Jill Hennessy has announced she will immediately step down from her role as Victoria's attorney-general but intends to contest the next state election.
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Ms Hennessy, who assumed the role in 2018, said she had decided to leave the Victorian cabinet for family reasons.
The 48-year-old said she wanted to be "more involved" in her two daughters' lives as they approached the end of high school.
"Political life can be hard on families," Ms Hennessy said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Mine is at a stage where they need more of me and even more importantly, I need more of them.
"Like everyone managing the collision between work and family life, sometimes something has to give, at least for a little while."
The former health and workplace safety minister said she was grateful to work on reforms relating to voluntary assisted dying, safe access for women's health services, childhood vaccination, medicinal cannabis and wage theft.
She also listed reforms to decriminalise public drunkenness, a spent convictions scheme and legislation banning gay conversion being introduced to parliament as career highlights.
But Ms Hennessy said with budget initiatives being rolled out and the conclusion of the Lawyer X royal commission, the time was right to stand down.
The Altona MP said she had discussed stepping down from her role as attorney-general with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for "some time".
"He has demonstrated his support for colleagues through various stages of their life journeys before, and I am particularly grateful to him for his wise counsel, compassion and understanding about my decision," she said.
Mr Andrews said Ms Hennessy's decision was courageous and she had his full support.
"Our cabinet has been stronger, and our state made fairer by her outstanding contribution," the premier said.
"Every day in these jobs is a balancing act between your public life and your private life.
"And I know this year, with all of its many challenges, has seen many families reassessing what the right balance looks like for them."
He said further announcements about the Victorian ministry would be made in the coming days.
Ms Hennessy is the fifth Labor minister to resign or be sacked this year, following Marlene Kairouz, Adem Somyurek, Jenny Mikakos and Robin Scott.
"With Victoria facing a jobs and budget crisis, Labor's ministerial musical chairs won't help the economic recovery," Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said in a statement.
The next state election will be held in 2022.
Australian Associated Press
