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Brumby announces retirement from politics

Former Victorian premier John Brumby has announced he will quit politics, less than a month after he led Labor to a devastating loss in last month's state election.

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Former Victorian premier John Brumby has announced he will quit politics, less than a month after he led Labor to a devastating loss in last month's state election.

Mr Brumby will walk away after 17 years in state politics, breaking a promise that he would complete his term whether he won or lost the November 27 election and exposing Labor to a by-election in his northern suburbs seat of Broadmeadows.

Labor holds the seat with a 21 per cent margin.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews has said he expected his MPs to serve their full four-year terms after the election loss.

Mr Brumby was first elected to the Victorian parliament in 1993 after a seven-year stint in federal politics, which ended when he lost the seat of Bendigo in 1990.

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Mr Brumby was opposition leader during most of the 1990s.

He was replaced by Steve Bracks in 1999 and served as Mr Bracks' treasurer for seven years when Labor defeated the Jeff Kennett-led Coalition government in 1999.

Mr Brumby's resignation will overshadow the opening of the Victorian parliament on Tuesday for the first sitting since the November 27 poll.

The Age also reported there is speculation deputy opposition leader and former deputy premier Rob Hulls may quit his northwestern suburbs seat of Niddrie before the 2014 election.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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