It’s family first as the toll of trolls weighed on Alan Tudge

Peter Dutton is facing a bruising by-election fight with Labor in the Melbourne seat of Aston after Alan Tudge quit politics.

Alan Tudge sats online trolls targeting his ­children were a major factor in his decision to quit. Picture: AAP

Peter Dutton is facing a bruising by-election fight with Labor in the Melbourne seat of Aston after former education minister Alan Tudge quit politics, citing the toll on his health and impact on his family.

The resignation, which came a week after Mr Tudge ­appeared at the robodebt royal commission, will trigger a by-election within months in a seat the Liberal Party holds on a 2.8 per cent margin.

Mr Tudge, who was forced to step aside from cabinet in 2021 following revelations of an affair with former staffer Rachelle ­Miller and disputed allegations of emotional and physical abuse, informed Anthony Albanese and Speaker of the House ­Milton Dick of his resignation on Thursday morning.

The 51-year-old, who will leave parliament next week after more than 12 years in Canberra, delivered an emotional farewell speech following question time, which was watched by Ms Miller from the public gallery.

Mr Tudge, who informed the Opposition Leader in January, following the death of his father, that he would quit parliament, said ­online trolls targeting his ­children were a major factor in his decision.

The Victorian conservative MP, who had a 7.3 per cent swing against him in Aston as Melbourne voters abandoned the Liberal Party at last year’s election, said his teenage ­daughters had had “to put up with things that no teenager should have to” and received abuse and death threats as recently as last week.

Peter Dutton congratulates Alan Tudge after the former education minister’s post-question time farewell speech to parliament on Thursday. Picture: AAP

With the Victorian Liberal division operating without a state director after Sam McQuestin quit following last year’s disastrous state election, federal Liberal Party director Andrew Hirst will oversee the crucial by-election campaign.

Senior Liberal strategists on Thursday played the underdog card, saying “by-elections are always tough and the government is still in its honeymoon”.

Leading candidates touted to be in the mix to replace Mr Tudge include City of Melbourne ­councillor and barrister Roshena Campbell, former Liberal state MP Cathrine Burnett-Wake, criminal barrister Sharn Coombes, former Tudge staffer Andrew Asten and prominent local Liberal member Irene Ling.

The Australian understands senior Liberal Party figures want a high-profile female candidate to be selected.

Former federal treasurer Josh Fry­denberg will not nominate as a candidate.

There was growing pressure inside Victorian Liberal Party ranks on Thursday for the state division’s administration committee to sign off quickly on a candidate to replace Mr Tudge, rather than run a full preselection process that would delay on-the-ground ­campaigning.

A senior Victorian Liberal source said: “We have to do our very best to get the very best can­didate and give that candidate as much time as possible to campaign. This is not one we can afford to get wrong.”

Following Mr Tudge’s farewell speech, the Prime Minister and Mr Dutton offered their support for the outgoing MP and called out anonymous abusers on social media for the damage they inflict on families.

After a private meeting with Mr Tudge on Thursday morning, Mr Albanese acknowledged that MPs and their families were often subject to abuse on social media.

Mr Dutton said he and Mr Albanese had recently discussed death threats being sent to their own children.

“I can understand the decision (Mr Tudge) has made … and I wish him and his family bright days ahead,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton and Mr Albanese will turn their focus on campaigning in Aston in coming months, with the by-election expected to be fought over cost-of-living pressures, including record energy ­prices and soaring mortgage rates.

Aston has been held by the Liberal Party since 1990, but Mr Tudge suffered a 7.3 per cent two-party-preferred swing against him at last year’s poll to hold the seat by just 2.8 per cent.

The seat overlaps with the Labor-held state seats of Bays­water (4.2 per cent) and Monbulk (7.6 per cent), and the Liberal seat of Rowville, where veteran MP Kim Wells had a 1.8 per cent swing against him in November to retain the seat with a 3.7 per cent margin.

Victorian ALP sources said they believed the seat was ­“absolutely winnable”, after the government picked off Chisholm and Higgins from the Liberals and came close to winning Deakin and Menzies at last year’s federal ­election.

“It’ll be a big fight, but there are favourable factors for us that ­usually aren’t the case for governments in by-elections,” a veteran Victorian ALP campaigner told The Australian.

The ALP source said it was too early to speculate on who might contest Aston, but it was likely to be a female candidate from the Socialist Left faction.

A Victorian Liberal factional powerbroker told The Australian the party would need to “cobble together a quick preselection”.

Ms Ling, an Aston resident who leads the Liberal Party’s eastern multicultural branch, is being pushed by some local party ­members.

A property investment company director and fundraising executive of a children’s charity who emigrated to Australia as a child, Ms Ling has previously ­volunteered on Mr Tudge’s ­campaigns.

Ms Campbell, who lives outside the electorate, ran a close second to Casey MP Aaron Violi in pre­selection following the departure of former Speaker of the house Tony Smith. The City of Melbourne councillor is understood to have strong factional support if she chooses to run.

Former Liberal prime ministers Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott and John Howard praised Mr Tudge for his work as education minister and for his parliamentary career, which began in 2010.

Mr Abbott said Mr Tudge’s departure was “a serious loss to the parliament and the Liberal Party”.

“He called out the flaws in the incorrigibly politically correct nat­ional curriculum.

“Had he had more time, I’m sure would have vetoed it,” Mr ­Abbott said.

“Unlike most ministers, he didn’t let the public service do his thinking for him. And he didn’t think that ministers’ job was just to follow ‘official advice’.”

Mr Morrison, who stood by Mr Tudge following revelations of the affair with Ms Miller, lauded his former cabinet minister for “facing up” to the challenges in his life.