Peter Dutton is expected to use the Australia Day long weekend to finally reshuffle his shadow cabinet, with the decision over who to fill the foreign affairs portfolio threatening to stir internal tensions in the lead-up to the federal election.
All eyes on foreign affairs as Dutton prepares long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle Liberals jostle for high-profile portfolio vacated by Simon Birmingham, with announcement expected over Australia Day long weekend.
Four names being mentioned internally as Birmingham’s possible successor are the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, shadow immigration minister, Dan Tehan, former frontbencher Julian Leeser and the Liberal deputy leader, Sussan Ley.
Senior Coalition sources expect the reshuffle – which opposition MPs were expecting to occur as far back as mid-December – to be announced over the Australia Day long weekend.
The manager of opposition business, Paul Fletcher, is also retiring at the election, opening up a second vacancy in the shadow cabinet.
