Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison will quit politics after 17 years in the federal parliament.
His resignation will trigger a by-election in the seat of Cook is Sydney’s south.
Morrison is set to make a formal announcement on Wednesday, but it is understood he will leave politics to work for a string of global advisory firms.
The former Prime Minister confirmed his intentions to The Australian.
After having served in the parliament for more than sixteen years, including almost 4 years as Prime Minister during a very challenging time for our country, now is the time to move on and enable a new member to be elected who can bring fresh energy and a long-term commitment to serving our local community in this role,” said.
“It has been my great privilege to represent the wonderful people of Cook for more than sixteen years in our federal parliament,” Morrison said.
“The decision to leave is always a difficult one when you have been doing something you love and feel passionate about.”
The former Prime Minister who led the government to surprise election win in 2019 said he was proud of his achievements in parliament.
Morrison became Prime Minister in 2018 after Malcolm Turnbull stood down from the role following a number of leadership challenges.
During his time in office he was widely criticised for being on holiday in Hawaii during a bushfire crisis, and it was later revealed that during the Corona virus pandemic he’d secretly appointed himself to several ministries.
As Prime Minister he pushed for Religious Discrimination legislation to be brought in, but scuttled his own legislation when members of his own party threatened to cross the floor over their concerns about the lack of protections for LGBTIQA+ people.
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