The Castley shadow ministry was the 19th shadow ministry of the Australian Capital Territory, led by Leanne Castley and her deputy Jeremy Hanson. It was formed following the 2024 Canberra Liberals leadership election, held 31 October 2024, and was composed of most of the party's MLAs.
History Establishment Following the Canberra Liberals' seventh consecutive loss at the 2024 Australian Capital Territory election, held 19 October, Elizabeth Lee was spilled. A leadership election was held on 31 October and was contested by Lee and her deputy Leanne Castley. Castley defeated Lee by a single vote and former leader Jeremy Hanson defeated then Speaker Mark Parton for the deputy leadership by the same margin.
Castley announced her new shadow ministry on 18 November 2024. It included seven of the Liberals' nine MLAs, excluding Speaker Mark Parton and relegating former leader Elizabeth Lee to the backbench.
Reshuffles
A cabinet reshuffle was unveiled on 24 February 2025. Peter Cain's portfolios of Planning and Environment and Housing Services were merged to become Planning and Housing Service with Environment being taken on by Castley as Agriculture and the Environment. Castley also took on the new portfolio of Seniors.
On 19 June 2025, Peter Cain resigned from the shadow ministry and moved to the backbench saying he could no longer support the leadership of the party and citing a duty of care towards his staffers.
A cabinet reshuffle was unveiled on 30 June 2025. Peter Cain's former portfolios of Attorney-General taken on by Jeremy Hanson and the portfolio of Planning and Housing Service was split with planning merged with Castley's Transport portfolio to become Planning and Transport and housing becoming Public Housing and Homelessness for Chiaka Barry.
Demise On 28 October 2025 backbenchers Cain and Lee were suspended from the Liberal partyroom by Castley after crossing the floor to vote against a motion to reduce the number of sitting weeks from thirteen to twelve in the upcoming 2026 sitting year. This move was in violation of a longstanding precedent that Liberal backbenchers had the right to cross the floor and culminated in Castley and Hanson resigning from their leadership positions and being replaced by Mark Parton and Deborah Morris in a leadership election held on 10 November 2025.
Composition Party Portrait Member Faction Portfolios Liberal MLA for Yerrabi Leader of the Opposition Leader of the Canberra Liberals Shadow Minister for Home Ownership Shadow Minister for Transport Shadow Minister for Planning and Transport Shadow Minister for Health Shadow Minister for Seniors Shadow Minister for Agriculture and the Environment MLA for Brindabella Conservative Deputy Leader of the Opposition Deputy Leader of the Canberra Liberals Shadow Minister for Veterans Shadow Minister for Education and Skills Shadow Minister for Education Shadow Special Minister of State Shadow Attorney-General MLA for Murrumbidgee Opposition Whip Shadow Treasurer Shadow Minister for Government Services and Customer Experience MLA for Ginninderra Shadow Attorney-General Shadow Minister for Planning and Environment Shadow Minister for Housing Services Shadow Minister for Planning and Housing Services MLA for Brindabella Conservative Shadow Minister for Police, Emergency Services, and Community Safety Shadow Minister for Corrections Shadow Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence MLA for Ginninderra Shadow Minister for Women Shadow Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs Shadow Minister for Community Services, Disability and Carers Shadow Minister for Public Housing and Homelessness MLA for Yerrabi Shadow Minister for City Services Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation Shadow Minister for Business, Arts, and Creative Industries Shadow Minister for Business, Arts, Creative Industries, and Skills
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