Professional fisherman and shooter-turned indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion says he is quitting parliament because it is time to retire and not because the Coalition is set to lose government.
The 62-year-old Northern Territory Country Liberal Party senator will not recontest this year's election after being elected in 2001.
He was handed the indigenous affairs portfolio in 2013.
"More than 17 years ago they selected a very ordinary fisherman and sometimes buffalo shooter to go to the senate ... a very ordinary person like me," he told reporters on Saturday.
"I've ended up sitting around the decision making table in Australia, I think that's a signal to Territorians and to others that anyone can do anything ... you should stick your hand up as well."
The decision had "nothing to do with Scott Morrison" or the government's predicament.
As someone who worked as a young man in the Arnhem Land bush with Aboriginal people shooting buffaloes, Senator Scullion saw himself as having a better understanding of many of the issues than "southerner" academics.
However critics pointed to the work-for-the-role Community Development Program he fiercely championed as a paternalistic policy that discriminated against Aboriginal people, with harsher financial penalties and obligations than for city people.
Indigenous people continue to have far worse health, mortality, literacy and numeracy, child abuse and imprisonment rates.
But there have been improvements in mortality rates for Aboriginal babies, education among school leavers and young adults and employment and income.
He said he believed the Coalition government had put in place the right processes to improve the plight of Aboriginal people, but acknowledged disadvantage was still a major problem.
"You are not going to close a 200-year gap in five years," Senator Scullion said.
"We have a better understanding about policies and how we can work together. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have co-designed so much of the work we have done and that is one of the great legacies of the last five years."
The prime minister said on Saturday there was "no-one like Nige".
He had delivered real jobs to indigenous Australians and "his passion for Indigenous people is unequalled in the parliament," he said.
Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack paid tribute to Senator Scullion for a "unique ability to understand and relate to country people".
The powerful Northern Land Council, representing Aboriginal land rights, said the senator had overseen some significant native title claims, including the 52,000ha Kenbi land claim.
"Senator Scullion showed a willingness to consult with and listen to the views of Aboriginal people in our region." NLC Chairman Samuel Bush-Blanasi said.
