Taylor shadow ministry
Shadow ministry of opposition leader Angus Taylor
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The shadow ministry of Angus Taylor is the shadow ministry from February 2026, in opposition to the Albanese government. The shadow ministry is the Opposition's alternative to the Albanese ministry.
Taylor shadow ministry | |
|---|---|
Shadow cabinet of Australia | |
 Angus Taylor | |
| Date formed | 17 February 2026 |
| People and organisations | |
| Opposition Leader | Angus Taylor |
| Deputy Opposition Leader | Jane Hume |
| Total no. of members | 44 |
| Member parties | Liberal National |
| Status in legislature | Opposition |
| History | |
| Legislature term | 48th |
| Predecessor | Ley shadow ministry |
The shadow ministry was appointed by Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor and his deputy Jane Hume on 17 February 2026, following a party leadership spill on 13 February when Taylor defeated incumbent leader Sussan Ley 34 votes to 17 and Hume defeated incumbent deputy Ted O'Brien in the final ballot 30 votes to 20.[1][2] The shadow ministry succeeded the Ley shadow ministry as shadow ministry and Coalition frontbench, with no changes to portfolios held by the Liberal Party's coalition partner National Party.
Current arrangement (March 2026–present)
On 10 March 2026, National Party leader David Littleproud announced he would stand down as leader. The following day, Matt Canavan was elected as party leader and Darren Chester was elected as deputy party leader.[3] Canavan had not been in the Coalition frontbench since 2020. Due to the change in party leadership, the National-held portfolios would undergo a reshuffle.
The National Party's portfolio reshuffle was announced on 16 March 2026. Canavan took the trade portfolio, previously held by previous deputy leader Kevin Hogan, and Chester took the agriculture portfolio, previously held by Littleproud. Ross Cadell and Pat Conaghan were not retained in the frontbench and were demoted to the backbench. Former party leader Michael McCormack, who became a backbencher following the 2025 election, was elevated back to shadow cabinet and was appointed water and veteran affairs shadow minister. Hogan was appointed shadow assistant treasurer and shadow financial services minister, but remained in shadow cabinet as deputy manager of opposition business. Littleproud was retained in the frontbench in the outer shadow ministry, and was appointed emergency management and tourism shadow minister. Anne Webster gained the regional health portfolio but lost the regional development portfolio, while she retained the regional communications portfolio. Bridget McKenzie's shadow ministerial title was split into two titles, but she continued to retain the infrastructure, transport and regional development portfolios.[4][5]
In the shadow assistant ministry, the shadow assistant ministers also had some of their portfolios shuffled around.
Shadow cabinet
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Shadow outer ministry
| Party | Shadow Minister | Portrait | Offices | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Tony Pasin (born 1977) |
 |
|
[27] | |
| Liberal (LNP) | Angie Bell (born 1968) |
|
[28] | ||
| National (LNP) | Hon David Littleproud (born 1976) |
 |
[29] | ||
| Liberal | Aaron Violi (born 1984) |
|
[30] | ||
| Liberal (LNP) | Hon James McGrath (born 1974) Senator for Queensland |
 |
[31] | ||
| Liberal | Matt O'Sullivan (born 1978) Senator for Western Australia |
 |
|
[32] | |
| National | Dr. Anne Webster (born 1959) |
|
[33] | ||
Shadow assistant ministry
| Party | Shadow Minister | Portrait | Offices | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Maria Kovacic (born 1970) Senator for New South Wales |
.png) |
[34] | ||
| National | Jamie Chaffey | |
[35] | ||
| Liberal | Zoe McKenzie (born 1972) |
|
|
[36] | |
| Kerrynne Liddle (born 1967) Senator for South Australia |
 |
[37] | |||
| Liberal (LNP) | Cameron Caldwell (born 1979) |
|
[38] | ||
| Garth Hamilton (born 1979) |
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[39] | |||
| Liberal | Dave Sharma (born 1975) Senator for New South Wales |
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[40] | ||
| Leah Blyth Senator for South Australia |
|
[41] | |||
| Ben Small (born 1988) MP for Forrest (WA) |
|
[42] | |||
| National | Sam Birrell (born 1975) |
 |
[43] | ||
| Liberal | Simon Kennedy (born 1982) |
|
|
[44] | |
| Liberal (LNP) | Henry Pike (born 1987) |
|
[45] | ||
| Liberal | Dean Smith (born 1969) Senator for Western Australia |
 |
|
[46] | |
| National (LNP) | Andrew Willcox (born 1969) |
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|
[47] | |
First arrangement (February–March 2026)
Following Taylor's successful spill against his predecessor Sussan Ley, Taylor announced his shadow ministry on 17 February 2026. The other ten frontbenchers who resigned from the Ley shadow ministry the week before (like Taylor himself) were re-appointed to the shadow ministry.[48][49]
Taylor dumped Alex Hawke, Andrew Wallace, Paul Scarr, Melissa Price and Scott Buchholz from the frontbench, all of whom were reported to be supporters of Ley. Jason Wood was also dumped from the frontbench. Taylor also demoted James McGrath and Angie Bell from the shadow cabinet to the shadow outer ministry, and Kerrynne Liddle from the shadow cabinet to the shadow assistant ministry.[48][49] Ley was also not included in the shadow ministry as she had already announced her intention to resign from parliament after the spill.[50]
Taylor also promoted a few of his supporters back to the shadow cabinet, such as Andrew Hastie, Sarah Henderson and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who along with Hume, were backbenchers during the second half of Ley's leadership (October 2025 to February 2026). Hastie was also appointed the "Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives", as Hume, being the deputy party leader and deputy opposition leader, was a senator.[48][49] This is similar to the arrangement between 1989 and 1990, when deputy party leader Fred Chaney was a senator, and Wal Fife was the similarly titled "Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives".
The portfolios of other shadow cabinet ministers were also reshuffled. Key reshuffles and appointments include Tim Wilson appointed as shadow treasurer, Claire Chandler as shadow finance minister, Michaelia Cash appointed as shadow attorney-general, Ted O'Brien appointed as shadow foreign affairs minister, and James Paterson appointed as shadow defence minister.[48][49]
Aaron Violi was elevated from the shadow assistant ministry to the shadow outer ministry, while Tony Pasin was brought back from the backbench into the shadow outer ministry. Henry Pike and Ben Small were elevated from the backbench to the shadow assistant ministry.[48][49]
The eleven National Party frontbenchers, including party leader David Littleproud and deputy leader Kevin Hogan, also had their previous portfolios in the Ley shadow ministry reinstated immediately, brought forward from the intended 1 March 2026 date. These frontbenchers previously resigned their roles in January 2026 during the Coalition split, and a renewed Coalition agreement towards the end of the Ley shadow ministry had intended their portfolios to be reinstated on 1 March 2026.[49]
Shadow cabinet
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Shadow outer ministry
| Party | Shadow Minister | Portrait | Offices | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Tony Pasin (born 1977) |
|
|
[27] | |
| Liberal (LNP) | Angie Bell (born 1968) |
|
[28] | ||
| National | Pat Conaghan (born 1971) |
.jpg) |
[52] | ||
| Liberal | Aaron Violi (born 1984) |
|
[30] | ||
| Liberal (LNP) | Hon James McGrath (born 1974) Senator for Queensland |
|
[31] | ||
| Liberal | Matt O'Sullivan (born 1978) Senator for Western Australia |
|
|
[32] | |
| National | Dr. Anne Webster (born 1959) |
|
[33] | ||
Shadow assistant ministry
| Party | Shadow Minister | Portrait | Offices | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Maria Kovacic (born 1970) Senator for New South Wales |
|
[34] | ||
| National | Jamie Chaffey | |
[35] | ||
| Liberal | Zoe McKenzie (born 1972) |
|
|
[36] | |
| Kerrynne Liddle (born 1967) Senator for South Australia |
|
[37] | |||
| Liberal (LNP) | Cameron Caldwell (born 1979) |
|
[38] | ||
| Garth Hamilton (born 1979) |
|
[39] | |||
| Liberal | Dave Sharma (born 1975) Senator for New South Wales |
|
[40] | ||
| Leah Blyth Senator for South Australia |
|
[41] | |||
| Ben Small (born 1988) MP for Forrest (WA) |
|
[42] | |||
| National | Sam Birrell (born 1975) |
|
[43] | ||
| Liberal | Simon Kennedy (born 1982) |
|
|
[44] | |
| Liberal (LNP) | Henry Pike (born 1987) |
|
[45] | ||
| Liberal | Dean Smith (born 1969) Senator for Western Australia |
|
|
[46] | |
| National (LNP) | Andrew Willcox (born 1969) |
|
|
[47] | |