Queensland Liberal MP John McVeigh has resigned from federal parliament, triggering a by-election in the seat of Groom.
Dr McVeigh submitted his resignation on Friday morning due to his wife's ill health.
Coalition colleagues were quick to sing his praises.
"John has been a very proud representative of the community he loves and I have appreciated his friendship and counsel during our time together in parliament," Resources Minister Keith Pitt said.
"It is no surprise that he has put family first in the current circumstances and I wish John, his wife Anita, and their children the very best for the future."
Dr McVeigh was first elected in 2016 after stints in state parliament and local council.
He served in federal cabinet for eight months as the minister for regional development, territories and local government.
The impending by-election is unlikely to trouble the Morrison government.
The coalition holds the Toowoomba-based seat by an extremely comfortable margin of 20.5 per cent.
Dr McVeigh received a favourable 5.2 per cent swing in 2019 and retained the seat with 70.5 per cent of the two-party vote.
The by-election will be the second for the year after an earlier contest in the southern NSW seat of Eden-Monaro.
Speaker Tony Smith is considering possible by-election dates.
