Tasmanian Minister Nic Street has announced his resignation from cabinet, saying he needs to step down to focus on his mental health.
Street, who held the portfolios of Finance, Local Government and Sport and Events, made the decision after taking time off earlier this year for mental health reasons.
Street said he had initially intended to continue working until the end of the parliamentary year before reassessing his position.
“Obviously, the events of this week mean that there’s going to be a reshuffle,” he said.
“And so on Monday night, the Premier and I had a discussion, we came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was for me to go now as well to allow a seamless transition for the two new ministers to come into cabinet.”
Street acknowledged that his decision had been on the horizon for some time.
“Having got to know my mental health the way I have, I would say that I’m probably at about 75-80% at the minute,” he said.
“What’s become abundantly clear to me is that if I’m ever going to get back to 100% where I actually want to be, that I need to take a step back and take some pressure off myself in terms of workload.”
Street will continue to serve in Parliament for the next three years.
“And if there’s a reduced role in the government going forward, then obviously that’s a decision for the Premier, but one that we can have at that time as well,” he said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff thanked Street for his contributions over the years.
“Despite the challenges he endures, Nic has always been exceptionally kind and compassionate to those around him and I hope that this decision will help bring him peace as he prioritises his wellbeing,” he said.
