Casey MP Aaron Violi has been promoted to the Liberal Party’s shadow ministry as Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley reshuffled her front bench.
Mr Violi has been given the role of Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications, a portfolio he has taken great interest in since he was first elected in 2022.
Mr Violi said he was honoured to serve in the position in the Ley Shadow Ministry.
“Reliable and resilient communications are an essential service all Australians rely on, whether they are in the cities, the suburbs, or the regions,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the Albanese Labor Government is letting Australians down, like so many in my community of Casey, I have lived through telecommunications outages and seen firsthand the dangers of an unreliable network – especially during natural disasters.
“After two Ministers and countless review recommendations, the Albanese Labor Government has failed to deliver on key portfolio concerns.”
Mr Violi will serve in the role in addition to his responsibility as Chief Opposition Whip, with which he was entrusted following this year’s election.
Mr Violi said he looks forward to working with Shadow Minister for Communications, Melissa McIntosh and Shadow Minister for Regional Communications Dr Anne Webster as they hold the Albanese Labor Government to account and shape their policy platform.
“Labor’s Minister for Communications could have acted sooner to strengthen Triple Zero safeguards, but did not,” he said.
“Subsequent Labor Communications Ministers could have acted to address Murphy Report recommendations to reduce the influence of gambling advertising on children… after two years, no action has been taken.
“We also know that digital scams and fraud using a carriage service or social media is on the rise. Unlike the Labor Government, the Coalition is taking the communications portfolio seriously, which is why we are strengthening our shadow ministerial representation and focusing on the issues that matter to Australians.”
Mr Violi campaigned for the Casey community to receive funding after missing out on Improving Mobile Coverage Round grants in 2023, also inviting then Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman to visit the Dandenong Ranges that year. In 2024, he advocated for and wrote to the Minister for Communications to include Casey in the regional and rural Mobile Network Hardening Program and extend the Mobile Blackspot Program (MBSP) through the Federal Government’s Better Connectivity Plan (BCP). In March this year, Mr Violi also joined an online forum by by Mums of the Hills (MoTHs) where the importance of reliable telecommunications was discussed.
