As the dust finally settles on the federal election results, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has announced her Shadow Ministry, promoting South Australian Senator Kerrynne Liddle to Minister for Indigenous Australians.
The Arrernte woman will also hold the portfolio of Social Services and be a member of the Shadow Cabinet.
Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been demoted from the Shadow Cabinet to the outer ministry, where she will hold the portfolios of Defence Industry and Defence Personnel, assisting Defence Minister Angus Taylor.
Senator Liddle said in a statement that she was looking forward to "calling out a Labor and Greens alliance driven by ideology rather than evidence".
"The need for accountability in the efficacy and performance of Commonwealth funding for Indigenous programs and services remains, as does my focus on grant oversight and on frontline services who are at the coalface of change," she said.
"I remain concerned about the safety of families and communities, especially those living with and needing support to flee family violence because the national epidemic continues with catastrophic and life-long consequences while the drivers and protective factors need more attention."
Senator Liddle is the first Indigenous federal politician elected from South Australia and a former journalist, executive manager and businesswoman, who formed her own public relations company.
When she made her first speech to parliament in 2022, Senator Liddle paid tribute to her family and Senator Neville Bonner, the first Aboriginal person to enter federal parliament.
She is a proponent of the cashless debit card and spoke against its removal in her First Speech.
"It gives power and respite to the most vulnerable men, women and children and the elderly – yes, those who need it most – and it is those people, not the drinkers and drug users, not the abusers, who will suffer the most from its withdrawal," Senator Liddle said.
"Maybe you need to live in a town devastated by alcohol, drugs and violence and see it eroded from within.
"Not convinced yet?
"Keep walking in my shoes, having helped care for foster children, yes, wards of the state - that may help you come to a different conclusion."
Senator Nampijinpa Price's political antics and ambitions have been touted as one of the reasons for the brief dissolution of the Coalition, after she jumped ship from the Nationals to the Liberals, in the days after the worst election result for the Coalition in 80 years.
Country Liberal Party parliamentarians have the choice of sitting with the National or Liberal parties, with Senator Nampijinpa Price saying she felt 'obliged' to play a 'robust part' in rebuilding the Liberal Party after their electoral disaster.
She has also made no secret of furthering her political ambitions, telling Sky News that "a lot of Australians" would like her to be prime minister one day and saying before last week's Liberal leadership ballot that she would put her hand up for deputy.
However, after her preferred candidate for leader, Angus Taylor, lost to Sussan Ley, Nampijinpa Price did not nominate for deputy, causing more rumblings within her own conservative faction.
After Ley announced her Shadow ministry on Wednesday, Nampijinpa Price returned to Sky, saying that she had no doubt some of her colleagues were feeling upset about being left out.
"There are probably some appointments that have not been predicated on experience or merit, but this is the team we have to work with, going forward," Senator Nampijinpa Price said.
"I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not disappointed that I'm not within cabinet itself."
In a social media post following Ley's announcement, Senator Nampijinpa Price was more circumspect, saying she was "grateful for the chance to support our defence industry and personnel and to ensure that our nation’s security only gets stronger and is not compromised by the Albanese Labor Government".
Senator Nampijinpa Price also confirmed to Sky that she had several discussions with both Liberal and National party figures about running for the Lower House - which she would need to do in order to chase her dream of becoming prime minister - before the May election.
Former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton spoke with Senator Nampijinpa Price about contesting one of the two NT Lower House seats, Lingiari, which was won by Labor's Marion Scrymgour, or Solomon, which was won by Labor's Luke Gosling.
The National Party suggested Senator Nampijinpa Price contest the NSW seats of Paterson or Hunter.
Before winning Senate preselection for the CLP, Nampijinpa Price ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Lingiari in 2019.
