VICTORIAN opposition leader Brad Battin has announced a new front bench with Roma Britnell losing out to former tennis pro Sam Groth for the shadow portfolio of ports and freight.
The move will raise at least some eyebrows with Ms Britnell, the member for South-West Coast, having seemingly challenged the government effectively in such areas as port pricing and truck taxes.
“Today we have appointed a shadow cabinet with the talent and experience to hold Jacinta Allan’s Labor Government to account,” Mr Battin said in a statement.
“Together we will work to make Victoria safer; to ease the cost of living; to deliver the services that families rely on; and to restore economic discipline.”
Following the reshuffle, Ms Britnell was quoted in local newspaper The Warrnambool Standard as saying she would not be silenced and would keep speaking out on ports and freight, as well as other topics such as child safety.
As recently as August, Ms Britnell was in combative mood, using a Shipping Australia lunch to criticise the government for failing to get more containers onto rail.
“The [Victorian] system isn’t the optimal it could be, in fact in a lot of places it is failing,” she said, noting funding commitments from the last coalition government to begin work on the Port Rail Shuttle Network.
“In anyone’s mind, how it is reasonable that the Port Rail Shuttle Network isn’t complete,” she said.
“It appears to me that serious leadership from government is needed.”
Mr Groth was elected to parliament for the seat of Nepean in 2022 and has been deputy leader of the Liberal Party since 2024.
He reportedly holds the record for the world’s fastest service (263kmh) from a tournament in Korea back in 2012.