Liberal senator Wendy Askew has officially resigned from the Senate, paving the way for Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s senior adviser Chris Gatenby to take her place.
Askew tendered her resignation to the President of the Senate today, with the move taking effect immediately.
She had announced in June that she planned to retire from federal parliament.
Gatenby, a former Liberal Party president, was chosen as the top candidate on the Liberal Senate ticket on Saturday ahead of three other candidates.
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to represent Tasmania in the Australian Parliament over the past seven and a half years as a Liberal Senator,” Askew said.
“I am deeply grateful to the Liberal Party and, most importantly, to the people of Tasmania for the trust and confidence they placed in me throughout my time in public office.”
Askew said she valued serving alongside Liberal colleagues Jonno Duniam, Richard Colbeck and Claire Chandler as part of the Tasmanian Senate team.
She also congratulated Gatenby on his successful nomination to succeed her.
“I have every confidence that he will be a strong advocate for Tasmania and a valuable addition to the Liberal team,” she said.
Gatenby, a seventh generation Tasmanian who grew up on a farm, said he was ready to hit the ground running.
“I bring a breadth of experience across government, agriculture and health and I’m ready to get going from day one with this fantastic team,” he said on Saturday.
Former state minister Sarah Courtney, who secured the second spot on the ticket, is also expected to enter the Senate before the next federal election.
Duniam has announced he plans to resign from federal parliament in the coming months, with Courtney set to replace him.
Courtney quit state politics in 2022 but said she could not sit by and watch the impact of the current federal Labor government.
“We’re seeing backflips on a range of issues that are hurting families and are hurting businesses,” she said.
