the Coalition’s leadership group; the shadow immigration minister, Dan Tehan; former frontbencher Julian Leeser; and the Liberal deputy leader, Sussan Ley.
Liberal party convention dictates the deputy leader has their pick of portfolios. However some of Ley’s colleagues believed she would be overlooked, after past statements in support of Palestine resurfaced just as she began privately expressing interest in the role.
“David has made an outstanding policy contribution as our shadow minister for communications and he has the intellect, temperament and vision to take on this important portfolio responsibility,” Dutton said.
Melissa McIntosh was promoted to communications, while Claire Chandler joined the shadow cabinet taking on the government services and the digital economy, science and arts portfolios.
Tony Pasin was announced as the shadow minister for roads and safety, and Julian Leeser as the shadow assistant minister for foreign affairs.
Leeser quit the shadow cabinet in April 2023 to campaign for a yes vote in the voice referendum but re-cemented support internally with his strong support for Israel and condemnation of antisemitic attacks in Australia.
“Julian has been a staunch defender of our traditional allies and a powerhouse of support for Australia’s Jewish community,” Dutton said.
“He will work closely with David Coleman in this new role, and I know he will provide the moral clarity and courage in foreign and international affairs for which he is already well-known and admired.”
Also taking on new responsibilities were Senator Matt O’Sullivan, to become the shadow assistant minister for education, Senator Kerrynne Liddle, becoming the shadow minister for Indigenous health services, and the shadow energy and climate change minister, Ted O’Brien, adding energy affordability and reliability to his current portfolio.
As tipped, Michael Sukkar was selected as the manager of opposition business.
“We have a prime minister who spent the first part of this term distracted by his signature domestic policy – the divisive $450m voice referendum – and, since then, he has failed to address the cost-of-living crisis faced by Australians,” Dutton said.
“He has his priorities all wrong.
“A Dutton Coalition government will get our country back on track, and the appointments I announce today further strengthen our Coalition team as we approach the forthcoming election.”
