Health minister Greg Hunt set to retire from politics

The number of retiring Coalition MPs will rise to 10 when Greg Hunt announces his expected exit on Thursday.

Health Minister Greg Hunt, right, will use the last parliamentary sitting day of the year to announce his retirement, sources say. Picture: Martin Ollman

Former attorney-general Christian Porter and Health Minister Greg Hunt will leave politics at the next federal election, as the number of retiring Coalition MPs rises to 10.

Mr Hunt is expected to announce plans to quit his Victorian seat of Flinders on Thursday, while Mr Porter issued a statement on Facebook on Wednesday to announce his departure from politics after spending “the best part of the last 20 years in public service”.

Christian Porter. Picture: Martin Ollman

The announcement follows a tumultuous year for Mr Porter, who resigned from cabinet amid a controversy over his use of a blind trust to help fund his defamation case against the ABC, which published unproven historic rape allegations against him, allegations Mr Porter has denied.

Government sources told The Australian that Mr Hunt – who has been the Health Minister since 2017 and has directed the federal health response to the Covid-19 pandemic for the past two years – would use the last parliamentary sitting day of the year to announce his retirement.

He will remain as Health Minister through to the 2022 poll, expected in May next year, but will then retire from parliament and politics.

He joins fellow long-serving Victorian MPs Tony Smith, who was also elected in 2001 and resigned as Speaker last week, and former Howard and Abbott government minister Kevin Andrews, who is “father of the house” after serving more than 30 years.

On announcing his decision not to recontest the WA seat of Pearce, Mr Porter lamented the “harshness” of elected office, declaring there “appears to be no limit to what some will say or ­allege or do to gain an advantage over a perceived enemy.”

He said despite experiencing the harshness of modern politics, he had no regrets. “Even though I have experienced perhaps more of the harshness of modern politics than most, there are no regrets,” he wrote.

“It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with great teams of men and women to drive change and to govern during remarkable times, including the most demanding time for government since WWII.”

Mr Porter moved to the backbench in September over mystery donations supporting his legal fight against the ABC and reporter Louise Milligan who first reported the unproven rape allegations made by a woman now deceased.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said he was “very dis­appointed that Christian Porter is retiring, after being effectively hounded from the ministry on the basis of decades-old and unprov­able allegations,” he said.

“It’s sad and wrong that a capable person’s contribution can be curtailed in this way.”

Mr Porter’s resignation has left the party scrambling to find a new candidate months after preselections were finalised. Among potential candidates being floated among Liberal Party members was Miquela Riley, a former naval officer who ran for the seat of Fre­mantle at the March state election. She is understood to enjoy strong support from influential Liberal figure Danielle Blain.

Liam Staltari, a former national president of the Young Liberals who ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Kalamunda in March, has also been touted as a candidate.

Josh Frydenberg, a close friend of Mr Hunt and who defeated him in the ballot for deputy leader of the Liberal Party, described Mr Hunt as “an outstanding Health Minister through this crisis” when asked about the imminent retirement announcement.

“Greg is my closest friend in this place. We are very dear friends and he has been an outstanding Health Minister through this ­crisis,” he said.

In Parliament, Mr Hunt vigorously defended the Coalition’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and said if Australia had saved 30,000 lives and if the government had not adopted “an Australian way”, there would have been 45,000 deaths from coronavirus.

Mr Hunt on Wednesday refused to respond to reports he intended to retire but an announce­ment is expected within 24 hours.

Zoe McKenzie, who is a non-executive NBN director and ­advised Andrew Robb during his tenure as trade minister, is expected to be Mr Hunt’s successor. Prior to the sex allegations controversy, Mr Porter was seen as a strong leader in the Liberal Party and touted as a potential prime minister.

He thanked the people of his electorate, as well as his friends, family and staff who had supported him throughout his career.

Mr Hunt was first elected to parliament in 2001 while Mr Porter switched from state to federal politics in 2013.

From the Coalition ranks, Ken O’Dowd, Nicolle Flint, Andrew Laming, John Alexander, Steve Irons, George Christensen and Scott Ryan will also not recontest the next election.

Six Labor MPs – Sharon Bird, Julie Owens, Warren Snowden, Joel Fitzgibbon, Nick Champion and Chris Hayes from the lower house – will also step down.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: PAUL GARVEY