Victorian Liberal Senator James named opposition’s new Home Affairs spokesman

Victorian Liberal Senator James Paterson has been named as the opposition’s new Home Affairs spokesman, taking over from successor Karen Andrews after her shock resignation.

Victorian Liberal Senator James Paterson will become the opposition’s new spokesman for home affairs.

Senator Paterson said he was honoured to be promoted to the frontbench, after Queensland MP Karen Andrews announced she would step down from the key portfolio and would not contest the next election.

He will retain his role as the opposition’s cyber security spokesman, adding there was “no more sacred duty of government than to keep Australians safe and secure”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Senator Paterson, who previously served on the parliament’s powerful joint security and intelligence committee, had been at the forefront of debates about the future of Australia for many years.

Shadow Minister for Cyber Security James Paterson will become the oppositions spokesman for Home Affairs. Picture: Gary Ramage

“He’s done an outstanding job in holding the government to account for cybersecurity failures,” Mr Dutton said.

Senator Paterson took aim at the Albanese government for “dismantling” the portfolio established under the Coalition, which brought together domestic national security policy expertise and operational agencies under one roof.

“We have already seen a significant blow out in the time taken to list a terrorist organisation now that it is being double handled by two ministers,” Senator Paterson said.

“Confusion over who is responsible for cyber crime, which had to be fixed by belated machinery of government changes, is another example of how vital national security issues risk falling through the cracks thanks to Labor’s illogical changes to the portfolio.

MP Karen Andrews announced she would step down from the key portfolio of Home Affairs. Picture: Gary Ramage

“In the dangerous and uncertain strategic environment we find ourselves in, we cannot afford confusion about which minister is responsible for our domestic national security settings.”

Senator Paterson also paid tribute to Ms Andrew’s service in the portfolio during opposition and government.

“Australia is safer and more secure thanks to difficult decisions she took as Minister, including the listing all of Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations for the first time, and world-leading critical infrastructure protection reforms,” he said.