Mike Kelly announced his resignation from Parliament on Thursday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The former minister for defence materiel said he was resigning because it had become too difficult to tour his electorate – which encompasses the south-eastern corner of NSW,from Bega to Queanbeyan and the Snowy Mountains – and he believed a new member should steer the region through the bushfire and coronavirus recovery sooner rather than later.
"I just can't do that physically any more,"Dr Kelly said."I wouldn't be[resigning] if it wasn't absolutely necessary."
Dr Kelly called for more respect and bipartisanship in Parliament and a focus on climate change amid the post-coronavirus economic rebuild.
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"In my army career,I stared into the face of true evil,whether it was genocidal warlords in Somalia or murdering militia in East Timor,"he said.
"It kept me in the situation where I had a good perspective on all this[politics]. I treat people on the other side of that chamber as decent human beings,having the national interest at heart."
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Dr Kelly was"quite extraordinary"throughout the devastating summer bushfires,which affected much of Dr Kelly's electorate,and his"character and integrity"would be missed in Parliament.