Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dumped from shadow cabinet as Coalition reunites

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been dumped from the shadow cabinet as the Coalition reunites after its brief but remarkable split.

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been dumped from the shadow cabinet as the Coalition reunites after its brief but remarkable split.

The Liberal and National leaders unveiled the shadow ministry on Wednesday after striking a new Coalition agreement following their break-up last week.

Ms Price – who abandoned the Nationals for the Liberals in a failed run for deputy leadership – has been pushed to the outer shadow ministry and will be the spokeswoman for defence personnel.

Her former position as Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister was handed to South Australia Senator Kerrynne Liddle, who was promoted to the shadow cabinet.

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Meanwhile Ms Price’s short-lived government efficiency role – which was criticised in the election campaign for echoing the Trump administration – has been scrapped altogether.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley said she had spoken to Ms Price about the new appointment.

“She’s excited to take it up. There is no more important area than safety, national security and defence and you will see a great profiling of defence under Angus Taylor as we go forward in this term,’’ she said.

The highest profile victim of the reshuffle was the architect of the work from home policy Senator Jane Hume, who has been relegated to the backbench.

Senate leader Michaelia Cash will take on foreign affairs, Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien was named treasury spokesman, and leadership contender Angus Taylor was shifted from Shadow Treasurer to Defence.

Julian Leeser returned to shadow cabinet as opposition attorney general, after quitting Peter Dutton’s frontbench over his support for the Indigenous voice referendum.

Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack were demoted from the frontbench, as were Sarah Henderson and Claire Chandler.

There are now fewer women in shadow cabinet than under Peter Dutton – eight out of 27.

Originally published as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dumped from shadow cabinet as Coalition reunites