New Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has this morning appointed Barnaby Joyce as his shadow finance minister, brought former Howard ministers Bronwyn Bishop, Kevin Andrews and Philip Ruddock back to the front bench, and warned the Federal Government he plans to give it the "fright of its life".
The new Opposition Leader has revealed his shadow ministry, saying it is a "a campaigning team, not a team that will sit in offices shuffling paper''.
"It is a team that will be hitting the road,'' he said.
"It is a good team. It is a tough team. It is an energetic team, and it is a team that is determined to take the fight to the government.''
Mr Andrews, Ms Bishop and Mr Ruddock were all backbenchers under former leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Mr Andrews will have responsibility for most of Mr Abbott's former portfolios, as families, housing and human services spokesman and Ms Bishop will be seniors spokeswoman. Mr Ruddock, a former attorney general and immigration minister, will be shadow cabinet secretary.
''He won't be a voting member of shadow cabinet, but as secretary we'll be able to draw upon his extraordinary corporate knowledge,'' Mr Abbott said.
He denied it was a "lurch to the right'', but some of former leader Malcolm Turnbull's supporters were demoted, but fellow leadership contender Joe Hockey, who Mr Abbott described as "one of the great communicators in modern Australian politics'', will keep his role as shadow treasurer and Christopher Pyne will remain manager of opposition business and education spokesman.
ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries, who was an outspoken Turnbull supporter, will be the shadow parliamentary secretary for families, housing and human services and the shadow parliamentary secretary for citizenship.
Nationals Senate leader and accountant Barnaby Joyce, who had until now refused to join the frontbench because he did not want to be bound by shadow cabinet solidarity, will take on the finance and debt reduction portfolio. Mr Abbott said Senator Joyce was ''probably Australia's most accomplished retail politician''.
Tony Smith moves from assistant shadow treasurer to communications spokesman, replacing Liberal Senate Leader Nick Minchin, who was a key backer of Mr Abbott in last week's leadership vote.
Senator Minchin, who is a climate change sceptic, will take on the industry and resources role, replacing Ian Macfarlane, who negotiated the deal - since rejected by Mr Abbott - with the Government on emissions trading scheme. Mr Macfarlane takes on infrastructure and water.
Greg Hunt will retain the environment portfolio, which has been renamed climate action, environment and heritage.
Deputy Liberal Senate Leader Eric Abetz will take on the key industrial relations portfolio, taking over from Michael Keenan. Senator Abetz previously held the innovation, industry and science portfolio.
Scott Morrison moves from housing to immigration, replacing Sharman Stone who has been demoted from shadow cabinet - Mr Abbott said Mr Morrison, a Turnbull backer, was ''probably the outstanding new talent amongst the Liberal class of 2007''.
''He brings great political skill and decency and compassion to this important role,'' he said.
Mr Abbott said the Coalition had moved over the past week from being "a government in exile, unsure of its role, to be a fair dinkum opposition determined to make the government the issue''.
''Today I am announcing a new team that will be focused on criticising the government, rather than speculating about ourselves. I want to make it very clear that I think the Government is vulnerable,'' he said.
"Ordinary families are unsure of what is happening to them under the government,. The government is very vulnerable on economic matters, with three interest rate rises in just three months. People think that the good time have gone and they don't see a government with any plan to bring them back instead they see a government that wants to hit them with a great big new tax.''
Cory Bernadi and Simon Birmingham will be shadow parliamentary secretaries, and Marise Payne and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells are also promoted to Council of Australian Governments and modernising the federation, and to aging respectively.
Sophie Mirabella moves from early childhood education, childcare, women and youth to innovation, industry, science and research. Sharman Stone will take on her old portfolios of early childhood education and childcare, as well as women.
Steve Ciobo was also demoted from small business, independent contractors, tourism and the arts to just tourism, the arts, youth and sport.
George Brandis will remain shadow attorney-general, Senator David Johnson will remain defence spokesman and Peter Dutton will stay on in the health portfolio. Michael Ronaldson remains shadow special minister of state, Louise Markus stays in veterans' affairs and Bob Baldwin keeps his position as defence science and personnel spokesman.
Former human services spokesman Senator Nigel Scullion will take on indigenous affairs, from Mr Abbott. Andrew Robb will be chairman of the Coalition's policy development committee.
Sussan Ley moves from Justice and Customs to shadow assistant treasurer.
Luke Hartsuyker keeps the consumer affairs portfolio, but adds financial services, superannuation and corporate law.
Liberal backbencher Dennis Jensen - a leading critic of the emissions trading scheme and an instigator of the initial move against Malcolm Turnbull's leadership - "was pretty damned disappointed'' to miss out on a promotion.
"Makes me wonder what I have to do,'' Dr Jensen wrote.
"I guess there will just be a continuation of me championing new ideas and others suddenly picking up on them when I have done the hard work on gaining sufficient acceptance for other people to follow comparatively risk free.
"My concern - we need our strongest team front and centre to defeat Rudd at the next election. We need people who can cut through, particularly when they have the imprimatur of a frontbench portfolio.''
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