Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been elevated to Peter Dutton’s shadow ministry as Indigenous Australians spokesperson.
The Country Liberal Party senator got the job after Julian Leeser quit the frontbench over a disagreement about the Coalition’s position on the First Nations Voice to Parliament. Leeser’s other shadow portfolio of attorney-general will be taken up by Senator Michaelia Cash, who was attorney-general for a year under former prime minister Scott Morrison.
Other frontbench changes include Senator Kerrynne Liddle as child protection and family violence prevention spokesperson, and Senator James Paterson in home affairs.
Liddle and Paterson will split the shadow ministry portfolios previously held by McPherson MP Karen Andrews, who revealed today she would quit the frontbench and retire at the next election.
“I want to assure all Australian that the Coalition will continue to focus on delivering positive plans and policies for the future of our country in 2023, and indeed in the lead-up to the next election, and well beyond that,” Dutton said. “The new shadow ministry appointments strengthen our team as we approach the task ahead.”
Crikey understands Andrews told Dutton of her plans several weeks ago, and has asked him to open preselections for her Gold Coast seat early. It’s likely that Liberal moderates will seek to preselect someone from their ranks when the time comes.
Tuesday’s reshuffle was prompted by Leeser’s frontbench resignation last week. He quit the shadow ministry after Dutton announced the Liberal Party would campaign against the Voice model proposed by the government.
Liddle and Price are both first-term senators after being elected last year.
Cash already holds the shadow portfolios of employment and workplace relations, and Paterson the portfolios of cyber security and countering foreign interference.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud, who counts Price among the members of the Nationals’ partyroom, said the resfhuffle was a “big step for the Coalition”.
“This is also a proud day for the Nationals — we’ve been able to secure now our seventh shadow cabinet position,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Has Dutton made these appointments on the advice of Albanese?
Good one Rat
Oh great. I guess that means that we’ll be hearing the Sickaelia Cash marching music again somewhere along the line. A hideous reincarnation of Bronwyn Bishop with a squawk ten times more grating than BB herself. Dutton may believe that Price will be his salvation, but she’d want to do better than her weak attempt to vilify the Voice and marry it to indigenous sexual abuse on Insiders.
No doubt she still has a whiteboard somewhere handy.
Let’s hope she hides behind it.
Oh ploise!
Was just about to say Mad As Hell will enjoy Cash’s return!
Much as I enjoyed Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, I’m sorry to say he and his team have retired from that production. But I’m sure they are all keeping an eye on M. Cash.
This is what Price was put there for. She had to be parachuted in via the No1 pick on the CLP Senate ticket as no one would vote for her in the lower house. This is the same route parties use to send all their unelectable hacks to the Senate as a reward for previous service. In Prices case she has been sent on a mission to kill everything the Government wants to do for the Indigenous no matter what the cost to Indigenous people. Being devoid of character she can be relied on to not go woke and worry about the rights and wrongs of what she is doing. As long as the money keeps coming she will do what she is told.
Not the first to be paid in silver Michael, and not the last I’m sure, obviously the price was right, but on the wrong side of history…
Just to finish my reply, (the Daily hits the screen at a very busy time in my day).
Back in the day, 30 pieces of silver was around four months wages, when’s that Referendum? watch this space…
Dutton:
“the Coalition will continue to focus on delivering positive plans and policies for the future.”
Really!? I saw no sign of that during the Morrison government or Dutton’s time as leader. Though I suppose that Dutton thinks that him becoming PM would be a positive?
I’m trying to think of something smart-arsed to say about this lot and failing miserably. Their own propensity for self-parody far exceeds my ability to mock them.