Supporters of the environment minister, Melissa Price, say she was deliberately gagged during the election campaign, as the embattled MP faces calls for her demotion from cabinet.
As Coalition MPs jostle for promotion in Scott Morrison’s new frontbench, Price is understood to have told colleagues it was a tactical decision made by the prime minister and Coalition headquarters to keep her out of the limelight during the campaign. Price was supportive of the move, which ensured Morrison kept the focus on the economy and Labor’s tax agenda.
“It was a tactic, and so she had to take some skin along the way,” one supporter said.
The decision, which prompted accusations that she was in “witness protection”, was made to minimise discussion on the issue of climate change and environmental issues, which would have played to Labor’s strengths.
A similar criticism emerged during the 2016 campaign of then health minister, Sussan Ley, who was shielded from the media while the Coalition was targeted by the so-called “Mediscare” campaign about the alleged threat of a privatised national health service.
Price’s absence from the 2019 campaign has led to calls for her to be dumped from the portfolio, as Morrison reshapes his ministry for the 46th parliament. The former resources industry lawyer, however, is understood to be sanguine about the possibility of losing the portfolio.
As late as last Friday, Morrison was praising Price as a part of his frontbench team, and has repeatedly said that she will remain as a minister.
“I’ve got a fantastic team with Josh Frydenberg and Mathias Cormann of course, Melissa Price and the whole team I’ve got supporting me out there, doing their jobs,” Morrison said on Friday. “But when I’m campaigning, I don’t need to be propped up by others to answer questions for me.”
Industry, however, believes Price is a good pick for the environment portfolio as the government prepares for a review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The mining sector is pushing for the review to end state and federal duplication of environmental approvals for large projects, and believes a minister who is familiar with the resources sector would help their case.
Price is also understood to have had to fight “tooth and nail” for funding for the Coalition’s $3.5bn climate solutions package, which was opposed by some in cabinet who did not want to see more funding allocated to emissions reduction programs.
The package allocated $2bn extra to the Climate Solutions Fund established by Tony Abbott, which pays farmers, businesses and Indigenous communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, along with funding for a new vehicle strategy, household efficiency measures and new interconnectors, which enable energy to flow between networks.
The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, said “anyone but Melissa Price would do a better job”.
“You know what would be nice? An environment minister who cared about the environment.”
