‘Absolutely not’: Liberal leader Sussan Ley snaps at question, drops new-look ministry

Liberal leader Sussan Ley has snapped back at suggestions her decision to axe a key party figure from the frontbench was to “get square”.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley has unveiled her new-look ministry and the big shock is that the architect of the work from home policy Jane Hume has been dumped from the frontbench.

As expected, the high profile Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been relegated to the outer ministry and will not sit in the shadow cabinet but she has secured a role in the defence industry portfolio.

If Senator Price had stayed with the Nationals, she would likely have been expected to secure the role of deputy and a frontbench role.

Speaking in Canberra, Ms Ley denied that the decision to dump Senator Hume was a “get square” for the moderate MP backing Angus Taylor.

“Absolutely not. I’m not going to reflect on the qualities of individuals with respect to the qualities of other individuals. I don’t think that’s a fair question,’’ Ms Ley said.

“And I don’t think the premise of it is reasonable. What I will repeat is that having spoken to every single member of my 54-member party room today, I know that we have harnessed the talent that we need in this shadow ministry going forward but that there is a role for every single person.

“Opposition is not about hierarchies. It’s not about structure. It’s about getting every player on the field, fighting the fight, because this is not about the internals you’ve spoken of. This is about how we go out there to work hard for the Australian people.”

Sussan Ley and David Littleproud unveiled the Coalition’s new-look ministry. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In relation to Senator Price, Ms Ley said she had spoken to her 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,

Senator Price, who had originally left the Nationals and defected to the Liberal Party to support and run for deputy leader, takes on the defence porfolio.

Senate leader Michaelia Cash will take on the prized foreign affairs role, going head to head against Senator Penny Wong in the Senate.

Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien will be take on the role of treasury spokesman while leadership aspirant Angus Taylor has been shifted from Shadow Treasurer to Defence.

James Paterson has been promoted to the Coalition spokesman for finance, government services, and the public service.

Future leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie, who had asked to move from defence into an economics or social services role, has been promoted to the spokesman for home affairs.

Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack have been hit with demotions from the frontbench.

Senator Jacinta Price appeared on the Chris Kenny show on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: Sky News Australia

Ley lashed over decision to dump four women

As the dust settles from the shake-up, Liberals have pointed out there are now fewer women in the shadow cabinet than under Peter Dutton.

That’s because Ms Ley has dumped Victorians Jane Hume and Sarah Henderson from the frontbench and Tasmanian Claire Chandler and demoted Senator Jacinta Price.

There are now eight women in a 27-strong shadow cabinet - an enormous frontbench given the dwindling size of the opposition ranks in Parliament.

By comparison, there were 11 women in Mr Dutton’s 23-strong shadow cabinet prior to the election of Sussan Ley although a large number of new faces have been promoted to the outer ministry.

“I feel for Jane Hume, she’s just collateral damage,’’ a Liberal MP and supporter of Angus Taylor in the leadership ballot said.

But Senator Hume’s position is particularly curious, because while Mr Taylor’s group believes she voted for him in the secret ballot, Ms Ley’s supporters insist the moderate voted for her.

A similar mystery has emerged over exactly who Senator Hume has voted for in previous ballots leading to questions over her factional allegiances.

A regular on Channel 7’s Sunrise, she angered colleagues during the election over her claim “Chinese spies” were working at voting booths for the ALP along with the work from home debacle.

She also emerged in 2022 and in 2025 as a potential candidate for the deputy leadership.

“We think Jane did vote for Sussan. It’s not a punishment,’’ a supporter of Ms Ley said.

But other MPs claim that there was a falling out between the two women, amid claims Senator Hume had accused Ms Ley’s faction of backgrounding against her.

Jane Hume, the architect of the Liberal Party’s ditched work from home policy, has been dumped from the frontbench. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Former leaders dumped from frontbench

Speaking on Sky News, Mr McCormack confirmed he wasn’t part of the new team and hinted he would have more to say about the big issues including net zero.

“So Barnaby and I are no longer in the shadow ministry, but that’s okay,’’ Mr McCormack said.

“That is the leader’s prerogative. He gets to make that call. “

Asked if he was being punished for being critical of the “shemozzle” that had unfolded in the Nationals, Mr McCormack didn’t deny it.

“You would have to ask David Littleproud,’’ he said.

“That is very much a question for him. But I spoke up and spoke out for what I felt was a decision that was taken in haste, a decision that we didn’t need to make last week, a decision that we could have spent much more time on if we didn’t need to make.

“I felt the break away from the Liberal Party....it looked messy, and from the public’s point of view, they must have just been scratching their heads and wondering what on earth was going on.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud is under pressure within his own party despite the peace deal with the Libs. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Fallout continues with David Littleproud under pressure

Despite the peace deal, Mr Littleproud remains under pressure from his own MPs amid swirling speculation he could be replaced as leader.

Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack told news.com.au that he wouldn’t rule out a return to the leadership if he was drafted.

Nationals MP Colin Boyce has now claimed that “unfounded and wrong” information about the nature of the original negotiations with the Liberals that was provided by Mr Littleproud means” he can’t support him.

“How can you support a bloke that misleads the partyroom? I’m calling him out,” Mr Boyce told Sky News.

“I can’t do it. You take these four policies that David took to the first meeting with Sussan Ley, again, none of that has come through the partyroom. It wasn’t discussed.”

“The proposal to abandon the Coalition agreement was all based on advice given by National Party leadership. I think that advice was unfounded and wrong,” he said.

“If we are going to go into Coalition with the Liberal Party, cabinet solidarity is one of the most important things of having that Coalition.

“And to suggest that one side of the cabinet has the right to disagree with what is a Cabinet decision, makes no sense whatsoever.”

But the claim that MPs were misled has been dismissed by Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie.

“Not at all. The party room made its decision based on the four policies that the Liberals couldn’t give a guarantee on, and obviously, the two leaders are now working their way through those negotiations,’’ she told Sunrise.

“I note in other reports, there are many Liberal MPs who want to give us gratuitous advice about how to run our party room.

“I’m happy to give them membership forms if they’d like to join it. But a coalition works best when everybody respects the independence of both parties.”

Senator Matt Canavan, who challenged Mr Littleproud for the leadership this month, also urged the Liberals to keep their beaks out of the Nationals leadership business.