In late 2024, senior shadow cabinet ministers Simon Birmingham (Senate opposition leader) and Paul Fletcher (House manager of opposition business) announced they would be retiring from politics. In December 2024, Michaelia Cash (Senate deputy opposition leader) was elected as the new leader of the opposition in the Senate, with Anne Ruston as the deputy. Both were elected unopposed. These appointments did not take effect until the reshuffle the following month.[2]
Dutton announced a reshuffle on 25 January 2025. David Coleman replaced Birmingham as appointed Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. Claire Chandler was promoted to shadow cabinet and replaced Fletcher as Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy and Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts. Melissa McIntosh was also promoted to shadow cabinet and replaced Coleman as Shadow Minister for Communications. McIntosh also retained her role as Shadow Minister for Western Sydney, which became a shadow cabinet position as a result of her promotion to the shadow cabinet. Michael Sukkar replaced Fletcher as Manager of Opposition Business in the House, while Jonathan Duniam replaced Ruston as the Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.[3][4]
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Ted O'Brien and Kerrynne Liddle were given additional portfolios in addition to their own existing ones. Price was additionally appointed Shadow Minister for Government Efficiency (new position, modelled after the new US Department of Government Efficiency), O'Brien was additionally appointed Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Reliability (replacing McIntosh), and Liddle was additionally appointed Shadow Minister for Indigenous Health Services.[3][4]
Tony Pasin was elevated to the outer shadow ministry and was appointed Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Matt O'Sullivan and Julian Leeser were new additions to the assistant shadow ministry, with Leeser returning to the ministry since quitting the shadow cabinet in April 2023. O'Sullivan was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Education, and Leeser was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs.[3][4]
Until March 2024, the positions of Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services had been vacant since May 2023 and Shadow Cabinet Secretary since September 2023, following the resignations of Stuart Robert and Marise Payne from parliament respectively.
A shadow ministry reshuffle was undertaken on 5 March 2024. In the reshuffle, Luke Howarth was appointed as the new Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services. Shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie took on Howarth's portfolios of defence industry and defence personnel in addition to his own. James Paterson was appointed as the new Shadow Cabinet Secretary in addition to his own home affairs and cyber security portfolios. Melissa McIntosh was elevated to the outer shadow ministry and was appointed the newly created positions of Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney.[6]
A number of shadow assistant ministerial portfolios have also been created. Andrew Bragg, James Stevens and Paul Scarr were new additions to the shadow assistant ministry, with Bragg appointed as Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership, Stevens appointed as Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction, and Scarr appointed as Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement. Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence was additionally appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Industry and Defence Personnel. Hollie Hughes replaced McIntosh as Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and was also appointed to new position of Shadow Assistant Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Hughes' previous portfolio of Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy was abolished.[6]
Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement
Second arrangement (April 2023–March 2024)
A shadow ministry reshuffle was undertaken on 18 April 2023, a week after shadow attorney-general and shadow minister for indigenous Australians Julian Leeser resigned from the shadow cabinet. In the reshuffle, shadow home affairs minister Karen Andrews also stepped down from the shadow ministry.
Nationals senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was elevated to the shadow cabinet and replaced Leeser as the shadow minister for indigenous Australians. Price's elevation meant that the Nationals had greater representation in the shadow cabinet than previously agreed.[8] Former Attorney-General Michaelia Cash regained the portfolio to be the new shadow attorney-general, in addition to her existing portfolios of employment and workplace relations. James Paterson was also elevated to the shadow cabinet to replace Andrews as the shadow home affairs minister, in addition to his existing cyber security portfolio. Paterson's portfolio of Shadow Minister for Countering Foreign Interference was abolished. Kerrynne Liddle was elevated to the outer shadow ministry to replace Andrews as the Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence.[9]
On 18 May 2023, shadow assistant treasurer and shadow minister for financial services Stuart Robert resigned from parliament and the shadow ministry. On 30 September 2023, shadow cabinet secretary Marise Payne also resigned from parliament and the shadow ministry. These positions were not replaced and remained vacant until the reshuffle in March 2024.
On 23 December 2022, shadow minister for regional education, regional health and regional development Andrew Gee resigned from the National Party and the shadow ministry.[11] On 4 January 2023, Darren Chester took over Gee's portfolios except regional health, while Anne Webster took over the regional health portfolio as an assistant shadow minister (as opposed to Gee holding the portfolio as a shadow minister).[12] Webster's portfolio of shadow assistant minister for regional development was abolished.
On 9 February 2023, shadow education minister Alan Tudge announced he would resign from parliament the week after.[13] He resigned from the shadow cabinet on 12 February 2023. Sarah Henderson took over the education portfolio from Tudge, while former frontbencher David Coleman was elevated to the shadow cabinet to take over Henderson's communications portfolio.[14]
On 11 April 2023, shadow attorney-general and shadow minister for indigenous Australians Julian Leeser resigned from the shadow ministry.[15] His resignation resulted in a ministry reshuffle the week after.
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