A number of new faces have been named in tech-focused roles in the new Coalition frontbench, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley unveiling her Shadow Ministry.
Ley named her Shadow Ministers on Wednesday afternoon after inking a new Coalition agreement with the Nationals following a brief separation.
New South Wales Liberal MP Alex Hawke will serve as the Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation, up against Labor Senator Tim Ayres, who was named as the new Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science earlier this month.
Hawke has served in Parliament since 2007 and was the Minister for International Development and the Pacific from 2019 to late 2020, and the Minister for Immigration from 2020 until 2022.
He said that Australian industry “needs a government that understands the particular innovation productivity and competition challenges faced by Australian business”.
“The Liberal Party sees a strong, sovereign and competitive Australian industrial and manufacturing base as an urgent and vital priority for our country,” Hawke said in a social media post.
“Now is not the time to be increasing costs, regulations and complexity, nor for a Labor government to interfere more into the economy, trying to pick winners and losers.
“I look forward to holding the government to account and seeking better industry policy for Australian business.”
New faces
Presumptive new Member for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian has been immediately awarded a Shadow Cabinet position, with Ley naming her as Shadow Assistant Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy, so long as she wins the ongoing recount in her seat.
Kapterian was the Senior Director of Public Strategy APAC at tech giant Salesforce for six years before running for Parliament, and previously served as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Employment for eight months in 2018.
She acted as advisor for other Ministers prior to that appointment.
Ley said that Kapterian’s appointment is a “vote of confidence in the future of women in our party and it’s a clear message to communities, like Bradfield, that if you support your local Liberal member, they will have a direct say in the decisions that change the direction of this country”.
Former Science and Technology Minister Melissa Price will serve as the Shadow Minister for Science and Cyber Security in the new Coalition cabinet.
The Labor government’s frontbench does not include a specific cybersecurity role, and the previous position of Special Envoy for Cyber Security was scrapped as part of the post-election reshuffle.
Andrew Wilcox has been named as the Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, while Andrew Hastie is the new Shadow Minister for Home Affairs.
Familiar faces
Melissa McIntosh will continue in her role as Shadow Minister for Communications, with Ley saying she will be a “strong voice for the protection of women and children from the failures of Big Tech”.
It will be a busy year for McIntosh and her government counterpart, Anika Wells, with the controversial social media age ban set to come into effect later this year.
Julian Leeser will also return to the Coalition frontbench as the Shadow Attorney-General.
Ley said her new team “draws on the deep well of the Australian experience”.
“The new Coalition Shadow Ministry balances experience with new talent,” she said.
“It reflects the full range of our philosophical traditions, values and perspectives across our two great party rooms, and this is important because our parties are at their best when they work together to fight right now, as a strong opposition to this government.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his own frontbench earlier this month, with former Industry Minister Ed Husic losing his role following a faction-based reshuffle.
