Shadow assistant treasurer resigns

Stuart Robert, the federal member for Fadden, has announced that he will resign from his position “in the coming weeks”.

Mr Robert, who is the shadow assistant treasurer and shadow financial services minister, said on Saturday (6 May), that he would fulfil some final duties as the member for Fadden over the next few weeks before “becoming a full-time husband, father and son”.

In a statement, the outgoing MP said: “For the last 16 years, I have — to the best of my ability — served the people of Fadden and the Gold Coast community.

“My family have stood with me throughout this time, through thick and thin.

“It is now time for my family to have a husband, a father and a son to stand by them.”

As such, he said it was “time to focus on [his] family”.

Taking to Facebook on Saturday (6 May), he wrote: “Today I have announced I will soon retire as Member for Fadden. It has been an immense privilege to serve our community as your local Federal Member since 2007. Together we have seen a lot of change across our region during this time and I am proud to say I have done my absolute best for the northern Gold Coast to ensure we continued to have the infrastructure and policies needed to manage our growth. A big thank you to everyone who has supported me to ensure we achieved what we have for this wonderful community.”

Over his career, the minister has served in a range of senior capacities, in the Turnbull and Morrison governments, including as the minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the minister for veterans affairs, and the minister for government services.

He made headlines earlier this year for his role overseeing the Robodebt scheme, which was recently the subject of a royal commission. During hearings for the royal commission, held in February, Mr Robert revealed that the had misgivings about the program but had said things in 2019 he believed were false to the public as part of his role as a “dutiful cabinet minister”.

In a statement announcing his resignation on Saturday (6 May), Mr Robert said he was the “first to acknowledge [his] time in Parliament has not been the smoothest ride”.

“Politics is tough. People throw the kitchen sink at you. And promises of a kinder, gentler Parliament need to be taken with a grain of salt,” he said.

“We may all aspire to it, but ambition in politics will always win — as Labor stalwart Graham Richardson aptly put it: whatever it takes.

“I do hope civility does eventually come to the theatre of politics. But I do fear division has well and truly entrenched itself in the current Parliament. A kinder, gentler Parliament it is not.”

The Liberal politician wished his party leader, Peter Dutton, success in the role, adding: “He has my full support to take it up to the Labor government and hold them to account, while at the same time giving Australians an alternative that acts in their best interests — not for popularity, not for social media, just a good decent custodian of government.”

Given the confirmation of his resignation, a byelection will be held in the seat of Fadden. The Queensland Liberal National Party opened a preselection process over the weekend to find his successor.

It is expected that a new shadow assistant treasurer and shadow financial services minister will be named in due course.

[Related: MORTGAGE AND FINANCE LEADER: How and why the Morrison government changed its mind on broker commissions]