SUSSAN Ley’s exit from the federal cabinet has raised concerns about leaving the Liberals exposed and vulnerable to the Nationals’ firm grip on representing rural and regional issues, at ministerial level.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced this week that Ms Ley - from the southern NSW regional electorate of Farrer - would be replaced by Greg Hunt who was previously Industry, Innovation and Science Minister and Environment Minister prior to last year’s election.
Mr Turnbull promoted NSW Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos to take over Mr Hunt’s previous role and his job of Cabinet Secretary was returned to the Prime Minister’s Office, to reduce the overall cabinet size by one.
WA Liberal MP Ken Wyatt was promoted to be Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health and NSW Nationals Dr David Gillespie will continue serving as Assistant Minister for Rural Health.
Despite losing a rural Liberal MP in ministerial re-shuffle, Victorian metropolitan Liberal MP Michael Sukkar was promoted to be the Assistant Minister to the Treasurer.
Ms Ley’s departure also adds to the loss of former Trade Minister Andrew Robb who retired at the last election and had extensive agricultural and rural expertise as a previous Executive Director of the National Farmers’ Federation.
SA Liberal MP Tony Pasin said the new 23-member cabinet no longer contained any rural MPs which Mr Turnbull would need to remain conscious of.
In contrast the Nationals have four members - leader and Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce; deputy-leader and Regional Development, Communications and Local Government and Territories Minister Fiona Nash; Transport and Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester; and resources and Northern Australia Minister Matthew Canavan.
Mr Pasin said irrespective of the quality of any replacements, losing Ms Ley from cabinet was a “significant loss” to his party’s rural representation.
He said the cabinet no longer had a Liberal MP with an electorate located in rural, regional or remote Australia.
“This will be something the Prime Minister will need to address in future, given the outer ministry has shallow representation from that same group,” he said.
“It’s important to remember the Liberal Party has a strong history of representing rural and regional Australia and this should be seriously considered when appointing future members of the executive.
”I’m sure in time this under-representation will be rectified at some stage in the future.”
NSW rural Liberal MP Angus Taylor is the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation and SA Liberal Senator Anne Ruston is Mr Joyce’s Assistant Minister, while Victorian Liberal MP Dan Tehan is in the outer ministry as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security.
Second-term WA rural MP Melissa Price was touted as a potential addition to the ministry in the latest re-shuffle, while Mr Taylor is being touted for a future senior cabinet role.
WA Rural Liberal MP Rick Wilson said it was disappointing to lose someone of Ms Ley’s stature in the cabinet and praised her capacity to consult effectively and work with rural MP’s on core health policy for rural areas.
“Sussan was always very supportive and accommodating in performing her role but Greg Hunt has also been very approachable and supportive of rural MPs, in my experience, in his previous portfolios,” he said.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia welcomed Mr Hunt as the new Minister for Health, urging him to ensure rural health remained a focus for the Turnbull government.
RDAA President Dr Ewen McPhee said the new minister too on the “challenging portfolio at a critical time”,
He said it was critical that the new Minister focused on the establishment of the Rural Health Commissioner.
“The appointment of this role was a key election promise and we need this appointment to remain front and centre so we can be sure that the interests of rural communities are adequately considered when health policy decisions are made,” he said.
“We welcome Mr Hunt’s comments on the importance of improving Mental Health services, as this is an issue that has a major impact within rural and remote communities.
“Broader health services are also important in this area, as any condition that results in people needing to leave home for care impacts on their mental health wellbeing.”
Dr McPhee also congratulated Dr Gillespie, saying he’d been “excellent” in his role as Assistant Minister for Rural Health.
Dr Gillespie said he’d be continuing with his existing responsibilities in regional, rural and remote health, health workforce, food policy and health safety and working with Mr Hunt on a broader policy areas, “to ensure Australia’s health system continues to lead the world in health care delivery, health innovation and research”.
“The Nationals have a particular focus on regional Australia, and my appointment will ensure rural health continues to remain front and centre of the government’s agenda in the health portfolio,” he said.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Hunt had “strong policy, analytical and communication skills developed over a very long front bench career”.
“These changes will further strengthen my ministry by combining experience and new talent - it is a team that is focused on delivering for all Australians,” he said.
“I have more ministerial talent in party room than I have places in the Ministry.
“That presents some challenges but, from a Prime Minister's point of view, it is a good problem to have.”
Ms Ley resigned from the ministry due to recent controversy regarding her travel entitlements.
She has also spoken out strongly on agricultural issues concerning her southern NSW electorate; in particular water cuts that are set to cruel farm production in the Murray Darling Basin Plan and impact regional communities and businesses.