Small business portfolio promoted to Malcolm Turnbull’s shadow cabinet

Small business will take a more prominent position in Malcolm Turnbull’s shadow ministry, with former small business minister Steven Ciobo retaining his portfolio and being elevated to the shadow cabinet.

Small business will take a more prominent position in Malcolm Turnbull’s shadow ministry, with former small business minister Steven Ciobo retaining his portfolio and being elevated to the shadow cabinet.

The move will please small business groups including the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, which has called for the small business portfolio to receive greater recognition at the top of government.

Ciobo was also given responsibility for independent contractors and the arts in Turnbull’s reshuffle.

Ciobo, who had been tipped to move to an even more prominent role in the shadow ministry, said he was pleased to be part of shadow cabinet.

“I’m delighted to be able to represent the small business sector in the shadow cabinet. It’s an elevation from my perspective. I am really looking forward to continuing in this role and, of course, taking on independent contractors and the arts.”

Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop has been appointed as Australia’s first female shadow treasurer as part of Malcolm Turnbull’s new shadow ministry.

In other big changes, former communications minister Helen Coonan has been promoted to foreign affairs, replacing Victorian Andrew Robb, who has been given a new portfolio covering infrastructure, the relationship between the Commonwealth and states and emissions trading.

Joe Hockey moves from health and ageing to the crucial shadow finance portfolio.

The big loser was Brendan Nelson supporter Nick Minchin, who was dumped from the defence portfolio and given responsibility for broadband communication. Minchin has been replaced in defence by West Australian senator David Johnston.

Tony Abbott, who was keen to move to a more prominent role in the shadow cabinet, remains stuck in the portfolio of families, housing, community services and indigenous affairs.

Ciobo used his elevation to cabinet to attack the Government’s new unfair dismissal code and the fact that the unfair dismissal exemption for companies with 15 or less workers will be introduced in July 2009, six months before the establishment of Fair Work Australia, the new body set up by the Rudd Government to rule on unfair dismissal cases.

“It’s little confidence that small businesses in Australia have no confidence in this Government,” Ciobo claimed.

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