Giulia Jones has quit as deputy leader of the ACT opposition, citing the ongoing personal toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to spend more time with her large family.
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Mrs Jones confirmed her decision after The Canberra Times broke news of her shock resignation on Monday morning.
While the Canberra Liberals are publicly insisting the decision was purely for personal reasons, The Canberra Times understands there has been a number of disagreements between Mrs Jones and leader Elizabeth Lee over recent months.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr claimed there had been a "very significant relationship breakdown" between the pair, who represent rival factions in the Liberal party.
Ms Lee fired back at Mr Barr, accusing the Labor leader of engaging in "gutter politics".
The ACT Opposition leader late on Monday posted a photo to social media of herself smiling alongside her now former deputy.
The Liberals will move quickly to replace Mrs Jones in the deputy's role, with a party room vote scheduled for Tuesday.
The nine-member Liberal party room includes two members with leadership experience - former opposition leader Jeremy Hanson and former deputy Nicole Lawder. Opposition transport spokesman Mark Parton has been talked up as a potential contender for a leadership post in the past.
All three have been contacted for comment,
Mrs Jones made the announcement via a statement just after 11am on Monday.
She did not hold a press conference and declined an interview with The Canberra Times.
In her statement, the mother-of-six said she wanted to be able to support her family amid the uncertainty of the pandemic.
"I have taken this decision after considerable reflection over the summer period and the start of the new school year provides an appropriate opportunity to give effect to my decision," she said in the statement.
"Like so many Canberrans, I have felt very keenly the ongoing pressures of the coronavirus, a situation that will remain volatile and uncertain for some time to come.
"As the mother of a large family I want to provide them with the support they need and deserve.
"I am most grateful for the care and commitment of my husband towards our family and feel that it is important to do more at home with them."
Mrs Jones appeared in good spirits on Monday morning, posting a photo of herself to social media preparing for a shadow cabinet meeting.
Mrs Jones said in the statement that she remained committed to serving her local electorate of Murrumbidgee, signalling that she doesn't plan to quit the Legislative Assembly.
She was elevated to the deputy's position in the wake of the Liberals' 2020 election defeat, joining Ms Lee to form the first all-female leadership team in the history of the ACT Legislative Assembly.
Mrs Jones is the opposition's health and multicultural affairs spokeswoman. She was first elected in 2012.
In a statement, Ms Lee thanked Mrs Jones for her service and applauded her courage in making the "difficult decision".
"Mrs Jones and I are proud to have been the first all-female leadership team in the ACT Legislative Assembly and the Canberra Liberals team has achieved some great things in our time together in the leadership," she said.
"Mrs Jones will continue to play an integral role in the Canberra Liberals team as we work toward a change of government in 2024."
Weighing in on Mrs Jones's resignation just moments after it was made public, Mr Barr said he had been aware of "rumours of a degree of unhappiness" between the leadership pair.
Mr Barr suggested Mrs Jones's departure was a sign that her conservative faction was unhappy with Ms Lee, who is a moderate.
"So it's clear that the conservatives are unhappy at this point in time. At the very least there's been a very significant relationship breakdown between the leader and the deputy leader of the Liberal Party," he said.
Mr Barr questioned if Mrs Jones would now take a run at the top job, although The Canberra Times has been told that won't happen.
In response to Mr Barr's comments, Ms Lee said: "It is incredibly disappointing to see the chief minister engaging in gutter politics".
"Mrs Jones has clearly outlined her reasons for stepping down as deputy leader and these types of comments from the Chief Minister show once again how out of touch he is about the enormous challenges and the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Canberra families," she said.
"I applaud Mrs Jones for her courage in coming to this difficult decision. All of us in politics owe an enormous gratitude to our families and I accept and respect Mrs Jones' decision to step down from the deputy leadership to spend more time with her family and focus on her electorate."
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