Liberal MLA Elizabeth Lee on federal election night. She said the latest move set a “dangerous precedent”. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Former Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee has laid bare divisions in the Canberra Liberals party room, bristling at new rules that exclude backbenchers from taking part in the decision-making processes of Shadow Cabinet.
The other backbencher in the nine-member party room, Peter Cain, has come out in support of Ms Lee.
Mr Cain resigned from Shadow Cabinet in June citing disillusionment with the leadership team of Leanne Castley and deputy Jeremy Hanson and their decision-making practices.
The new Shadow Cabinet principles appear directed at the party, presenting a united front and providing an incentive for the two backbenchers to join Shadow Cabinet and share the considerable portfolio load the rest of the team is carrying.
They state that Shadow Cabinet’s deliberations need to be conducted in a confidential and unconstrained environment.
“As Party Room members are not bound by the principle of collective responsibility, it is not appropriate that they are included in the decision-making processes of the Shadow Cabinet,” they state.
“Members of the backbench who wish to be informed and participate in the decision-making processes of Shadow Cabinet are welcome to join the Shadow Ministry, but must take on portfolio work and be bound by the principle of collective responsibility.”
But Ms Lee, who has refused entreaties to take a Shadow Cabinet position since she lost the leadership after last year’s election loss, has taken umbrage at being frozen out.
Ms Lee said the move set a “dangerous precedent”.
“Backbenchers, as duly preselected and elected members, have the right to participate fully in the party room and to advocate for their communities,” Ms Lee said.
“By stripping backbenchers of this role, the Canberra Liberals have created a dangerous precedent that diminishes democratic representation, silences local voices, and erodes the integrity of the party room as a deliberative body.”
Liberal MLA Peter Cain is backing Ms Lee. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Ms Lee said she and Mr Cain were blindsided by Shadow Cabinet’s decision.
“I was presented with the principles after they had already been agreed within Shadow Cabinet,” she said. “There was no consultation with backbench members of the Party Room before this significant change was made.”
She said the exclusion of backbenchers did not occur in other jurisdictions or in the federal party.
“In every other division, backbenchers play a critical role in shaping policy positions and, in the federal party, are consulted by shadow ministers before decisions are taken to shadow cabinet,” Ms Lee said.
“That is how the Liberal Party has always worked, and how it continues to work everywhere else.”
Ms Castley said the party had a responsibility to hold Labor to account and needed “all hands on deck” to achieve a change of government.
“I believe that the best way to accomplish this is for Ms Lee to rejoin the Shadow Cabinet,” she said.
“My offer to Ms Lee to rejoin Shadow Cabinet remains open, including a discussion around specific shadow portfolio responsibilities.”
But Ms Lee said she had no intention of doing so.
Mr Cain said he would not rejoin Shadow Cabinet under the current leadership.
“There is nothing personal in this; it is about professional principles and how the party is led,” he said. “The focus must be on holding the government to account. That requires leadership that is inclusive, consultative, and committed to collaboration.
“Party unity cannot be achieved by excluding elected members from decision-making.”
Mr Cain said he was committed to representing his Ginninderra constituents and serving his full term in the Assembly.
In a text to ABC radio, an unnamed Labor MLA accused Ms Lee of not giving Ms Castley the free run she had as leader and indicated she was white-anting her successor from the backbench.
“She openly says she doesn’t want to participate in Shadow Cabinet, but she wants to have an equal say on the issues her colleagues have spent a lot of effort formulating positions on,” the MLA said.
They added that it put a lot of pressure on the small team to do the heavy lifting, especially when one Canberra Liberal, Mark Parton, is currently the speaker.
