Australian PM Scott Morrison gets another jolt in election year as two more ministers quit politics
- Pyne and Ciobo were the fourth and fifth cabinet members in Morrison’s government to announce they would quit politics at the May election
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, the most moderate remaining member of Morrison’s conservative coalition government, said he was stepping down at the next election, due by mid-May, to begin a business career.
The junior defence minister, Steven Ciobo, announced separately that he would also not contest the May election and would give up his portfolio immediately so Morrison could name a replacement.
Pyne, who was also responsible for managing government business in parliament, batted aside suggestions the string of recent ministerial retirements was motivated by the prospect of their Liberal Party losing the upcoming election to the opposition Labor, as widely predicted by opinion polls.
“Being in politics is not a life sentence, and I’ve been there for 26 years and I didn’t want to run again,” Pyne told reporters in announcing his decision, adding, “I believe we will win the election in May … I think the Morrison government will replace itself.”