Sussan Ley announces (another) frontbench reshuffle

Written by: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has appointed Tasmanian conservative Jonathon (Jonno) Duniam to replace Andrew Hastie in the high profile frontbench post of shadow minister for home affairs.

Hastie’s quitting the frontbench has forced Ley into a limited reshuffle, only a month after she had to make changes following forcing Jacinta Nampijinpa Price off the frontbench for failing to embrace her leadership.

Hastie complained he was being excluded from a role in the formulation of immigration policy.

Julian Leeser, from NSW, who has been shadow attorney-general, will replace Duniam as spokesman on education and early learning. Leeser will continue as shadow minister for the arts.

Andrew Wallace, from Queensland, who was speaker at the end of Morrison government, becomes shadow attorney-general. He was formerly a barrister who worked in construction law.

The reshuffle comes as a Resolve poll ^[1] in Nine newspapers finds Ley’s approval plunging in the wake of weeks of intense infighting over the direction of the Liberal Party, and specifically over net zero and immigration.

Only 33% said Ley’s performance was good or very good, a collapse of eight points in a month; 38% said her performance was poor or very poor, compared with 32% last month. Her net rating is minus 5, compared to plus 9 last month.

Wallace will be replaced on the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security by Phillip Thompson, a Queenslander, who formerly served in the military and holds the posts currently of shadow assistant minister for defence and shadow assistant minister for the NDIS.

Victorian Zoe McKenzie becomes shadow cabinet secretary. She remains shadow assistant minister for education and early learning.

Aaron Violi, also from Victoria, becomes shadow assistant minister for communications. Cameron Caldwell, from Queensland, will be shadow assistant minister for housing and for mental health.

Duniam said in a statement, “Under the Albanese Labor Government, there have been appalling decisions which undermine national security and erode trust in our institutions.

"The return of ISIS brides, facilitated by the Minister for Home Affairs without transparency or accountability, is just one of a string of failures. Communities deserve answers, not secrecy from this Government which is failing its promise to be upfront with Australians.”

Leeser said in a statement, “Having previously worked in the university sector, and served on education boards, I bring practical experience to this position and will focus on evidence-based reforms that lift standards from early learning, through to schools and into tertiary education.

"Under Anthony Albanese and Labor, Australia’s literacy and numeracy standards have slipped, and parents are rightly demanding action. At the same time, our higher education sector is in crisis, and universities continue to allow antisemitism to go unchecked.”