Federal Liberal MP Russell Broadbent has quit the party to sit on the crossbench after he was dumped from preselection.
The MP for the Victorian seat of Monash, who was first elected in 1990, told coalition colleagues in Canberra on Tuesday he would see out the rest of his term as an independent.
Mr Broadbent will be replaced as Liberal candidate for Monash by community leader Mary Aldred, following a preselection ballot on Sunday.
He is due to issue a statement on Tuesday morning.
Guardian Australia reported Mr Broadbent told a coalition partyroom meeting he had no criticism of Liberal leader Peter Dutton, but cited the significant margin of his preselection defeat.
Ms Aldred reportedly won the preselection by 161 votes to 16.
Mr Dutton acknowledged Mr Broadbent's contribution to the party over many decades.
Mr Broadbent, who has been a member of the Liberal Party since 1980, is understood to be taking medical leave before returning to parliament.
Since the 2022 election, there have been two by-elections for coalition seats held by former ministers Alan Tudge and Stuart Robert.
The Liberals lost Mr Tudge's seat of Aston to Labor but retained Mr Robert's seat of Fadden.
Nationals MP Andrew Gee moved to the crossbench in support of the Indigenous voice in December.
Australian Associated Press
