Health Minister Greg Hunt reveals he’s quitting politics after 20 years

Greg Hunt held back tears as he announced his retirement on the last day of Parliament this year. 

The Health Minister said he will not recontest his marginal seat of Finders at next year’s election because his children told him it’s time to ‘come home’. 

The 56-year-old has spent weeks away from his family over the past two years as Health Minister during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is congratulated by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison after delivering his valedictory speech

In his speech to Parliament, Mr Hunt thanked his wife Paula and children James and Poppy for supporting him and revealed what they told him to persuade him to step down.

‘On Sunday, they looked at me, and they said: ”Dad this is your last chance to be a proper dad. And it’s time to come home, Dad”,’ Mr Hunt said.

‘So, Mr Speaker, earlier today, I spoke with the Prime Minister and my electorate chairman and I informed them I would not be contesting the next election.’ 

Mr Hunt held back tears as he read out a letter from the family of a six-year-old girl who wrote to him three years after he secured her free treatment drugs for an extremely rare enzyme condition from an overseas company.

The letter said the girl named Isabella had enrolled in gymnastics, football and cross-country and was a ‘changed little girl, no longer in constant pain’. 

‘She has started to build muscle and she has boundless new energy, spends most of her free time playing on the gym rings outside we hope to enrolled her in gymnastic class. She has just turned nine,’ the letter said. 

Mr Hunt, a father of two, is pictured with his wife Paula after a fun run

Mr Hunt hugs Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is his best friend in the Parliament 

Mr Hunt said receiving that letter was the highlight of his career.

‘If there had been nothing else in the last 20 years that alone would have been enough,’ he said. 

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Wednesday paid tribute to his ‘friend’ and fellow Victorian.

‘Greg is my closest friend in this place. I am the godfather to his beautiful daughter Bobby and he is the godfather to my daughter Gemma,’ he said. 

‘We are very dear friends and he has been an outstanding Health Minister through this crisis. 

‘The fact that Australia has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world and the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world is in due to no small part to the incredible work that all health professionals have done across Australia, and Greg as the Health Minister on this once in a century pandemic has been outstanding,’ Mr Frydenberg said. 

Mr Hunt will remain Health Minister until the election which is due by May 2022. 

He holds Flinders on a margin of 5.64 per cent. 

Greg Hunt is pictured aged 36 after he was first elected to the seat of Flinders