Liberal senator Jonno Duniam makes ‘tough call’ to leave politics before the end of this year

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam has announced his intention to leave parliament later this year.

The 43-year-old will depart from politics after a 25-year career representing Tasmania, including a decade spent in federal politics.

Senator Duniam told the ABC he has been weighing the decision for some time and had “no regrets about pulling up stumps”.

“After much consideration, my family and I made the call that it was time for me to be home more,” he said.

“Twenty-five years, a quarter of a century, devoted to politics I think is more than enough for anyone.”

Speaking on Sunday, Senator Duniam reflected on his time in office, saying he had not “wasted a single day”.

“There’s an element of thinking that I am letting down my party by going, but at the end of the day I have to make a choice that’s right for my family, in particular my three sons who have often come second to the work that I do.”

His departure will require a reshuffle of the shadow ministry.

Senator Duniam was elevated to the Senate in 2016, was re-elected in 2022, and currently holds the coveted shadow portfolios of Home Affairs and Immigration.

He has previously held portfolios including Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries and Regional Tourism and Industry Development.

‘Difficult timing’ with rise of One Nation 

Senator Duniam acknowledged the “difficult timing” of his departure, as the Liberal Party works to rebuild while trying to fight off concerns surrounding the rise of One Nation.

He said he believed there remained a “serious, credible potential” for the orange wave to secure a foothold in the country.

“[Tasmania’s] Tammy Tyrrell, having defected to Labor, is in a very vulnerable position. She is probably the mostly likely at risk of losing a seat to Lee Hanson [of One Nation] and the Hanson name is obviously one that is attractive to voters at this point in time.

“We’ve got to focus on actually being relevant to Tasmanians and giving them a reason to vote for us. At the last election, clearly we did not.”

During his time in office, he said Australia and the world more broadly had been going through a “chaotic time”, but he was confident that the Liberal party was “firmly on the right path”.

“I’m not going to deny that the Liberal Party faces some exceptional challenges federally, and no-one is pretending that isn’t the case. But I know my colleagues are up for the task. I want to support them in any way I can, it just won’t be at the ballot box,” he said.

“I am worried about the future. There’s a lot going on in the world and here in this country that I never thought we’d see in my lifetime.

“The days of certainty are broadly behind us and we do need to make sure that we have policies that put our country first and the interests of our nation ahead of others.

“I leave behind colleagues in the shadow cabinet and the full Liberal and joint party rooms of people who are committed — in very tough times — to doing the best they can for this country.”

Leadership change ‘crystallised’ decision

He said the federal Liberal leadership change earlier this year was a “difficult time” for the party and the “energy and time-consuming” process helped to “crystallise” his decision to leave politics.

“That was a point in time where I thought ‘I’ve had enough’,” he said.

“There are things I need to attend to that are more important than this.”

In a statement, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor thanked Senator Duniam for his “enormous contribution” to the Senate and described his departure as a “great loss to the Liberal Party”.

“Jonno has been a valued colleague and friend to many of us. Most recently, he has served with distinction as Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, bringing a strong commitment to an immigration system that serves Australia’s national interest, protects our borders and maintains public confidence in our migration program,” he said.

“He has also been a tireless advocate for regional communities through his work across the environment, forestry and fisheries portfolios, always standing up for Tasmania’s industries, jobs and way of life.

“Intelligent, articulate and always across his brief, Jonno is someone whose departure from the parliament is a great loss to the Liberal Party and to the service of Australians and the national interest. 

“Of course, public service comes with significant personal sacrifices, and family must always come first. I thank Jonno for his service and wish him, his wife Anisa and their three sons every success and happiness for the future.”

Senator Duniam has committed to staying in his role until later this year.

“[Angus knew some weeks ago and I gave him a commitment I will do what needs doing to finish the job he has asked me to do,” he said.

“No two people in the Coalition are more equipped to lead us [and Australia] back to success than Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan; they are both outstanding leaders and have a love for our country that is unrivalled.

“I know Angus has what it takes, in the way he dissects issues. He has the energy. We are going to get a very good outcome.

Reacting to the news, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Liberal Party was losing one of its “best and brightest”.

“There’ll be plenty of times when Senator Duniam and I are sparring, and he’ll say some pretty harsh things, as you’d expect the shadow minister to say, but the reality is, whenever there’s been something squarely in the national interest, I’ve never seen him be anything other than professional,” he told Sky News.

Senator Duniam said his decision was a “leap of faith” and he had no plans for what was next, other that it would not involve politics.

“There’ll be no politics, no state politics, no federal politics, no politics anywhere, I’ll be saying good bye,” he said.

“What’s next? I genuinely have no plans. Who knows.”

The announcement comes days after fellow Tasmanian Liberal senator Wendy Askew’s decision to retire.