Reshuffle restores Darren Chester and Keith Pitt to ministry, but not to cabinet, while Damian Drum and Luke Hartsuyker sent to backbench

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The new Nationals leader, Michael McCormack, has rewarded colleagues dumped by Barnaby Joyce in last year’s poisonous reshuffle, with key allies Darren Chester and Keith Pitt returning to frontbench roles, but not to the cabinet.



Chester, who was dumped by Joyce from cabinet late last year, returns to a more junior position in the ministry as minister for veterans’ affairs, minister for defence personnel and minister assisting for the centenary of Anzac.

Pitt, another MP dumped by Joyce, will also return as assistant minister to McCormack, while Mark Coulton, whom colleagues regard as neutral in the Nationals leadership tensions, will become assistant minister for trade, tourism and investment.

Damian Drum and Luke Hartsuyker have been relegated to the backbench.

While the return of Chester and Pitt will raise eyebrows internally, McCormack has refreshed the frontbench with an eye to bruised internal sensibilities after the torrid Joyce controversy, leaving the key cabinet players in-situ, including two men personally close to Joyce, the resources minister, Matt Canavan, and the agriculture minister, David Littleproud.

Bridget McKenzie, the party’s deputy leader, will continue on as minister for rural health, minister for sport and minister for regional communications. Nigel Scullion will remain Senate leader and indigenous affairs minister.

David Gillespie, who telegraphed interest in running against McCormack as party leader before dropping out of the race, also continues in his role as assistant minister for children and families.

Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, there had been internal speculation McCormack might dump Canavan from cabinet to reward one of the figures active in the effort to blast Joyce out of the party leadership as the controversy around his private travails exploded into the public domain.

With speculation swirling about the reshuffle being used potentially as a score-settling exercise, McCormack used an interview with Guardian Australia on Wednesday to signal Littleproud – who dropped out of the leadership ballot at the last minute – would remain in his agriculture portfolio.

McCormack was explicit on Thursday that a key component of his decision making was maintaining stability after the recent turmoil. He said the refresh had been agreed with the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

“I am fortunate to be leader of a party with so many talented people, but ultimately my focus was on maintaining stability so the government can get on with the job of delivering for the nation,” McCormack said in a statement.

The new ministers will be sworn in in Canberra on Monday.