West Australian MP Melissa Price has been appointed as the new shadow minister for defense industry and personnel. This change comes after Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was removed from her position for not supporting Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. Price will transition from her current role as shadow minister for cyber security and science.

Ley announced the changes in a statement on Sunday, which also included the promotion of Tasmanian Senator Claire Chandler to the frontbench. Additionally, Simon Kennedy will take on a newly created position as shadow minister for artificial intelligence, digital economy, and scrutiny of government waste. Kennedy succeeded former Prime Minister Scott Morrison as the member for Cook last year.

Nampijinpa Price was dismissed from her frontbench role on Wednesday after she consistently declined to express support for Ley's leadership. This decision followed a week of rising tensions, which began when the Northern Territory senator made controversial remarks suggesting that Indians were being favored for migration to Australia due to their voting patterns. Although she later retracted her comments, she refused to apologize, stating she would not be silenced on migration issues.

Phil Thompson, an Afghanistan veteran, and Senator Chandler were previously considered as potential replacements for the defense industry position. Senior members of the Liberal Party cautioned that Ley would face criticism if the role was not filled by someone from the right faction.

In her statement, Ley expressed confidence in Price's capabilities, noting her "crucial experience" as a former defense industry minister under Morrison. Ley also praised Senator Chandler's enthusiasm for her new responsibilities and described Kennedy as "one of the brightest minds in the parliament."

Furthermore, Ley announced that shadow finance minister James Patterson would join the opposition's formal leadership team. She emphasized Patterson's central role in shaping the party's economic agenda, stating, "It is appropriate that he joins the group as that work takes shape."