Long-serving Liberal senator Marise Payne announces retirement

Marise Payne has ended months of speculation, announcing she will retire after a political career spanning 26 years. The move will spark a factional battle for her Senate spot.

Long-serving Liberal Senator Marise Payne has announced her decision to retire, ending a political career spanning more than 26 years.

The decision ends months of speculation, and is set to trigger a factional battle for her Senate spot with former NSW minister Andrew Constance and fellow moderate to throw his hat in the ring.

Ms Payne, whose partner is former NSW minister Stuart Ayres, has been a senator since 1997.

In August 2018, she was appointed foreign affairs minister after having served as the human services and defence minister.

During her time in the defence portfolio, Ms Payne delivered the 2016 Defence White Paper, the Integrated Investment Plan, and Defence Industry Policy Statement while overseeing a major renewal of the Australian Defence Force’s capabilities.

A member of the Liberals since 1982, Ms Payne served on the party’s NSW State Executive for a decade and was the Young Liberals’ first female president.

Penny Wong and Marise Payne at the National Press Club of Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Taylor

Anthony Albanese and Marise Payne arriving in East Timor in 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

In a statement issued on social media, Ms Payne said she would be retiring from the Senate on September 30.

Ms Payne, who was Australia’s longest-serving female senator, said it had been a privilege to have served “as long as I have”.

“To have had the privilege to have served as long as I have, and in the process to have become Australia’s longest serving female Senator in history, is something of which I am very proud,” she said.

Declaring western Sydney her “political and personal home, Ms Payne said it was a region that has “too often” been taken for granted by Labor.

“Both the Albanese and Mins Cabinets are replaying that tired Labor script,” she said.

“Avoiding essential infrastructure commitments, avoiding addressing the migration challenge which is exacerbated by housing issues, and hoping that western Sydney will just vote for them anyway.”

Ms Payne, who had three “unsuccessful tilts at Senate preselection” before entering in 1997, thanked former prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison for the opportunity of serving as a minister in their teams.

“I have made lifelong friends in this place, and I have the greatest of respect for those who choose this unique life of service,” she said.

In acknowledging Liberal leader Peter Dutton, Ms Payne said their friendship had at times been “tested”.

“We have been colleagues and friends for over 20 years,” she said.

“Politics has occasionally tested our strong friendship, but our shared service as Foreign and Defence Ministers at a time of great challenge for Australia cemented my regard and respect for him and I value his friendship.

“I am immensely proud that under the leadership of former prime minister Scott Morrison, Peter and I worked so effectively together with the prime minister to deliver the AUKUS Agreement for our nation, transformative in terms of national security and Australia’s place in the world and our region.

“I also thank him for inviting me to serve as Shadow Cabinet Secretary, and I look forward to seeing him lead our nation as prime minister.”

Ms Payne urged her Senate colleagues to “keep the faith” in “this institution”.

“I particularly look to our Opposition front bench,” she said.

While retiring from politics, Ms Payne said she was not ready to stop working and was looking forward to using the experience she had gained in her career to date in her next role.