Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will unveil a revamped frontbench as soon as this weekend, in a shake-up that will replace two shadow ministers and promote a handful of younger MPs.
Shadow ministers James Paterson, Sussan Ley, Dan Tehan and former shadow minister Julian Leeser are the four candidates most likely to replace retiring foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham, while Paul Fletcher must be replaced as spokesperson for government services, arts and science as he is quitting politics before the next election.
Peter Dutton is likely to announce a reshuffle before Christmas.Credit: Glenn Hunt
Tehan is considered the frontrunner for foreign affairs as it is likely Dutton will want to keep Paterson, a close ally, in the politically hot home affairs portfolio. Ley could, as deputy leader, demand the foreign affairs portfolio but is said to prefer her domestic portfolios of industry, skills, training and small business.
Leeser, who was spokesman for Indigenous Australians and legal affairs, resigned from the frontbench in 2023 to campaign for a Yes vote in the Voice to parliament referendum as an architect of the scheme. While he is highly regarded, some in the opposition believe he has not yet served his penance for breaking with the party’s position on constitutional change.
Dutton is also expected to name replacements for shadow assistant ministers Hollie Hughes, Gavin Pearce and Nola Marino, all of whom leave parliament at this election.
Other candidates for promotion include spokeswoman for early childhood education Angie Bell, an outside chance to move into shadow cabinet, rising talents Andrew Bragg and Claire Chandler and former diplomat Dave Sharma.
Both Birmingham and Fletcher are prominent members of the Liberals’ moderate faction and if Dutton does not replace them with moderates, such as Leeser, he will likely face internal criticism.
On Friday, former Nationals minister Keith Pitt announced he was leaving politics and fired off a scathing broadside at his party leader, David Littleproud, for backing the Coalition’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
Pitt, a conservative Queensland MP who was resources minister in the Morrison government, said he would step down from his safe Bundaberg-based seat of Hinkler at the next election after 11 years in parliament.
