A shock announcement has dealt another blow to Australia's Liberal Party, with one of its senior figures confirming he will leave federal Parliament. The Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Senator Jonathon Duniam, said on Sunday morning that he is quitting politics and will depart Parliament later this year. The decision strips the opposition of one of its most respected performers at a difficult moment for the party.
Duniam, a Liberal senator for Tasmania, is widely regarded as one of the party's strongest operators. He has spent about a decade in federal Parliament and has held senior shadow roles, most recently as the opposition's spokesman on home affairs. His exit leaves a clear gap on the opposition front bench that the party will now have to fill.
The senator framed the move as a personal one. He said he had made the decision together with his family so that he could spend more time at home, after years in which the long hours and time away from his children had taken a toll. He confirmed that he had informed the Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, of his choice before going public.
Duniam will not recontest his Senate seat and is expected to leave Parliament before the end of the year. He was careful to stress that the timing was not driven by the opposition's poor standing, saying the party's poll numbers had not influenced his decision to step back from public life after so long in politics.
For the Liberals, however, the resignation lands at one of their lowest points. The loss of a frontbencher seen as one of their better communicators adds to the pressure on Angus Taylor's team as it struggles to steady itself and rebuild support across the country.
The departure also comes against the backdrop of a surge by One Nation. Pauline Hanson's party has pushed its primary vote ahead of Labor and is closing in on double the coalition's support, while Hanson has broadened her attacks to take aim at Labor as well. Within the Liberal Party, members have been arguing over how to respond to that rise, adding to a sense of disarray that Duniam's exit only deepens.