Crisis looms as MP Philip Dalidakis walks from upper house
The government may struggle to scramble enough numbers to pass its controversial fire services reforms through the Legislative Council this week after former Cabinet minister Philip Dalidakis quit the upper house.
VIC News
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Former Cabinet minister Philip Dalidakis has stunned the state government by immediately quitting the upper house.
In a shock move, Mr Dalidakis announced this afternoon that he had tendered his resignation at 12.30pm today to the Governor of Victoria.
His departure means the government will be short an MP as it tries to scramble enough numbers to pass its controversial fire services reforms through the Legislative Council this week.
Mr Dalidakis was pushed out of Cabinet after last year’s state election as Premier Daniel Andrews sought to have an even split of male and female ministers.
In a statement on Facebook, Mr Dalidakis said it had been “a great honour” representing the southern metropolitan region for four and a half years.
“Since stepping down from the ministry six months ago, I have had more time with my family, more time in my community and more time to reflect on my priorities and what I want to achieve and what I want to do,” he said.
“In my inaugural speech, I said I would place my children first and in turn that would make me a better legislator but in hindsight I didn’t. I allowed my work to dictate my life. I missed moments I’ll never get back, Parliamentary sitting dates saw me miss events that meant apologies became the norm and not the exception.”
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“If you are to do this job, you need to be all in. I can no longer say that I am and so it’s time to pass the baton on to someone that is.”
He issued a “big thank you” to Mr Andrews and said his Labor colleagues were “achieving great things”.
“Now my time has come to be a spectator rather than a participant in the game we call democracy,” Mr Dalidakis said
It is understood he will be taking up a senior position at Australia Post.
Mr Andrews issued a short statement this afternoon, confirmed Mr Dalidakis had “informed me that he is leaving the Victorian Parliament”.
“I want to thank him for his service, particularly during his time as Minister for Small Business, Trade and Investment, and the Digital Economy, and most recently as chair of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee,” he said.
“I wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”