Senior Liberals tight-lipped on shadow cabinet spots

Two senior Liberals have kept tight-lipped about one key aspect of their futures as Coalition negotiations continue.

Two senior Liberals at the centre of the Coalition’s tensions have kept tight-lipped about where they will end up in Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet.

It was revealed in the federal election post-mortem that Jane Hume, who served as opposition finance spokeswoman, did not consult her National Party colleagues before announcing the highly controversial work-from-home proposal as official Coalition policy.

Meanwhile, James Paterson last week admitted he had been trying to poach National party room defector Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, confirming the Nationals’ publicly aired suspicions.

Both Liberal senators on Monday insisted they were happy to serve wherever the Opposition Leader deemed fit.

Liberal senator Jane Hume says the Coalition ‘always is a harmonious coalition’.: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I would always serve at the pleasure of my leader in whatever capacity (Ms Ley) sought fit,” Senator Hume told Sky News.

“The good news is we have a very talented line-up in our in our in our ranks, and there’ll be people that can step up to those roles, that can make a real contribution.”

She went on to shower her Liberal and National colleagues with praise, saying “there are people that have incredible life experiences, whether it be in farming, whether it be in business, whether it be in legal professions or accounting professions, that will be able to step up and make a genuine contribution”.

Senator Hume also said the Coalition “always is a harmonious coalition”.

“The most important thing is that we bring those unique and diverse perspectives to the table and use those unique and diverse perspectives in our decision-making ability,” she said.

“That’s the way we get to better policy outcomes. That’s I know what Sussan Ley wants to achieve.”

Senator Paterson conceded last week’s shock split was “a little bit messier and a little bit more public than we would have preferred”, but that he was “now very confident we’re going to land in the right place”.

Liberal senator James Paterson says last week’s Coalition split was ‘a little bit messier and a little bit more public than we would have preferred’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“In this process, Sussan Ley has stood up for really important principles to Liberals, including the principle of shadow cabinet solidarity, where we’re all bound by the decisions of shadow cabinet,” he told Nine.

“And David Littleproud and the Nationals have secured four important policy areas to them - which, frankly, a lot of Liberals share - whether they’re on holding this government to account and developing a compelling alternative policy agenda for the next election.”

As for where the former opposition home affairs spokesman might land in the shadow cabinet, he said he would “wait and see”.

“That’s a matter for the leader. As you know, in the Liberal Party, we don’t elect our frontbench like the Labor Party,” Senator Paterson said.

“It’s up to Sussan Ley, and I’ll have those conversations with her this week.”

Originally published as Senior Liberals tight-lipped on shadow cabinet spots