Peter Gutwein will resign as Premier of Tasmania and as member for Bass later this week, citing the need to spend more time with his family and that he has "nothing left in the tank".
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He made the sudden announcement in Launceston on Monday afternoon.
Mr Gutwein said he wanted to spend time focusing on his family, and paid tribute to various department heads and parliamentary colleagues.
PREMIER'S DECISION: From a walk on the beach, he knew it was time to resign
He said he was proud to have led Tasmania through the COVID pandemic, including being the first state to ban cruise ships and close its borders.
"The past two years have delivered unforeseen challenges, as we have navigated through COVID-19 and focused on rebuilding a stronger Tasmania," Mr Gutwein said.
"During this time I have quite rightly focused on everyone else's family and I now want to spend some time focussing on my own.
"I sincerely want to thank all Tasmanians. I'm not a silver spooner, I come from a humble background and nothing has given me more pleasure than being able to support our community, especially those who, like me, come from less privileged backgrounds.
"Thanks to the broader Tasmanian community for the support and for working with me when it was needed over the last few years. Together we have saved hundreds, if not thousands of Tasmanian lives, and that is something that all Tasmanians should be very proud of."
He said he could no longer guarantee giving "110 per cent" to the job and that he had "nothing left in the tank".
He will officially resign as Premier after the party meets later this week.
He spoke with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Tasmania's Governor earlier in the afternoon to inform them of his decision.
A recount will be held in Bass as a result, which will result in another Liberal member for the seat.
In February, Liberal Lara Alexander replaced Sarah Courtney in Bass after the former health and education minister's resignation. Ms Alexander beat former Launceston councillor Simon Wood to the role. Mr Wood would be the frontrunner to replace Mr Gutwein.
Mr Gutwein served as a member for Bass for 20 years and took on the role after the resignation of Will Hodgman in 2020. He said he did not yet have any future worked line up.
Labor leader Rebecca White thanked Mr Gutwein for his service to the people of Tasmania.
Read more about how a walk on the beach with wife Mandy prompted Premier to consider resigning, here.
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