Peter Dutton’s insistence that Voice to parliament opponent Jacinta Price be the new Coalition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman has given the Nationals a disproportionate presence in the shadow cabinet, because leader David Littleproud refused to dump another shadow minister to make way for her.

Under the Coalition deal, the Nationals are entitled to proportional representation in the ministry, plus one extra as a result of the 2021 deal to back the Liberals over net zero emissions by 2050.