Dutton adds Musk-esque ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in cabinet reshuffle

BY ALEX MITCHELL for AAP

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has finally unveiled his new-look front bench, which includes a newly created Donald Trump-style “government efficiency” portfolio.

The opposition leader revealed the changes at a press conference in Cairns, announcing MP David Coleman would replace retiring Senator Simon Birmingham as shadow foreign affairs minister.

Mr Dutton also made the eye-catching announcement of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as his shadow minister for government efficiency.

The new portfolio is almost certainly inspired by US President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

That department, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is not an official agency but is the president’s move to trim government programs and spending.

“There’s a lot of waste that’s been generated over the course of the last two and a half years, $6 billion a year spent on 36,000 new public servants in Canberra that are of no assistance whatsoever to the people of Cairns, and the people of regional communities who want additional investment,” Mr Dutton told reporters.

Senator Price added that portfolio to her Indigenous Australians gig, where she successfully campaigned against the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Please for the love of god read about how “efficiency” anti-regulation drives explicitly led to robodebt. I know that’s kind of the point for some people, but then there are those who might want to oppose that who assume this shit is just harmless populism.

— Rick Morton (@squigglyrick.bsky.social) 2025-01-25T04:46:10.785Z

Mr Coleman takes the foreign affairs reins after Senator Birmingham announced he will leave parliament at the coming federal election.

“It’s time for us to have a change of government in this country, to get our country back on track, and part of that is to rebuild international relations,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Coleman had previously held the communications role, which will be picked up by NSW MP Melissa McIntosh.

Other moves saw Senator Claire Chandler take the government services and digital economy portfolio from Paul Fletcher, who is also set to quit at the election.

South Australian MP Tony Pasin will take roads and road safety while NSW MP Julian Leeser and Senator Matt O’Sullivan will take shadow assistant minister roles.

Mr Leeser previously quit the coalition frontbench in 2023 after the opposition leader announced the party would oppose the Voice to Parliament.