The shadow ministry is a group of senior Opposition spokespeople who form an alternative Cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual Minister or portfolio of the Government.[1]
The Abbott shadow ministry was the first in which shadow ministers received additional pay for their roles, taking effect from 2012 after a decision of the Gillard government.[2]
Structure
The "opposition front bench" comprises the full shadow ministry including the shadow cabinet, other shadow ministers and shadow parliamentary secretaries.
As an institution, the shadow cabinet is much less defined—or studied—than the Cabinet with its well established formal procedures. Shadow Cabinet operates more as a committee of an opposition political party than an institution of Government or Parliament. The Cabinet Handbook was first published in 1926 and the updated version is available on-line[3] but no such equivalent exists for Shadow Cabinet.[4]
First arrangement (2009–2010)
The Shadow Cabinet of Tony Abbott was created following the accession of Tony Abbott to the leadership in December 2009. It remained largely unchanged until the 2010 election, excluding one minor reshuffle in March 2010. After this reshuffle, Barnaby Joyce gained the Regional Development portfolio from Warren Truss and the Infrastructure and Water Portfolio from Ian Macfarlane. Andrew Robb took on Joyce's previous portfolio of Finance and Deregulation and Macfarlane gained the Energy and Resources portfolio from the retiring Nick Minchin.
Leader of the Nationals Shadow Minister for Trade, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (To 25 March 2010) Shadow Minister for Trade, Transport and Local Government (From 25 March 2010)
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (To 3 May 2010) Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (From 3 May 2010)
Leader of The Nationals in the Senate Shadow Minister for Finance and Debt Reduction (To 25 March 2010) Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Infrastructure and Water (From 25 March 2010)
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education and School Curriculum Standards Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee
Second arrangement (2010–2013)
Tony Abbott reshuffled the Shadow Cabinet following the 2010 election and this arrangement remained largely unchanged until the election of the Abbott government in 2013. Two alterations were made during this period. In March 2011, Michael Ronaldson was appointed Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on the Centenary of ANZAC. A wider redistribution took place in September 2012 following the resignation of Cory Bernardi. Arthur Sinodinos took on the role of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and Jamie Briggs took on the role of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary of Supporting Families. Michaelia Cash was also appointed Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition (To 19 September 2012) Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Supporting Families (To 19 September 2012)
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate (From 19 September 2012)
