Nationals and Liberals cement Coalition agreement after shock post-election split, Jane Hume axed in shadow cabinet

A senior Nationals senator said she was “shocked” at the axing of a senior and high-profile Liberal in Sussan Ley and David Littleproud’s new shadow cabinet.

A senior Coalition senator has expressed surprise at the decision to dump high-profile Liberal senator Jane Hume from the shadow cabinet.

The former finance spokeswoman was demoted to the back bench in the new-look Coalition line-up, with the National’s Senate leader Bridget McKenzie telling the ABC she was “shocked” at the decision.

“I didn’t expect her to be not in the shadow ministry at all,” Senator McKenzie said.

“I’m being incredibly honest. I, like you, was watching the live feed. Other than a couple of positions in our own party, I wasn’t aware of the full list.

“This is Sussan Ley saying this is the type of leader of the Liberal Party I’m going to be; this is my team I’m taking forward.

“They’re decisions for her and really she needs to answer the whys.”

While Senator Hume faced criticism for pushing the Coalition’s unpopular call to end work-from-home conditions for public servants and the call that Chinese spies were aiding Labor at voting booths, Senator McKenzie was adamant “Jane Hume was not the reason we lost the last election”.

“The work from home policy and was a huge part of that, but until we actually unpack all the reasons – the campaign, policy rollout, tactic strategy in the research – I think we can’t really answer that question.”

Jane Hume has been dumped from shadow cabinet. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Senator Hume was dumped from the opposition front bench alongside former education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson following the shadow cabinet reshuffle announced by Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud on Wednesday.

The Opposition Leader declined to reflect on “private conversations” between herself and Senator Hume, but said the former shadow frontbencher would continue to contribute to the Coalition.

“These are tough days and having been through many days like this myself in my parliamentary career, I recognise that,” she said.

“But what I want to say about Jane Hume is she is an enormously talented, fantastic member of this team, who has contributed amazingly over her political career, will continue to do so and is a strong performer across a range of different subjects.”

In other key shifts, Ted O’Brien will be shadow treasurer, while James Paterson has been promoted to the Coalition spokesman for finance, government services and the public service.

Julian Leeser, who was demoted to the backbench following his stance on the Voice referendum, has also been installed as the shadow Attorney-General, in addition to the shadow arts portfolio.

Former education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson also lost her place on the opposition front bench. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Angus Taylor has also been shifted from shadow treasurer to defence, while Dan Tehan will be energy and emissions reductions spokesman.

Former Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has been given foreign affairs, while Nationals defector Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been shifted from her portfolio of Indigenous Australians to defence industry and defence personnel.

South Australian senator Anne Ruston will continue to oversee the portfolios for health and aged care, sport, as well as the NDIS, while Senator McKenzie has kept the portfolio for infrastructure, transport and regional development.

WA MP Andrew Hastie, who has been touted as the future leader of the Liberal Party, has moved from defence to home affairs.

As expected, former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack and Nationals contender Matt Canavan missed out on cabinet positions.

While her position is currently the subject to a recount, potential Bradfield MP Gisele Kapterian has also been given the shadow assistant portfolio for communications should she win the seat, while Melissa McIntosh has been minted as the Coalition communications spokeswoman.

A key ally of Ms Ley and former prime minister Scott Morrison, Mitchell MP Alex Hawke, has also been welcomed backed to the shadow cabinet as spokesman for industry and innovation.

Sussan Ley and David Littleproud addressed media for the first time after the Coalition announced they would reunify following a brief split. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Leaders back Coalition, waiver on net zero

Ms Ley and Mr Littleproud also responded to the brief Coalition breakdown, with Ms Ley rejecting the characterisations of the fight as “bitter”.

“I agree this is a professional partnership between two really strong parties in our Australian democracy that work very well when they work together,” she said.

“Personally, David and I will be friends. I think a woman who got her start in the shearing sheds of western Queensland can always find something to talk about over a steak and a beer (with you, David)”.

Mr Littleproud said that despite the “gossip and innuendo through the halls of the (press) gallery” the leaders have “always kept the lines of communication open”.

“We haven’t let us get distracted by what’s been reported. We’ve always made sure that this was the end goal,” he said.

“We know that this is a partnership, but what we have done today is set the foundation stones to say to the Australian people that we know who we are. We know where we’re going and we are focused on you.”

Ms Ley and Mr Littleproud presented a united front, with the Nationals Leader flitting away ‘gossip and innuendo’ of party fissures. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

The leaders also appeared to clash on whether the Coalition would commit to Australia reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

While Mr Littleproud said it was party room “culture” to allow members to “bring new policy or challenge existing policies,” Ms Ley said Australia needed to participate in the “global response to climate change”.

Asked directly if the party will consider dropping net zero, she said “we’ll have those discussions inside the policy development process”.

However, energy policy needs to be looked at “as a whole” and should not be a detriment to energy security or affect the “the great manufacturing base of this country”.

“We have to play as a country our part in the global response to climate change. Net zero, Paris targets, gas, all of the resources conversations around critical minerals are all part of that,” she said.

“We have to get this right. We have to play our part but we have to make sure that we don’t do it at any cost.”

New Shadow Cabinet

Sussan Ley – Leader of the Opposition

David Littleproud – Nationals Leader, Coalition spokesman for agriculture

Ted O’Brien – Shadow Treasurer

Julian Leeser – Shadow Attorney-General and the arts

Kevin Hogan – Nationals Deputy Leader, and Coalition spokesman for trade, investment and tourism

Michaelia Cash – Coalition spokeswoman for foreign affairs

Angus Taylor – Coalition spokesman for defence

Andrew Hastie – Coalition spokesman for home affairs

James Paterson – Coalition spokesman for finance, the public service, and government services

Anne Ruston – Coalition spokeswoman for health and aged care, the NDIS, and sport

Andrew Bragg – Coalition spokesman for housing and homelessness, and productivity and deregulation

Dan Tehan – Coalition spokesman for energy and emissions reduction

Angie Bell – Coalition spokeswoman for the environment, and youth

Melissa McIntosh – Coalition spokeswoman for women, communications

Tim Wilson – Coalition spokesman for small business, and industrial relations and employment

Darren Chester – Coalition spokesman for Veterans’ Affairs

Ross Cadell – Coalition spokesman for water, fisheries and forestry, and emergency management

Kerrynne Liddle – Coalition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, social services

James McGrath – Special Minister of State, urban infrastructure and cities and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Susan McDonald – Coalition spokeswoman for resources and northern Australia

Jonno Duniam – Coalition spokesman for education and early learning

Alex Hawke – Coalition spokesman for industry and innovation

Coalition backflip after bombshell split

The long-awaited announcement comes as the Nationals and Liberal Party reunited after brief but high-profile split following the election result.

The agreement was confirmed following a virtual Nationals party room meeting on Wednesday morning.

While the break up lasted merely days, the threat would have undone the Coalition since the 1987 federal election.

Fissures between the parties settled after the Liberal Party room agreed “in principle” to the four policy demands set by the Nationals.

After a brief split the Liberal and Nationals have reunited. Picture: NewsWire

The policy requests centred on lifting the moratorium on nuclear power, a $20bn regional development fund, supermarket divestiture powers and calling on providers to increase coverage for mobile and internet providers.

Ms Ley is expected to announce the shadow cabinet imminently, with the Nationals set to claim six shadow roles and two positions in the outer shadow ministry.

Liberal Party members will claim 14 shadow cabinet positions.

While Nationals members have agreed to return to the Coalition, it appears MPs and senators were not asked to agree to cabinet solidarity, which calls on all opposition front benchers to back the party position during votes.

Senator McKenzie confirmed it “wasn’t put to the room”.

“What was put to the party room and what the party room made its decision on was the four policy issues,” she told Seven.

“I was in the room. I know what the room made its decision on and it was the four policies, the mobile connectivity, divestiture of supermarkets, nuclear and obviously the regional futures fund.”

National MPs criticise leader

Speaking to Sky while news of the party agreement broke, Nationals MP Colin Boyce remained scathing of Mr Littleproud, claiming the Coalition split shouldn’t have happened and was “based on bad information that was delivered to us by the leadership team”.

Nationals MP Colin Boyce has criticised David Littleproud’s position as Nationals Leader. Picture: NewsWire/ Gary Ramage

Mr Boyce said he did not attend Wednesday’s party room meeting because he was “on an aeroplane in transit”.

“David Littleproud is the leader, and if he’s not prepared to engage the whole room in respect to all of the conversations that we need to have on the way forward, he’d better start having another look at himself,” he said.

“I think it’s very important that that agreement be reached.”

Mr McCormack, who had held the shadow portfolio for international development and the Pacific, said while he was “disappointed” he didn’t get a shadow position, it was a decision for the party leader.

He criticised the split for being “messy” and said the party room was not told “everything that needed to be told”.

“I didn’t think it was a good time or a good opportunity or a good way to break with the Liberal Party, certainly the way we did,” he said.

“The transition should have been not made in the haste that it was made in and of course, Sussan had lost her mother, was mourning for the loss of her mother, and you can’t replace a mum, you just can’t.

“I just thought it was just done in too much haste, and I think decisions taken and made in haste are not always the wisest or best decisions.”

Senator Canavan, who challenged Mr Littleproud for the Nationals leadership merely a fortnight ago, backed in the Maranoa MP’s performance.

“I think David’s done a great job over the past week. He’s delivered results for the Nationals party and the people we represent,” he told Nine on Wednesday.

“I’m happy with the leadership.”