Marshall’s reshuffle: Lucas returns to Treasury
Liberal leader Steven Marshall’s has expanded his shadow ministry to bring in four newcomers, while handing the crucial Treasury portfolio to veteran Rob Lucas.
After the election, Marshall continued with the same frontbench team, but the defection of former leader Martin Hamilton-Smith and the impending retirement of Iain Evans has forced a rethink.
Today he announced that relatively new MPs John Gardner, Rachel Sanderson, Tim Whetstone and Corey Wingard – who entered Parliament only this year – would join his frontbench.
Lucas, who was appointed Treasurer in 1997 and served as Shadow Treasurer from 2002 to 2007, returns to the key portfolio just a week out from the state Budget. He also takes on finance, industrial relations, the public sector, business services and consumers and gambling.
ANALYSIS: Liberals begin return to relevance.
Deputy leader Vickie Chapman adds the Attorney-General’s portfolio to infrastructure, housing and urban development.
Former Shadow Attorney-General Stephen Wade moves into health.
Impressive country MP Dan van Holst Pellekaan receives a big promotion, moving from a collection of minor portfolios, including police, to take responsibility for a big list of economic areas, including Mineral Resources and Energy, State Development, Manufacturing and Innovation, Small Business, Defence Industries and Automotive Transformation.
Marshall said this morning his new Shadow Cabinet “strikes a balance between experience and regeneration”.
“We’re not going to leave our talent languishing on the back bench,” Marshall said. “We’re going to give them a chance to show us what they’ve got.”
He defended his choice of Lucas as Shadow Treasurer, saying the veteran MCL had been Treasurer “longer than the past three state treasurers put together”.
He also defended the decision to promote new MPs to the front bench after having labelled first-term Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan the “L-Plate Minister”.
“I’m not saying these are the exact portfolio arrangements that we’ll take to the next election.”
He said former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond had made it clear she wasn’t interested in a frontbench role.
While Chapman now faces Deputy Premier John Rau in almost exactly the same portfolios, two of the biggest jobs in state Opposition politics – Treasury and Health – are now held in the Upper House.
Gardner, first elected in the seat of Morialta in 2010, will take on the police, correctional services and justice portfolios, as well as remaining Manager of Opposition Business.
Sanderson, also elected in 2010 in the seat of Adelaide, has been given a broad collection of portfolios – higher education, science and information economy, families and child protection, social housing, volunteers and youth.
Whetstone, from the regional electorate of Chaffey, will face off against Hamilton-Smith, with responsibility for investment and trade, recreation and sport, and racing.
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Wingard, elected in Mitchell at the March 2014 election, will challenge Labor young gun Stephen Mullighan in the transport and road safety portfolios.
Country MP Peter Treloar has been appointed as Shadow Cabinet Secretary.
Before the reshuffle, Marshall had 10 Shadow Ministers – he now has 13.
The full Shadow Cabinet
Steven Marshall
Leader
David Ridgway
Leader in the Legislative Council
Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
Forests
Tourism
Rob Lucas
Treasury
Finance
Industrial Relations
Public Sector
Business Services and Consumers
Gambling
David Pisoni
Education
Employment, Skills and Training
Multicultural Affairs
Steven Griffiths
Regional Development
Local Government
Planning
John Gardner
Manager of Opposition Business
Police
Correctional Services
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Justice
Rachel Sanderson
Higher Education, Science and the Information Economy
Families and Child Protection
Social Housing
Volunteers
Youth
Vickie Chapman
Deputy Leader
Shadow Attorney-General
Infrastructure
Housing and Urban Development
Michelle Lensink
Sustainability, Environment and Conservation
Water and the River Murray
Status of Women
Stephen Wade
Health
Ageing
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Suicide Prevention
Arts
Dan van Holst Pellekaan
Mineral Resources and Energy
State Development
Manufacturing and Innovation
Small Business
Defence Industries
Automotive Transformation
Tim Whetstone
Investment and Trade
Recreation and Sport
Racing
Cory Wingard
Transport
Road Safety
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