Calling it Quits - Malcolm Turnbull Retirement Statement

Statement by Former Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull After Announcing He is Leaving Parliament

I have today formally advised the Leader of the Opposition and the President of the Wentworth FEC of the Liberal Party that I will not be contesting the seat of Wentworth at the federal election later this year.

I thank the people of Wentworth for their support over the last five and a half years. I have enjoyed serving and working with them enormously – there is truly no greater privilege than representing your own community in our national parliament.

Over the years I have appreciated the friendship, support and encouragement of Liberals both in this Parliament and around Australia for which I sincerely thank them. As a Member of Parliament, a Minister and especially as Leader of the Party I have been proud to defend the principles of freedom, opportunity and enterprise so fundamental to the values of the Liberal Party.

I thank John Howard for giving me the opportunity to serve as Environment and Water Minister. With his support I was able to ensure that for the first time in our history the interstate waters of the Murray Darling Basin were placed under national responsibility.

However, I regret that another important reform begun during that time, the establishment of an emissions trading scheme, is no longer Liberal Party policy.

In particular, I thank the Liberal Party and its supporters in Wentworth for their tireless support and loyalty. We have fought and won two very difficult elections in Wentworth and our success, in 2007 very much against the odds, is a tribute to the passion and professionalism of the Wentworth Liberals.

I also thank the many dedicated men and women who have worked on my personal staff, in my electorate and parliamentary offices.

Above all, I thank my family, my wife Lucy and children Alex and Daisy without whose infinite love, patience and cheerfulness it would not have been possible to undertake the many challenging roles I have had in this Parliament.

When I ceased to be Leader of the Opposition at the end of last year I resolved that I would not precipitate a by-election by resigning from Parliament.

However I did say that I would reflect carefully on whether I would run at the election this year and having done so I am making this announcement.

I have received considerable encouragement from my constituents and parliamentary colleagues to run again at the election and I thank them sincerely for that confidence and support. But a decision like this is a very personal and heartfelt one which can only be made by me and my family.

I will of course continue to serve the people of Wentworth as their Member of Parliament until such time as the Parliament is dissolved for the election and look forward to continuing to work with our community and contributing to public policy debate after my time in Parliament is complete.

As to the future, Lucy and I look forward to once again pursuing new opportunities in the private sector.

Finally, I wish our Party and its leaders, Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop, every success in this election year.