Perk scandal leads Nardella to retirement

Victoria's embattled ex-deputy speaker Don Nardella is unapologetic over claiming $100,000 in perks to live by the seaside, but he will retire from politics.

Victoria's former deputy Speaker Don Nardella is quitting politics, but he's not going to repay or apologise for the $100,000 allowance he claimed to not live in his Melbourne electorate.

Mr Nardella told his Melton electorate's local Star Weekly newspaper the backlash over his perks scandal was a "catalyst" for his decision to leave at the next election.

"I think it's probably time that Melton had somebody new," he told the paper.

"But the difficult time that I've had has influenced that decision."

He has represented the electorate since 1999 and was first elected to parliament in 1992, making him entitled to the maximum parliamentary pension rate.

Despite being the member for the suburban electorate, Mr Nardella has been claiming a second residence allowance since April 2014 to live about 90km away in Ocean Grove.

But he will not be apologising or pay back the money because that would would suggest he did something illegal or rorted the system, Mr Nardella told Star.

His comments come after Premier Daniel Andrews called for Mr Nardella to pay back the $100,000.

Mr Andrews says he expects Mr Nardella will fully co-operate with the audit committee investigation into the parliamentary expense claim.

"He should pay that money back. He should do exactly the same thing Telmo Languiller has done, which I think most Victorians would say is the right thing," Mr Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr Nardella and former Speaker Telmo Languiller both resigned on Saturday after it emerged they claimed about $140,000 between them to live in seaside towns instead of their western Melbourne electorates.

Cabinet discussed entitlement reforms on Monday, including restricting the second residence allowance to only regional MPs.

Country MPs will also have to prove they live 80km from Melbourne if they want to claim a second residence allowance under a shake-up of parliamentary perks.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy said it had taken Mr Andrews three days to acknowledge that Mr Nardella should pay the money back.

"If Don Nardella refuses to pay this money back then Daniel Andrews needs to kick him out of the Labor Party, otherwise he will be be accepting a tainted vote," Mr Guy said.

"This is his Labor MP and he needs to make sure Don Nardella pays this money back urgently."

As well as an audit committee inquiry on the scandal, Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings will investigate his Labor colleagues and the entitlements system more broadly.


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Source: AAP



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