The shadow cabinet is a group of senior Opposition spokespeople who form an alternative Cabinet to the government's, whose members "shadow" or "mark" each individual Minister or portfolio of the Government.
Following the Labor Party's win, in the 2007 federal election, the Liberal-National Coalition became the official Opposition.
Brendan Nelson was elected Leader of the Liberal Party on 29 November 2007 and announced that his deputy Julie Bishop would be Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations and that his unsuccessful rival for the Liberal leadership, Malcolm Turnbull, would be offered the position of Shadow Treasurer.
Warren Truss was elected leader of the National Party.
Nelson's Cabinet lasted until 16 September 2008, following a leadership spill, which saw Turnbull emerge as the new leader.