Ending ‘shambles and charades’:NSW Coalition announces frontbench hours after spill

The NSW Coalition has declared an end to “tactics,shambles and charades”,picking itself up after days of infighting with the announcement of a 26-person opposition frontbench on the day parliament resumes.

A hurried meeting of the Coalition leaders settled the final shadow ministry on Monday night,only hours after the Nationalsditched Paul Toole as leader in a bruising spill sparked by revelations he knew about a Labor government plan to nominate a Nationals MP for a lucrative upper house role.

Opposition leader Mark Speakman called for a “strong united Coalition” to end a tumultuous period bookmarked by a historic Liberal Party rule change and the upending of the National Party leadership.

New NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman and deputy leader Natalie Ward.

New NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman and deputy leader Natalie Ward.Nikki Short

“We’re not interested in playing games. We’re not interested in tactics and shambles and charades. We’re here to serve the people of NSW,” Speakman said,conceding there had been “bumps” along the way.

“We didn’t concoct a shadow ministry overnight. A Liberal component had been many weeks in the planning,so we’ve now moved to implement that as quickly as possible … It is a strong mix of talent,experience and fresh faces.”

Eleven of 26 members of the opposition frontbench will be women in what Liberal deputy leader Natalie Ward said was the sign of a leader “very aware of parity in the shadow ministry … and in our representation”.

Ward was elected to the deputy role on Monday,with her nomination delayed because it required a change of party rules to allow a member of the upper house to serve as deputy.

Among the new faces in the shadow ministry are Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane,who will commence as opposition spokeswoman for the environment on her first day entering parliament. Gurmesh Singh,Tim James,Aileen MacDonald and Robyn Preston are also joining the frontbench for the first time.

Miranda MP Eleni Petinos will return as opposition spokeswoman for finance and sport despite having been booted from the frontbench last year over bullying allegations,which she denies.

Speakman defended the decision to promote Petinos back into his opposition cabinet,insisting she was articulate,talented and energetic:“She’s hard-working … All of us learn life lessons.”

Neither former premier Dominic Perrottet nor former planning minister Anthony Roberts will play a role in the shadow cabinet. However,Toole will stay on as opposition police spokesman despite the Nationals party room turfing him as leader less than 24 hours earlier.

Dugald Saunders,who snatched the leadership from Toole with 10 votes to five on Monday,said he did not pretend the party was “all happy-happy-joy-joy” after a difficult few days.

“We’re adults. We do need to get on with the job and I’ll be providing as much support and friendship as I can to Paul and the rest of the party room,” he said.

“I made the offer[for shadow police minister]. He’s accepted it. He’s obviously got experience in that portfolio. And I thought it was a good way of keeping him involved in that portfolio.”

The leadership spill was prompted by theHerald’s revelations Nationals MP Ben Franklin hadinformed Toole of his intention to nominate for the upper house role weeks before it became public.

A close friend of Premier Chris Minns and the godfather of one of his children,Franklin was lambasted last week by his colleagues for considering the position,with one accusing him of “treachery”.

Among his critics was Toole,who told media he had only spoken to the former arts minister about the role last week,labelling the move “distressing” and saying it “could be seen as disloyalty”.

Deputy Nationals leader Bronnie Taylor on Tuesday said it had been a tough day for the party,changing leaders so soon after Toole was reinstated,but insisted it was necessary.

“I worked with Paul,I was his deputy leader. It was a very difficult day for the Nationals yesterday,” she said.

Taylor added that the party felt “betrayed” by Franklin for persisting with his ambitions for upper house president,which will give Labor an effective majority in the evenly balanced upper house.

“Whatever adjective we use to describe that is different,but we do feel betrayed,and we do feel disappointed. And I,particularly,on a personal level,feel very let down,” she said.

Franklin defied his own party and was elected as president of the NSW upper house on Tuesday,despite an earlier threat that it could trigger his expulsion from the party.

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Lucy Cormack is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age,based in Dubai.

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