Labor senator Stephen Conroy will leave the Senate. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "I've only just heard of these reports so I'll be having more discussions during the day," Ms Plibersek said in Sydney on Friday. In the speech, which he did not read out to the Senate, Senator Conroy said he would be going out on top and it was "time to say farewell". He said he was proud of his contribution to the National Broadband Network during his six years as communications minister under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, as well as his work on defence policy and the US free trade agreement. "I will miss my friends and colleagues terribly - our Saturday morning chats, our Sunday night plane trips, our Wednesday night dinners. All made the burden of being away from our families a little more bearable," the speech said.

Senator Conroy and Labor leader Bill Shorten, pictured during the ALP national conference in Melbourne in July last year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "When you resent being in Canberra because you are missing your daughter's soccer training it is time to retire from the federal Parliament." The statement was tabled shortly before 9pm amidst a marathon sitting of the Senate to deal with the $6.3 billion omnibus savings legislation. Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek didn't know Senator Conroy had even quit when asked about it at a press conference in Sydney. Speaking in the chamber, the shadow special minister of state and opposition sports spokesman did not mention any details, casually saying the debate could "move on".

In a further statement released on Friday morning, he emphasised the sacrifice made by politicians with families. Senator Conroy and his wife Paula Benson have a nine-year-old daughter Isabella, who was conceived with a surrogate mother and separate egg donor. Ms Benson had been afflicted by ovarian cancer and was left unable to carry a child. "Paula has remained steadfast in her support for me while maintaining her own career but it is [for] the incredible job she has done in raising our beautiful daughter Isabella while I have been absent that I owe her an undying debt of gratitude," Senator Conroy wrote in his speech. "I always vowed that I would be there for Isabella like my dad was for me."

In May, the offices of the senator and his staff were raided by the Australian Federal Police over leaks about issues plaguing the NBN. In August, further related raids took place in the Department of Parliamentary Services at Parliament House. Senator Conroy was also recently moved from the defence portfolio. In a statement, Mr Shorten thanked the outgoing deputy opposition leader in the Senate for his "tireless" and "formidable" work across positions and portfolios. "I have spoken to Stephen and he told me he has decided it is time to put his wife and daughter who he loves so much first, I admire and respect his decision," he said.

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese, a heavyweight of the rival Left faction, praised the outgoing senator, called him a friend, and said he wasn't surprised by the decision. He said Senator Conroy had an "outstanding legacy" of reform and labelled the NBN as "one of the great policy initiatives" of this century. "Stephen Conroy has been a giant of modern Labor in the last 20 years," Mr Albanese said, batting away suggestions that the nature of the announcement was oddly discreet. "Stephen Conroy has always treated the party with respect, he's treated the Parliament with respect by informing the Parliament."

In a statement released after midday, Ms Plibersek admitted the announcement "came as something of a surprise" but "in another sense it is no surprise at all", referring to his love for his family. Loading Follow Fergus Hunter on Facebook Follow us on Twitter