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Queensland Liberal National senator Brett Mason has told his colleagues he will quit Parliament before the next federal election.
Senator Mason made the announcement in the party room on Tuesday and said he would make his valedictory speech in the Senate before the end of the week. His departure will create a casual vacancy to be filled by the Liberal National Party.
In a statement released a short time later, Senator Mason said he intended to formally resign Parliament "prior to the budget sittings in May".
"It has been a great honour to represent the interests of Queensland as a Senator in the Australian Parliament for the past 15 and a half years," he said.
Senator Mason's colleague Senator Cory Bernardi paid tribute to him on Twitter.
Sad news that great friend and outstanding LNP Senator Brett Mason will be retiring from Senate this week. All best for future plans Brett. — Cory Bernardi (@corybernardi)
March 24, 2015
Senator Mason was dumped as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's Parliamentary Secretary in the ministerial reshuffle at the end of 2014.
Fairfax Media reported at the time that Senator Mason would likely be offered a posting. It is also believed his demotion was partly because the Prime Minister wanted to protect Attorney-General George Brandis' preselection. Senator Mason had told colleagues in the weeks leading up to his demotion that he planned to challenge fellow Queenslander Senator Brandis for the number one spot on the LNP's Senate ticket.
Government sources would not confirm on Tuesday whether Senator Mason would be offered a posting before his resignation comes into effect.
Senator Mason was one of Tony Abbott's early supporters in the 2009 Liberal leadership spill. He quit his frontbench position over the emissions trading scheme along with several others, effectively forcing a new challenge against the then leader Malcolm Turnbull.
One of his more recent contributions was a passionate speech to the party room in which he urged colleagues not to neglect the challenge of repaying the nation's debt for future generations.
The Prime Minister has since declared the government's second budget will be a "dull and routine" affair as much of the long-term heavy lifting had been done last year. The government has failed to get its key budget measures, including the now dropped GP tax and the higher education reforms aimed at uncapping university fees, through the Senate.
