'Straighten your tiara': Jane Hume breaks her silence over her demotion

The Advertiser

30-05-2025

The Liberals' former finance and public service spokeswoman, Jane Hume, has broken her silence over her controversial dumping from the Coalition frontbench by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Senator Hume told Seven's Sunrise that the loss of her portfolio "hurts professionally because I was a hard-working and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous opposition."
"If you're asking me whether I've been ... I feel hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan, of course, it hurts," she said.
"It hurts personally, too - because, you know, Sussan and I are friends."
But, the Victorian senator said: "This isn't the playground. This is the Parliament. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference."
She made the comments after being asked if her demotion was "payback" for her role in announcing and advocating for the Coalition's short-lived work-from-home policy during the election campaign.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton retracted the policy to force public servants back to the office full time after a public backlash, particularly from private sector women who feared it would be expanded to deprive them of workplace flexibility.
Senator Hume said her demotion would afford her more freedom to speak her mind.
"There is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points," she said.
"I will continue to do that every day from whatever position I am in," she said, calling on all members of the Opposition to "get behind Sussan Ley, put our shoulders to the wheel."
"There's a very big task ahead of us. Not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians, but also to hold this terrible government to account," Senator Hume said.
"That's exactly what I am going to be doing every day, and every single one of my colleagues are going to be doing every day.
"As my very wise mother would say, 'Stop your nonsense, chin up, chest out, straighten your tiara and let's get on with the job'."
The Liberals' former finance and public service spokeswoman, Jane Hume, has broken her silence over her controversial dumping from the Coalition frontbench by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Senator Hume told Seven's Sunrise that the loss of her portfolio "hurts professionally because I was a hard-working and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous opposition."
"If you're asking me whether I've been ... I feel hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan, of course, it hurts," she said.
"It hurts personally, too - because, you know, Sussan and I are friends."
But, the Victorian senator said: "This isn't the playground. This is the Parliament. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference."
She made the comments after being asked if her demotion was "payback" for her role in announcing and advocating for the Coalition's short-lived work-from-home policy during the election campaign.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton retracted the policy to force public servants back to the office full time after a public backlash, particularly from private sector women who feared it would be expanded to deprive them of workplace flexibility.
Senator Hume said her demotion would afford her more freedom to speak her mind.
"There is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points," she said.
"I will continue to do that every day from whatever position I am in," she said, calling on all members of the Opposition to "get behind Sussan Ley, put our shoulders to the wheel."
"There's a very big task ahead of us. Not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians, but also to hold this terrible government to account," Senator Hume said.
"That's exactly what I am going to be doing every day, and every single one of my colleagues are going to be doing every day.
"As my very wise mother would say, 'Stop your nonsense, chin up, chest out, straighten your tiara and let's get on with the job'."
The Liberals' former finance and public service spokeswoman, Jane Hume, has broken her silence over her controversial dumping from the Coalition frontbench by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Senator Hume told Seven's Sunrise that the loss of her portfolio "hurts professionally because I was a hard-working and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous opposition."
"If you're asking me whether I've been ... I feel hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan, of course, it hurts," she said.
"It hurts personally, too - because, you know, Sussan and I are friends."
But, the Victorian senator said: "This isn't the playground. This is the Parliament. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference."
She made the comments after being asked if her demotion was "payback" for her role in announcing and advocating for the Coalition's short-lived work-from-home policy during the election campaign.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton retracted the policy to force public servants back to the office full time after a public backlash, particularly from private sector women who feared it would be expanded to deprive them of workplace flexibility.
Senator Hume said her demotion would afford her more freedom to speak her mind.
"There is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points," she said.
"I will continue to do that every day from whatever position I am in," she said, calling on all members of the Opposition to "get behind Sussan Ley, put our shoulders to the wheel."
"There's a very big task ahead of us. Not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians, but also to hold this terrible government to account," Senator Hume said.
"That's exactly what I am going to be doing every day, and every single one of my colleagues are going to be doing every day.
"As my very wise mother would say, 'Stop your nonsense, chin up, chest out, straighten your tiara and let's get on with the job'."
The Liberals' former finance and public service spokeswoman, Jane Hume, has broken her silence over her controversial dumping from the Coalition frontbench by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Senator Hume told Seven's Sunrise that the loss of her portfolio "hurts professionally because I was a hard-working and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous opposition."
"If you're asking me whether I've been ... I feel hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan, of course, it hurts," she said.
"It hurts personally, too - because, you know, Sussan and I are friends."
But, the Victorian senator said: "This isn't the playground. This is the Parliament. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference."
She made the comments after being asked if her demotion was "payback" for her role in announcing and advocating for the Coalition's short-lived work-from-home policy during the election campaign.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton retracted the policy to force public servants back to the office full time after a public backlash, particularly from private sector women who feared it would be expanded to deprive them of workplace flexibility.
Senator Hume said her demotion would afford her more freedom to speak her mind.
"There is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points," she said.
"I will continue to do that every day from whatever position I am in," she said, calling on all members of the Opposition to "get behind Sussan Ley, put our shoulders to the wheel."
"There's a very big task ahead of us. Not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians, but also to hold this terrible government to account," Senator Hume said.
"That's exactly what I am going to be doing every day, and every single one of my colleagues are going to be doing every day.
"As my very wise mother would say, 'Stop your nonsense, chin up, chest out, straighten your tiara and let's get on with the job'."