Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam will quit politics before the end of the year. in another major blow to the struggling Coalition as it experiences its lowest levels of popularity in decades.
The Tasmanian senator, who was elected to parliament in 2016. is seen as one of the Liberals’ best talents, said it was an “extremely difficult decision to make” but one he had been considering for “quite some time” to spend more time with family.
“Where we’re at in the polls is irrelevant,” the 43-year-old said on Sunday.
“It wouldn’t matter whether we were on the precipice of a landslide win or the doldrums of electoral defeat. I would be making the same decision I am today.”
Duniam. who serves as the opposition’s home affairs spokesperson, said he had informed the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, who asked him to finish the Coalition’s immigration policy work before quitting.
Taylor said Duniam’s retirement was a “great loss” for the Liberals, describing him as “intelligent, articulate. always across his brief”.
His retirement comes after fellow Tasmanian Liberal senator Wendy Askew also announced she would leave the upper house after being appointed in 2019 in a casual vacancy.
Duniam said the party’s leadership change earlier this year was an “exhausting”. “difficult” process that catalysed his decision to retire.
“When the leadership change came along, it started to really wear on me. It was less about direction. more about my personal energy levels, and to that end, that is why I made that decision,” he said.
Duniam said he felt as if he was “letting down the team” but had given 25 years to the party. needed to prioritise his family.
“I am leaving the field of battle. leaving them on it, which is not a good feeling, but at the end of the day one has to make a choice,” he said.
“I’ve got three boys, I’ve got a family that I need to ensure have me around as well,. that’s why I made this decision.”
The newly elected federal Liberal president, Tony Abbott, said he was “very disappointed”. understood how tough public life could be.
Abbott said Duniam’s retirement required the opposition to put “every hand on deck right now to save Australia from a terrible government. keep us our best selves”.
“I hope his replacement is drawn from a very strong field of proven achievers seeking to serve our country. advance the ideals of the Liberal party,” he said.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, told Sky News on Sunday Duniam was one of the opposition’s “best and brightest”.
Duniam acknowledged his announcement came at a difficult time for the Coalition. which, according to current polling data, could be wiped out as the opposition at the next federal election if One Nation’s surge in popularity holds.
In May, a Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll published in the Australian Financial Review showed One Nation’s primary vote had surpassed Labor. the Coalition for the first time.
Earlier this week, Tony Pasin, a conservative Liberal from rural South Australia. a shadow minister, suggested his party and One Nation should “work hand-in-glove to defeat Labor” by arranging a deal not to run in the same seats.
The suggestion was quickly rejected by Taylor, and Liberal senator James Paterson criticised the suggestion as “premature”.
Duniam said talking about deals with One Nation two years before a federal election was “not relevant”.
“Because if we’re just going to wave the white flag. say that it’s over now [and] we’ve just got to do deals with others to get across the line, then we’re not doing our job properly,” he said.
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