Zempilas unveils new shadow cabinet with a pitch to ‘deregulate’ and reform the public sector

The new-look shadow cabinet will include a portfolio dedicated to ‘deregulation’ as well as public sector reform and AUKUS.

The Liberals and Nationals have agreed to form a joint interim shadow cabinet ahead of a raft of new upper house MPs entering parliament in May.

Opposition leader Basil Zempilas and Nationals leader Shane Love announcing the new shadow cabinet.Credit: Hamish Hastie

Opposition leader Basil Zempilas and Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love unveiled the shadow cabinet on Friday, which confirmed former Liberal leader Libby Mettam as opposition health spokeswoman.

Mettam has been loaded up with some of the most important portfolios on top of health and her deputy opposition leader responsibilities, including mental health, family and domestic violence, defence industries and AUKUS.

Mettam will also assume the role of manager of opposition business.

Love has the roles of regional development, mines and petroleum and electoral affairs, where he will lead the opposition’s scrutiny of what went wrong at the March 8 election.

Nedlands MP and former Croissant Express, Tintacar and Parkside Towbars boss Johnathan Huston has been given the deregulation and public service reform responsibility as well as the small business and veterans portfolios.

Zempilas, who will take on the state development, trade and investment portfolios as well as citizenship and multicultural interests, said the shadow cabinet demonstrated a breadth of real-world experience in many areas, including health, small business, primary industry, mining, law,
advocacy and local government.

“From the city to the regions, Western Australians deserve a strong opposition that is disciplined and rigorous and will demand integrity and transparency from the government,” he said.

Premier Roger Cook criticised the appointment of a dergulation shadow minister as a Trump-style Department of Government Efficiency appointment.

Zempilas rubbished those comments.

“It is an appointment that is relevant to the people of Western Australia; everything that this government does, we will examine closely,” he said.

“We will give it the proper scrutiny that it deserves and if the Premier’s making comments like that, it suggests to me that he is fearful of the proper scrutiny. Well, he will get the proper scrutiny in this term of government.”

See the list of new appointments below:

New shadow cabinet

WA Liberals

• BASIL ZEMPILAS: Leader of the Opposition; State Development; Trade and Investment; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests
• LIBBY METTAM: Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Health; Mental Health; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Defence Industries and AUKUS; Manager of Opposition Business
• DAVID BOLT: Housing and Homelessness; Environment and Climate; Science and Innovation
• SANDRA BREWER: Treasurer; Women’s Interests
• NICK GOIRAN: Attorney General; Child Protection
• ADAM HORT: Police; Corrective Services; Youth
• JONATHAN HUSTON: Deregulation; Small Business; Public Sector Reform; Veterans
• STEVE MARTIN: Transport; Ports; Communities
• TJORN SIBMA: Finance; Training and Workforce Development; Major Infrastructure
• LIAM STALTARI: Education; Early Childhood; Disability Services; Heritage
• STEVE THOMAS: Energy; Industrial Relations
• NEIL THOMSON: Planning and Lands; Aboriginal Affairs; Seniors

WA Nationals

• SHANE LOVE: Leader of The Nationals WA; Regional Development; Mines and Petroleum; Electoral Affairs
• PETER RUNDLE: Deputy Leader of The Nationals WA; Water; Sport and Recreation
• BEVAN EATTS: Forestry; Aged Care
• JULIE FREEMAN: Road Safety; Creative Industries; Assisting the Shadow Minister for Regional Development
• ROB HORSTMAN: Emergency Services; Volunteering
• LACHLAN HUNTER: Agriculture and Food; Racing and Gaming
• SCOTT LEARY: Commerce; Tourism
• KIRRILEE WARR: Local Government; Fisheries