'Taken a toll': Rising Liberal star to quit politics

Australian Senator Jonathon Duniam announced he will not seek re-election, marking the end of a more than two-decade career in politics. The 43-year-old cited the significant personal cost of his extensive involvement in public life as the driving force behind his decision to step down from his Tasmanian Senate seat before the end of 2026.

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Ten years, on top of 15 years prior to that of being in and around politics, 25 years of my life dedicated to long hours and being away from home a lot has taken a toll on my family.

"Ten years, on top of 15 years prior to that of being in and around politics, 25 years of my life dedicated to long hours and being away from home a lot has taken a toll on my family," Duniam told reporters in Hobart on Sunday. He emphasized that family priorities became paramount, leaving him with no second thoughts about his retirement.

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This job has been a very serious one, and as a result, has taken up a lot of time and a lot of energy.

Duniam, who served as the opposition's home affairs spokesman, rejected suggestions that his departure was influenced by the rising popularity of the One Nation party or declining poll numbers for the Liberal Party. He stated that the decision had been weighed for some time with his team and colleagues. "A good friend of mine told me graveyards are full of indispensable people and at the end of the day, someone else is going to take my place," he remarked.

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It is odd to fight hard to get in. It's even odder when you fight harder to stay and then to pull up stumps.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke acknowledged Duniam's departure as a loss for the Liberal Party, calling him "one of their best and brightest." Duniam first entered federal politics in 2016 and previously served as an adviser to former Senator Eric Abetz and deputy chief of staff to former Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman. His decision to retire with ample time before the next election allows a successor to build their profile.

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When family come into it, you can't think twice about it. Your priorities become very, very clear.