Alistair Coe has become ACT Liberal treasury spokesman in a reshuffle announced by leader Jeremy Hanson after Brendan Smyth's shock resignation on Friday.
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The appointment makes Mr Coe the man likely to control the ACT budget if the Liberals win government in October. Just 32, he would be the youngest treasurer in the ACT's history, just as the man set to replace Mr Smyth in his parliamentary seat, Val Jeffrey, 81, would be the oldest ACT politician ever, by some distance.
Mr Hanson announced a minimal reshuffle, sharing Mr Smyth's responsibilities among his remaining team after Mr Smyth resigned to take up a newly created position of Commissioner for International Engagement.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced Mr Smyth had been given the job on Friday, but it is still to be endorsed by Cabinet on Tuesday.
The Greens' Shane Rattenbury will be part of that Cabinet endorsement, but said he wasn't consulted last week and he was "surprised by how quickly the appointment was made, only a few days after the creation of the position was announced". While saying his preference was for public expressions of interest, Mr Rattenbury didn't answer questions about how he will approach the Cabinet endorsement.
In appointing Mr Smyth, Mr Barr has neutralised a senior member of Mr Hanson's team, left Mr Hanson to find a new candidate, left Mr Jeffrey having to fill the seat for the remainder of the term to avoid it going to Labor, the Greens or a minor candidate, and put a dent in the Liberals' hopes for the southernmost seat.
The Liberals must win three of the five Tuggeranong seats to have a hope of forming government, and Labor might even have had some concern about the danger of the Liberals winning four in the electorate.
Despite reservations on Friday, Mr Jeffrey agreed to nominate for the seat for the remaining two and a half months of the term, but is not expected to stand in the October election.
Mr Hanson said Mr Jeffrey had been "taken a bit by surprise, but once he became aware of what it meant - it doesn't mean standing as a candidate for 2016 and so on, that it's just the remainder of this term - I think he was more comfortable with it.
"I think he's excited and enthused and looking forward to it."
The Liberals are now looking for two candidates – one for the Tuggeranong seat, and the other for the Woden-Weston seat – with nominations closing for both on Friday.
Mr Hanson continued to defend the appointment of Mr Smyth to the plum job on Monday, saying it was good for Canberra and he was well qualified.
When pushed on the appearance that Mr Barr was motivated by a desire to get rid of a political opponent, Mr Hanson said, "If there are concerns with the process and the probity they really need to be addressed by the chief minister ... I would hope that this has been a very straight process and has been done in the best interests of the ACT, and I take that on good faith."
As for Mr Coe's relative youth, Mr Hanson said he was "exceptionally talented" and had been in the Assembly eight years. Mr Barr, in comparison, was elected at 33 and immediately became education minister. He was made treasurer at 38.
Mr Coe has spearheaded a strong Liberal campaign against Labor's tram and a competitive response on buses. He keeps transport, urban services and planning, with treasury added to his responsibilities.
Mr Hanson takes on gambling.
Andrew Wall takes economic development and industrial relations – the latter an issue close to his heart as he fights an ongoing action against the influence of unions in the Labor Party and government.
Steve Doszpot, already responsible for schools, takes on higher education.
Nicole Lawder adds the arts and tourism portfolio and Giulia Jones adds emergency services.
If Mr Jeffrey is elected on the countback of 2012 votes, he will enter the ACT parliament for its final fortnight of sittings in August, with caretaker mode starting four weeks later, on September 9, ahead of the October 15 election.
Twelve parties are set to contest the election (one of them yet to be officially confirmed), the biggest line up since Labor was elected 15 years ago. Five independents have put up their hands to date.
