The Band's Back Together! - Nexus APAC Group

As the Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Hon Sir Harold Wilson, used to say, “A week is a long time in politics.” I don’t know how literal he believed his expression to be; however, if he were alive today, I’m sure he would be reminding everyone just how accurate he was.

Following the dramatic break-up of the Coalition on 20 May, both parties undertook a week of reflection and discussion on the future of the agreement. Returning from this time of reflection, the leader of the Liberal Party, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, and the leader of the Nationals, the Hon David Littleproud MP, announced that the Coalition would come back together and once again be formed heading into the 48^th Parliament. This announcement was followed up on 28 May with the Coalition’s Shadow Ministry.

Join us at Nexus APAC as we shine a light on the Shadow Ministry and highlight the personalities behind each of the major portfolios.

Opposition Leader

Opposition Leader Ley is the sixteenth leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the 48^th Parliament. The Hon Sussan Ley has been a member of Parliament since winning her seat of Farrer in 2001. Her seat of Farrer covers an area in southern New South Wales stretching along the Murray River from the Shire Councils of Greater Hume and Narrandera in the east to the South Australian border in the west and the Shire Councils of Wentworth, Balranald, Hay and Carrathool in the north.

Ms Ley was first elevated to the Cabinet in 2014 as the Minister for Health. Whilst in Government, Ms Ley has served as the:

Minister for Health and Aged Care.
Minister for Sport.
Minister for the Environment.
Assistant Minister for Education.
Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories.

Ms Ley has also held significant positions whilst in opposition, the most notable include:

Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Shadow Minister for Housing.
Shadow Minister for Women.
Shadow Minister for Industry, Skills and Training.

Ms Ley beat her colleague, the Hon Angus Taylor MP, in a leadership spill following the defeat of Former Leader, the Hon Peter Dutton, to assume the position as Leader of the Liberal Party. This marks a new era in the Liberal Party with Ms Ley becoming the first female to hold this position.

Nationals Leader

Leader of the Nationals, the Hon David Littleproud, has been named the Shadow Minister for Agriculture for the 48^th Parliament, maintaining his appointment from the 47^th Parliament. Mr Littleproud has represented the Queensland Seat of Maranoa since 2016. Maranoa comprises the Regional Central and Southwestern Queensland, including Dalby, Warwick, and Roma. Mr Littleproud is said to have been a member of the Nationals since he was 6 years old.

Mr Littleproud has been a member of the Coalition Cabinet since December 2017, entering as the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. During his time in Government, Mr Littleproud also served as the:

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia.
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Drought Preparation and Response.
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management.

Mr Littleproud was elected as the Deputy Leader of the Nationals in February 2020 and maintained this position following the 2021 leadership spill. Following the 2022 Federal Election loss, Mr Littleproud contested for leadership of the party, beating the Former Leader of the Nationals, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, and colleague the Hon Darren Chester MP. Mr Littleproud also defended his leadership following the 2025 Federal Election loss against Senator the Hon Matthew Canavan.

Shadow Treasurer

Mr Ted O’Brien MP has been appointed as the Shadow Treasurer for the 48^th Parliament, and was also elected as the new Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Mr O’Brien has represented his seat of Fairfax since 2016. Fairfax is a seat on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, stretching inland to the hinterland beyond Kenilworth. It covers areas including Buderim, Kuluin, Maroochydore, Mount Coolum and Nambour. Fairfax has been held by the Liberal, National or LNP parties since its creation in 1984, aside from Clive Palmer’s single term between 2013 and 2016.

Mr Ted O’Brien has never held a ministerial position. However, he has served within the Shadow Cabinet as the:

Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Reliability.

Mr O’Brien has a strong economic background, obtaining an MBA in International Business from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Master of Economics (International Political Economy) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. This reflects a shift within the Coalition to prioritise and strengthen the economic narrative put forward for the 2028 Federal Election.

Shadow Minister for Finance

Senator James Paterson has been appointed as the Shadow Minister for Finance, Shadow Minister for the Public Service, and Shadow Minister for Government Service for the 48^th Parliament. Senator Paterson represents the state of Victoria and remains the youngest Liberal elected to the Senate at age 28. Prior to his appointment as the Shadow Minister for Finance, Senator Paterson served as the:

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs.
Shadow Minister for Cyber Security.
Shadow Minister for Countering Foreign Interference.
Shadow Cabinet Secretary.

Senator Paterson’s move to the Finance Portfolio echoes the sentiment reflected with the appointment of Mr O’Brien. Similarly to Mr O’Brien, Senator Paterson has a strong economic background, having obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, worked for the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and worked at the free-market think tank, Institute of Public Affairs, before joining Parliament.

Shadow Minister for Defence

The Hon Angus Taylor MP has been appointed as the Shadow Minister for Defence for the 48^th Parliament. Mr Taylor has represented the seat of Hume since 2013, which comprises Boorowa and Goulburn in the west, parts of the Southern Highlands in the centre and Camden to the east of the electorate.

Mr Taylor has been a member of the Coalition Cabinet since 2018, first being appointed as the Minister for Energy. Mr Taylor has also served as the:

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction.
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction.
Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity.
Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation.

During the 47^th Parliament, Mr Taylor served as the Shadow Treasurer due to his economic background, having obtained a Master of Philosophy in Economics at New College, University of Oxford. However, due to the loss at the 2025 Federal Election, Ms Ley elected to remove Mr Taylor from the Treasury Portfolio, likely signalling a fresh start for the Coalition.

The central portfolios and leadership positions for the 48^th Parliament, apart from Mr Littleproud, are all represented by different Coalition members than those holding them in the 47th Parliament, reflecting the apparent fact that the Coalition must change something to remain competitive and return to government.