Australia’s opposition Liberal-National Coalition will continue its strong focus on defence and national security after the shadow ministry was unveiled on June 5 with the newly created portfolio of Countering Foreign Interference.
Shifting into the role of shadow defence minister will be Andrew Hastie, a former soldier and the assistant defence minister, while James Paterson, former head of the Intelligence and Security Committee, will become shadow minister for Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference.
Both men were barred from entering China in 2019 by the Chinese Communist Party over criticism directed at human rights abuse against Uyghur minorities and foreign interference.
“I thank the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, for the opportunity to serve in this role,” Hastie said in an emailed statement. “The first duty of the Australian government is to protect our people, values, interests, and sovereignty.”…