The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) has welcomed the appointment of the Hon Kevin Hogan MP (pictured) as Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services and has flagged plans to engage with him on insurance and financial services policy. NIBA chief executive officer Richard Klipin said the association intends to work with Hogan on issues affecting insurance brokers and their clients. “We welcome Mr Hoganʼs appointment and look forward to working together on the policy settings that matter most to insurance brokers, their clients, and the communities they serve,” Klipin said.
Hogan’s appointment follows Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s allocation of shadow portfolios within the Coalition, under which The Nationals have taken on a revised set of economic and regional responsibilities. Within that framework, the financial services role is expected to cover matters of regulatory design, tax measures, and cost pressures relevant to households, businesses, and financial institutions, including insurers and intermediaries.
The reshuffle transfers responsibility for the shadow financial services role from Pat Conaghan MP to Hogan. NIBA noted Conaghan’s previous work in the portfolio and his engagement with the broking sector. “We thank Mr Conaghan for his engagement with the insurance broking profession and for the constructive relationships he built during his tenure. We wish him well in his continuing parliamentary work,” Klipin said. In February 2026, NIBA had welcomed the then-new Opposition leadership team, including Taylor as Leader of the Opposition, Senator the Hon Jane Hume as Deputy Leader, and Tim Wilson MP as Shadow Treasurer, while also welcoming the continuation of Conaghan in the financial services brief.
At that time, Klipin said Taylor had identified cost of living and affordability as key priorities for the Coalition and linked those priorities to pressure on insurance affordability for households and businesses. With Hogan now taking over the shadow financial services responsibilities, NIBA has indicated that its policy priorities remain focused on affordability, accessibility of cover, and the broader operating environment for brokers and insurers, and that it plans to brief Hogan on current market conditions and regulatory issues.
The shadow financial services position is a central point of contact on financial sector regulation, advice, and distribution rules, and the way insurance is treated in the tax system. NIBA has repeatedly identified premium affordability and the availability of cover as significant concerns in both personal and commercial lines, particularly where exposure to natural perils and rebuilding costs are influencing pricing and capacity. The association argues that insurance-based taxes and levies are a material factor in affordability and coverage decisions and has called for coordinated consideration of these charges by federal, state, and territory governments.
NIBA maintains that the overall tax burden on insurance can affect whether policyholders purchase, retain, or reduce cover, which in turn has implications for underinsurance and risk transfer. It has also pointed to comments from the Opposition leadership about reducing the tax and regulatory load on families and businesses, saying this is consistent with its long-running advocacy on insurance duties and levies. From an industry perspective, developments in Hogan’s portfolio will be relevant to any future proposals or debates around these issues.
Hogan’s appointment takes place alongside a changed Opposition leadership and a reconstituted shadow ministry. NIBA views these shifts as the backdrop for upcoming discussions on financial services regulation, competition, tax policy, and national resilience in which insurance will feature. NIBA has restated its intention to work with the government, the Opposition, and regulators to support “a well-functioning, accessible and competitive insurance market, underpinned by professional advice, that delivers value for consumers and supports national resilience.” NIBA’s response to the new shadow financial services line-up indicates that the association plans to maintain its involvement in policy debates on affordability, insurance taxes and levies, regulatory frameworks, and disaster-related risk, while continuing to promote the role of brokers within Australia’s insurance market.
