[4] In July 2005 as part of a ministerial reshuffle, Shine was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to Warren Pitt (the Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors) and Premier's Advisor on Western Queensland.

Shine was responsible for the establishment of the new Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, (QCAT) and for the introduction of reform for the benefit of victims of crime.

[citation needed] The 2009 state election saw Shine retain the seat of Toowoomba North with a reduced margin against Liberal National challenger Trevor Watts.

[citation needed] In 2008 Kerry Shine became under fire for his comments about judges who gave lenient sentences in regards to rape.

Mr Shine was interviewed on ABC Radio in Brisbane about figures on the rate at which rapists were jailed.

[6] At the 2012 election, Shine faced Watts again and was heavily defeated in the massive landslide that brought the LNP to power, suffering a swing of almost 13 percent.