Angus Taylor mourns ‘great loss’ of Jonno Duniam as Tasmania senators step aside

Angus Taylor says Tasmania senator Jonno Duniam’s departure will be a “great loss” for the Liberal Party, as One Nation eyes the Coalition’s former island stronghold.

In a statement, the Tasmanian senator and opposition spokesperson for home affairs announced on Sunday that he would be quitting politics ahead of the 2028 ballot.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make – albeit that it is one I have been considering for quite some time,” Senator Duniam said.

“I have spent the past 25 years in politics, the last 10 of those as a Senator for Tasmania – and I have given everything to these responsibilities, often at the expense of family.

“Twenty-five years is a long time in any vocation and, when you take your role seriously, it always comes first. It is time I reversed my priorities and I can’t do that if I am to stay in politics.”

Senator Duniam acknowledged that his exit came at a “difficult time” for the Coalition, adding: “But, I am confident that my friends across both the Liberal Party and the National Party are firmly on the right path.

“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.”

In a statement, Angus Taylor thanked Senator Duniam and fellow Tasmanian senator Wendy Askew, who also announced her retirement earlier this week.

“Jonno has made an enormous contribution throughout his time in the Senate and has been a valued colleague and friend to many of us,” Mr Taylor said.

“Intelligent, articulate and always across his brief, Jonno is someone whose departure from the Parliament is a great loss to the Liberal Party and the 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.”

Mr Taylor said Senator Askew had also served with “professionalism, integrity and grace throughout her parliamentary career”, in particular, during her service as Opposition Whip in the Senate.

Senator Duniam said he had discussed his decision with Mr Taylor “some time ago”.

“He has asked me to continue for a short period of time to complete work on our Immigration policies,” he said.

“I am very happy to be able to do that – and to devote myself to building on the extensive work that Angus and the team have already undertaken on our Australian values migration plan and on restoring integrity, confidence and national interest to Australia’s migration system.”

He said his time in parliament had been “a blessing”, noting his promotion of local primary industries in Tasmania, “saving” the Mersey hospital in 2017, and protecting emergency relief funding to be among his accomplishments.

“While I know there will be some who will be disappointed that I am leaving, I am very grateful to the Liberal Party membership in Tasmania for granting me the privilege of being a Senator and for all the support that they have provided to me,” he said.

“Now is the right time for my party to choose new Senate team members who will carry forward the fight for Tasmania and for the values in which the Liberal Party believes.

“I leave federal politics proud and grateful but exhausted. I wish our current Senators, and our new Senate team as a whole, nothing but the best as they strive hard to deliver for our state.”

‘Best and brightest’

Reacting to the news, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Liberal Party would lose “one of their 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 a 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.

Mr Burke credited Senator Duniam for “sheparding” the Liberal Party through the passage of the Albanese government’s hate speech reforms last year.

“It wasn’t necessarily easy internally for them, because this was to go below the normal thresholds where it was words that were not specifically calling for violence,” he said.

“But, we are a safer nation because that’s been done, and it wouldn’t have happened were it not for his leadership as well.”

Liberal-National party MP Phil Thompson told Sky News he had spoken to Senator Duniam that morning.

“I fully understand his reasonings, though, and I had a long chat,” he said.

“You’re talking about the family impact, that I know all too well. Missing anniversaries, missing birthdays, missing holidays.

“He’s (Senator Duniam) always out and about on TV, travelling, always away from his family, ad it takes a toll.

“He’s been a fierce warrior and a fierce servant of the political party, but also of the Senate.

“He’s been a mentor of mine. He’s someone I call regularly and asked for feedback of and get some different angles. He’s a great man, great person, and I wish him well.”

Born in Tasmania’s second city of Launceston, Senator Duniam joined the Liberal party in 2001 and served in a number of roles behind the scenes before being pre-selected on the party’s Senate ticket in 2016.

He served as assistant minister to forestry and fisheries and regional tourism under then-prime minister Scott Morrison.

Following the Albanese government’s election win in 2022, he was appointed to the shadow cabinet in the fisheries and environment portfolios.

He is a member of the Liberal party’s National Right faction, and in recent months has been a vocal opponent of the return of the so-called ISIS brides and has sought to pressure the government over net overseas migration.