Senate debates
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Liberal Party of Australia and the Nationals
Leadership and Office Holders
5:24 pm
Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
by leave—I will commence my remarks by associating the coalition with the Leader of the Government’s comments in relation to Neil Bessell. Senator Stephen Parry and I represented the coalition at his funeral service. He was a dedicated servant of this parliament and this Senate. I personally had the great pleasure of working with him when I was Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and he was its secretary. Whilst I think we got a hint at his funeral of his political beliefs, I confess I was never aware of them whilst working with him. He was a great standard-bearer for the Senate and the professionalism of the secretarial services that we have in this chamber.
I congratulate Senator Evans and members of the Labor Party on being recommissioned by Her Excellency the Governor-General to form a government. I can assure the Leader of the Government in the Senate that he will not need to wait for the years to come to cross swords; we will keep the government accountable. I congratulate Senator Evans on his reappointment and those ministers who have been promoted—the backbenchers who have received commissions and been sworn in. It is a great privilege to be able to serve in that role. On a personal basis I wish them well but of course look forward to the day when they sit on this side. I also acknowledge the services of Senator Faulkner and Senator Stephens to this parliament and in the ministerial roles they played.
In relation to the coalition, Senator George Brandis and I were honoured by being re-elected as deputy leader and leader respectively of the coalition in this place at a recent party meeting. I congratulate Senator Fifield on his appointment as Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate and also on having the disability portfolio elevated to a shadow ministerial role. I believe that was very significant. I also congratulate Senator Mason on his elevation to the shadow ministry and Senators Nash, Ryan and Cash on their elevation as shadow parliamentary secretaries.
I seek leave to have incorporated in Hansard the full list of the coalition shadow ministry.
Leave granted.
The document read as follows—
COALITION SHADOW MINISTRY
Title | Shadow Minister | Other Chamber |
Leader of the Opposition | The Hon Tony Abbott MP | Senator the Hon Eric Abetz |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition | Senator Cory Bernardi | |
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Shadow Minister for Trade | The Hon Julie Bishop MP | Senator the Hon David Johnston |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance | The Hon Teresa Gambaro MP | |
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport | The Hon Warren Truss MP | Senator Barnaby Joyce |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport | Mr Darren Chester MP | |
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations | Senator the Hon Eric Abetz | The Hon Sussan Ley MP |
Shadow Minister for Employment Participation | The Hon Sussan Ley MP | |
Shadow Attorney-General Shadow Minister for the Arts | Senator the Hon George Brandis SC | Mr Michael Keenan MP |
Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection | Mr Michael Keenan MP | Senator the Hon George Brandis SC |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney- General | Senator Gary Humphries | |
Shadow Treasurer | The Hon Joe Hockey MP | Senator Mathias Cormann |
Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation | Senator Mathias Cormann | |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Tax Reform | The Hon Tony Smith MP | |
Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training | The Hon Christopher Pyne MP | Senator the Hon Brett Mason |
Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning | The Hon Sussan Ley MP | |
Shadow Minister for Universities and Research | Senator the Hon Brett Mason | The Hon Christopher Pyne MP |
Shadow Minister for Youth and Sport | Mr Luke Hartsuyker MP | Senator Fiona Nash |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education | Senator Fiona Nash | |
Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs | Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion | The Hon Kevin Andrews MP |
Shadow Minister for Indigenous Development and Employment | Senator Mari se Payne | |
Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water | Senator Barnaby Joyce | The Hon Ian Macfarlane MP |
Shadow Minister for Regional Development | The Hon Bob Baldwin MP | Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia | Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald | |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government | Mr Don Randall MP | Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin | Senator Simon Birmingham | The Hon Ian Macfarlane MP |
Shadow Minister for Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction | The Hon Andrew Robb AO MP | Senator Mathias Cormann |
Shadow Special Minister of State | The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP | Senator Mathias Cormann |
Shadow Minister for COAG | Senator Mari se Payne | The Hon Andrew Robb AO MP |
Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources | The Hon Ian Macfarlane MP | Senator the Hon George Brandis SC |
Shadow Minister for Tourism | The Hon Bob Baldwin MP | |
Shadow Minister for Defence | Senator the Hon David Johnston | Mr Stuart Robert MP |
Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel | Mr Stuart Robert MP | |
Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs | Senator the Hon Michael Ronaldson | Mr Stuart Robert MP |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel | Senator Gary Humphries | |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Defence Force and Defence Support | Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald | |
Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband | The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP | Senator Simon Birmingham |
Shadow Minister for Regional Communications | Mr Luke Hartsuyker MP | |
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing | The Hon Peter Dutton MP | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells |
Shadow Minister for Ageing Shadow Minister for Mental Health | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells | The Hon Peter Dutton MP |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare | Dr Andrew Southcott MP | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health | Dr Andrew Laming MP | |
Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services | The Hon Kevin Andrews MP | Senator Mitch Fifield |
Shadow Minister for Seniors | The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP | Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells |
Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector | Senator Mitch Fifield | The Hon Kevin Andrews |
Shadow Minister for Housing | Senator Marise Payne | The Hon Kevin Andrews |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Supporting Families | Senator Cory Bernardi | |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women | Senator Michaelia Cash | |
Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage | The Hon Greg Hunt MP | Senator the Hon Eric Abetz |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment | Senator Simon Birmingham | |
Shadow Minister for Productivity and Population Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship | Mr Scott Morrison MP | Senator the Hon Eric Abetz |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement | The Hon Teresa Gambaro MP | Senator Michaelia Cash |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration | Senator Michaelia Cash | |
Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science | Mrs Sophie Mirabella MP | Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry, and Science | Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck | |
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Security | The Hon John Cobb MP | Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry | Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck | |
Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs | The Hon Bruce Billson MP | Senator Scott Ryan |
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition | Senator Scott Ryan |
Shadow Cabinet Ministers are shown in bold type.
In addition, the Hon Philip Ruddock MP will act as Shadow Cabinet Secretary