Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam quits politics, cites leadership spill toll

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Emma Williams

World - 14 Jun 2026

⚡ Quick Summary

Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam is resigning from the Australian Senate before year-end, citing exhaustion and the toll of a recent leadership spill.
His departure weakens the Coalition, already at historic low polling and facing a surging One Nation party that may outflank it as the main opposition.
Duniam, a Tasmanian senator and home affairs spokesperson, says family priorities drove his decision, not the party’s electoral fortunes.
The resignation follows that of fellow Tasmanian Liberal senator Wendy Askew, triggering concerns about a talent drain in the opposition.

Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam will resign from Parliament before the end of the year, delivering another significant blow to the struggling Coalition as it faces historic lows in popularity.

The Tasmanian senator, elected in 2016 and widely regarded as one of the Liberals’ most talented members, described his departure as an “extremely difficult decision” that he had weighed for “quite some time” to prioritize family time.

Taylor called Duniam’s retirement a “great loss” for the Liberals, describing him as “intelligent, articulate and always across his brief.”

His departure follows that of fellow Tasmanian Liberal senator Wendy Askew, who also announced she would leave the upper house after being appointed in 2019 to fill a casual vacancy.

Duniam said the party’s leadership change earlier this year was an “exhausting” and “difficult” process that catalyzed his decision to retire.

“When the leadership change came along, it started to really wear on me. It was less about direction and more about my personal energy levels, and to that end, that is why I made that decision,” he said.

Duniam said he felt as if he was “letting down the team” but had given 25 years to the party and needed to prioritize his family.

“I am leaving the field of battle and leaving them on it, which is not a good feeling, but at the end of the day one has to make a choice,” he said.

“I’ve got three boys, I’ve got a family that I need to ensure have me around as well, and that’s why I made this decision.”

The newly elected federal Liberal president, Tony Abbott, said he was “very disappointed” but understood how tough public life could be.

Abbott said Duniam’s retirement required the opposition to put “every hand on deck right now to save Australia from a terrible government and keep us our best selves.”

“I hope his replacement is drawn from a very strong field of proven achievers seeking to serve our country and advance the ideals of the Liberal party,” he said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Sky News on Sunday that Duniam was one of the opposition’s “best and brightest.”

Duniam acknowledged his announcement came at a difficult time for the Coalition, which polling indicates could lose its status as the main opposition at the next federal election if One Nation’s surge in popularity holds.

In May, a Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll published in the Australian Financial Review showed One Nation’s primary vote had surpassed Labor and the Coalition for the first time.

Earlier this week, Tony Pasin, a conservative Liberal from rural South Australia and a shadow minister, suggested his party and One Nation should “work hand-in-glove to defeat Labor” by arranging a deal not to contest the same seats.

The suggestion was quickly rejected by Taylor, and Liberal Senator James Paterson criticized it as “premature.”

Duniam said talking about deals with One Nation two years before a federal election was “not relevant.”

“Because if we’re just going to wave the white flag and say that it’s over now [and] we’ve just got to do deals with others to get across the line, then we’re not doing our job properly,” he said.

💡 Why This Matters

Jonno Duniam’s exit is not just another resignation but a symptom of deeper fractures within Australia’s Liberal-National Coalition. Widely seen as one of the party’s most capable figures, his departure, coupled with that of Wendy Askew, undermines the opposition’s parliamentary depth at a moment when its primary vote has been overtaken by One Nation in some polls. The timing amplifies internal debates about whether the Liberals should explore electoral pacts with the right-wing populist party to beat Labor—a strategy publicly discussed by shadow minister Tony Pasin but rejected by party leaders. Duniam’s personal “exhaustion” over the leadership change earlier this year also highlights how the party’s ongoing instability is sapping morale among its most committed members. For voters, this signals that the Coalition’s rebuilding effort may be more difficult than its leadership acknowledges, with experienced hands leaving before the next federal election and no clear succession plan in place.

🧭 Background

Jonno Duniam entered the Australian Senate in 2016 representing Tasmania and rose to shadow home affairs spokesperson. He is one of several moderate Liberals to leave parliament recently, reflecting internal tensions after Peter Dutton succeeded Scott Morrison as opposition leader. The Coalition trails Labor in national polls, while right-wing minor party One Nation has gained ground, threatening the Liberals’ status as the primary opposition in some states.

🔭 What’s Next

Duniam will stay until his immigration portfolio work is done, likely resigning in late 2024. A Tasmanian Liberal will be chosen by the state parliament to fill the casual vacancy, which could reignite factional tensions between moderates and conservatives. The Coalition must also decide how to handle One Nation’s rise—whether to attempt a preference deal, as Pasin suggested, or maintain a hard line. Duniam’s exit may prompt other frontbenchers to reconsider their futures, especially if internal divisions persist.

📝 This article was rewritten with AI assistance based on content from The Guardian.