Shock names emerge in Peter Dutton’s Liberal frontbench reshuffle discussions

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton could announce his revamped frontbench as soon as Sunday — and it could include a few surprises.

A former Scott Morrison ally and an MP who quit Peter Dutton’s shadow cabinet over The Voice could be the biggest winners from a Liberal reshuffle just days out from Christmas.

Opposition Leader Mr Dutton could announce his revamped frontbench as soon as Sunday, using the resignations of foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham and government services spokesman Paul Fletcher, as well as a handful of shadow parliamentary secretaries, to inject new blood into his line-up heading into the election.

The loss of the two leading figures from the party’s moderate faction is also triggering calls to replace them with members of the same faction, amid concerns too many MPs from Mr Dutton’s right faction could dominate the frontbench.

Multiple Liberal MPs said the reshuffle could result in former cabinet minister Alex Hawke being brought back into the fold after being sent to the backbench following the Coalition’s 2022 election loss.

Liberal MPs said now could be the time to recall Mr Hawke, a staunch Scott Morrison ally and former immigration minister, to the frontbench.

Alex Hawke (left) with former prime minister Scott Morrison. Picture:

It’d be a remarkable promotion for the centre-right party figure, who avoided being expelled from the party earlier this year after party members alleged he had derailed Liberal preselections in the lead up to the 2022 election.

“He’s one of the most experienced people on the backbench — he has run a ministry, he’s competent, it’s best to have him engaged,” a Liberal MP said.

Home affairs spokesman James Paterson. Picture: Martin Ollman

The reshuffle could also result in former shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser being brought back to the frontbench, potentially in foreign affairs.

Multiple Liberals said Mr Leeser, notionally a moderate MP who stepped back from the frontbench to advocate for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament last year when the Coalition opposed it, deserved to be brought back in.

“He’d be a good, solid performer,” a Liberal MP said of Mr Leeser.

The foreign affairs role could also go to rated performers like Coalition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan or home affairs spokesman James Paterson.

Mr Paterson in particular is understood to be emblematic of the new blood Mr Dutton has injected into his line-up.

“Those two have absolutely killed it,” one MP said of Mr Paterson and Mr Tehan.

“Paterson’s a star,” another Liberal MP said

“He could do more, even though he’s already doing a lot.”

NSW Senator Dave Sharma has also been mooted for the frontbench, given his national profile building amid a spate of anti-Semitic incidents and his former role as an ambassador to Israel.

A number of parliamentary secretary roles are also up for grabs, following the resignation of Gavin Peace and Nola Marino, and NSW Senator Hollie Hughes being relegated to an unwinnable position on the senate ticket.

Queensland MPs Andrew Wallace and Garth Hamilton have both been mentioned by colleagues as potentially taking those roles, as well as West Australian MP Matt O’Sullivan.

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Originally published as Shock names emerge in Peter Dutton’s Liberal frontbench reshuffle discussions