Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SKILLS AND TRAINING
SENATOR FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORY
STATEMENT
I am honoured to have been appointed by the Leader of the Opposition as the Shadow Minister for Small Business, Skills and Training. It is a privilege to return to the Shadow Cabinet and to be part of an experienced and energised team, led by Angus Taylor MP and Senator Jane Hume, that is determined to change our country for the better.
Because right now, under the Albanese Government, Australia is changing for the worse. Under Labor, Australians are worse off, our country is less secure, and our nation is divided.
Some 40,000 businesses have collapsed on Anthony Albanese's watch. Last year was the worst on record for business insolvencies. Labor has put in place some 5,000 new regulations that are like sand in the gears of the economy. As Angus Taylor said, we need government that gets the big things right but gets off people's backs. We need businesses to be freer - liberated from Labor's onerous taxes and the reams of government paperwork that turn ambition into anxiety.
We have skills shortages across the economy too. Part of the problem is that too many young Australians have been told that university is the path they must pursue. I want to talk about the nobility that is inherent in other paths too - working in a trade, working in our health and childcare sectors, working in agriculture and mining, working in hospitality and transport, and much more besides. I want to speak about the deep meaning and responsibility that reside in those professions where you build something, fix something, make something, and help someone. We used to call these roles 'blue-collar jobs'. But the people who work in them are nation builders and nation boosters. And we need more of them.
There is much hard work ahead for the Liberal Party - and the Coalition more broadly. Far beyond holding the worst government in our nation's history to account, we need to start being an alternative government that Australians can get behind.
In my new role, I can't wait to get out there and to fight for small businesses and those professions that make our nation tick, to fight for everyday Australians, and to fight for the nation we love. Decline is a choice. And I choose to work with duty, dedication and discipline to reverse the national decline that is happening under Anthony Albanese. The Coalition will fight for Australia because Australia is worth fighting for.
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
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