Tasmanian Liberal senator Jonno Duniam will quit politics before the end of the year. Announcing his departure from Canberra, he said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
The loss of Senator Duniam will be a blow to Liberal leader Angus Taylor, who will lose a member seen as one of the party’s brightest future prospects.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Senator Duniam said he had been considering his position for some time and denied that his decision was related to the party’s poor performance in recent opinion polls.
“Where we’re at in the polls is irrelevant,” he said. “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.”
Senator Duniam said the party’s recent leadership tensions, involving Sussan Ley, Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor, had been an exhausting process and had contributed to his decision to retire. He has agreed to remain in parliament until work on the Coalition’s immigration policy is complete.
Senator Duniam has served in parliament since 2016. Before entering parliament, he worked as a political staffer, including roles with Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz and former Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman.
He served as Assistant Minister for Forests and Fisheries, as well as Regional Tourism, under Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He was later appointed Assistant Minister for Industry Development.
Senator Duniam was personally opposed to marriage equality but voted in favour of the 2017 legislation in line with the outcome of the postal survey.
