Angus Taylor’s first frontbench appointments as opposition leader has demoted many of Sussan Ley’s closest allies, rewarded his supporters and – crucially – promoted a raft of next-generation Liberals to key positions.
The much-needed renewal of the frontbench, which under former leaders Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley had been populated by too many holdovers from the Morrison government, lowers the average age of the 30 member shadow ministry by about three years, from 52 to 49. This was not an accident.
Labor’s frontbench is starting to look old in comparison: 11 of its 23 cabinet ministers served as ministers in the Gillard and/or Rudd governments.
There are now 12 shadow ministers under the age of 50, up from seven under Ley, and most of the Taylor supporters promoted to the assistant ministry are also under 50.
Taylor wants to focus the opposition’s attack on the government’s handling of the economy, and it is in the two most senior economic portfolios that he has taken the greatest risks with these appointments, a decision the usually cautious Member for Hume could come to regret, or celebrate.
Here are the five key Labor-Liberal ministerial match-ups that will help determine the success or failure of Angus Taylor’s opposition.
Treasury: Jim Chalmers versus Tim Wilson
The bogan from Logan versus the Brahmin from Brighton. This has to be the most interesting match up of all. Chalmers has turned down the “soak the rich” rhetoric since entering government, but he is still Wayne Swan’s protégé. With a reduction in the capital gains tax discount in the offing in the May budget, the treasurer faces a scare campaign already telegraphed by Taylor.
That’s a shame because a modest reduction in this generous tax concession is not unreasonable and there are plenty of people in opposition ranks who might support it – but none are saying so right now. Wilson, as much as he annoys some people, is incredibly hardworking, and he knows how to campaign on an issue – look to his relentless 2019 campaigns against death taxes and franking credits for real wins. The Coalition has barely laid a glove on Chalmers for more than three years. Wilson is up for the fight.
Finance: Katy Gallagher versus Claire Chandler
Claire who? Don’t be fooled. You might not have ever heard of her, and Chandler may be just 35 and elected in 2019, but there’s a reason for her meteoric rise: she’s damn smart. However, in Katy Gallagher she faces one of the government’s best and surest sets of hands, a quiet but steely voice in Anthony Albanese’s inner sanctum. Chandler will almost certainly make a mistake or two along the way, but that’s fine: her elevation is a long-term play and at her best, she is up to the task of holding the government to account.
Home Affairs: Tony Burke versus Jonno Duniam
Tony Burke is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Labor frontbench – the government’s safest pair of hands after Albanese, he’s seen it all before and one day he may lead his tribe. The master of shutdowns and talking points, Burke (like Penny Wong and Murray Watt) could bore for Australia when it’s needed. Is it a coincidence that home affairs and immigration have been (mostly) off the front page since he took over this most difficult of Labor portfolios? Not exactly. In Duniam, he faces one of the brightest talents on the opposition frontbench, steadier than Hastie, though the young senator needs to show the same courage he demonstrated when he knocked off Tasmanian stalwart senator Eric Abetz.
Defence: Richard Marles versus James Paterson
The Coalition’s ablest prosecutor, James Paterson is wasted in the Defence portfolio but if past form is any guide to future performance, he will acquit himself well against Richard Marles. As the AUKUS deal progresses and nuclear submarines from the US and UK ready to dock in Perth, Paterson is the man to scrutinise a minister fond of putting out press releases, especially when acting prime minister. If Penny Wong retires at or near the end of this term (as expected), do not be surprised if Marles switches to his long-coveted foreign affairs portfolio – and out of the race, for good, to replace Anthony Albanese.
Small Business: Anne Aly versus Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Jacinta Price is back on the frontbench and the NT senator, not known for her lack confidence, faces up against the low profile small business minister Anne Aly. If Price works hard on policy and extends herself beyond her comfort zone of Sky News After Dark, she could create some serious headaches for a Labor government that hasn’t had a lot to say about small business.
Industry: Tim Ayres versus Andrew Hastie
Anthony Albanese’s low-key Mister Fixit is now confronted by Angus Taylor’s main leadership rival. Ayres is a former state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union in New South Wales, but it is Hastie, a former SAS soldier desperate to break out of his “national security” straitjacket, who recently advocated to revive in Australia, a delightful irony. Hastie has the portfolio that he wants and he and his supporters – who do not worship at the altar of free markets like Taylor – could cause trouble.
Foreign Affairs: Penny Wong versus Ted O’Brien
The irrepressible force against the immovable object. Ted O’Brien might just be the bubbliest politician in parliament, personifying the Chumbawumba hit: “I get knocked down, and I get up again”. He faces the government’s most formidable brick wall in Penny Wong. Though he and Wong will not face off against each other in the chamber, and they share a portfolio not typically used to score points, expect the Mandarin-speaking O’Brien to throw a surprise or two Wong’s way.
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James Massola is chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and South-East Asia correspondent. He has won Quill and Kennedy awards and been a Walkley finalist. Connect securely on Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect via X or email.
