Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott has announced the small business ministry has been dumped from the front bench, with Steve Ciobo to be replaced by sustainable development spokesman Bruce Billson.
Ciobo will now take over the newly formed ministry of sport and youth, to be classed under the education portfolio which will still be led by Christopher Pyne.
Prior to Billson’s role as sustainable development spokesman, he served as shadow communications spokesman for two years. In the Howard Government he served as minister for veterans’ affairs from 2006-07, and was previously appointed in 2005 as parliamentary secretary to the minister for immigration and multicultural and indigenous affairs.
Billson served as parliamentary secretary to the minister for foreign affairs in 2004. He has a bachelor of business from RMIT and a master’s degree in business leadership, while he and his wife Kate are former small business owners.
Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce has been given the role of finance spokesman, with Tony Smith promoted from his role as assistant treasury spokesman to the shadow communications ministry.
He replaces senator Nick Minchin, who resigned his position in protest of Turnbull’s support for the Government’s emissions trading scheme.
Scott Morrison has also been given a promotion to the role of immigration spokesman. Abbott said he brings “great political skill, great energy and also decency and compassion” to the role.
Eric Abetz will take on the role of industrial relations spokesman, while Kevin Andrews will take over the families portfolio.
Additionally, Phillip Ruddock has been given a role as secretary to the shadow cabinet, with Ian Macfarlane given the role of shadow infrastructure minister. Bronwyn Bishop has also been given a role in the Seniors ministry.
Joe Hockey has additionally retained his role as treasury spokesman, with the assistant spokesman role to be filled by Sussan Ley. Abbott confirmed the strength of his new team in light of the upcoming election, saying it was “balanced”.
“This is a campaigning team. This isn’t a team of shadows that will sit in the offices shuffling paper, this is a team of shadows that will be hitting the roads right across Australia.”
“I think it’s a balanced team. There are no factions within the Liberal Party. I want to say that any period such as that we’ve just gone through is difficult for people… and inevitably some have been disappointed. But I want to say how pleased I am.”
The new shadow cabinet:
Leader – Tony Abbott
Small Business – Bruce Billson
Finance and Debt Reduction – Barnaby Joyce
Communications – Tony Smith
Foreign Affairs – Julie Bishop
Trade – Warren Truss
Resources and Energy – Nick Minchin
Employment and Workplace Relations – Eric Abetz
Treasurer – Joe Hockey
Education – Christopher Pyne
Infrastructure and Water – Ian Macfarlane
Attorney-General – George Brandis
Defence – David Johnston
Health and Aging – Peter Dutton
Families – Kevin Andrews
Climate Action – Greg Hunt
Indigenous Affairs – Nigel Scullion
Agriculture – John Cobb
Immigration – Scott Morrison
Innovation – Sophie Mirabella
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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