Labor MP Khalil Eideh’s electorate office staff placed on indefinite leave

UPDATE: KHALIL Eideh is set to announce he will retire from parliament at the next election, while another long-serving Labor MP will step aside in the west.

Victorian MP Khalil Eideh. Picture: AAP

EMBATTLED Labor MP Khalil Eideh will retire from State Parliament at the next election.

And another long-serving MP, Marsha Thomson, won’t recontest Footscray as the ALP braces for a brutal preselection process from Friday.

Ms Thomson’s decision may avoid political bloodletting in the west, which is likely to be the epicentre for brawling among Right and Left factions.

Mr Eideh was facing internal pressure to step down, and is expected to speak on Friday.

Footscray state Labor MP Marsha Thomson is stepping aside. Picture: Mark Wilson

He is among at least nine Labor MPs, including Hong Lim, Jude Perera, Judith Graley, Telmo Languiller and Sharon Knight, who will not run in November, 2018.

Mr Eideh has been embroiled in the “cash for stacks” scandal, revealed by the Herald Sun , in which whistleblowers alleged false invoices were provided to parliament to claim payments for printing work that was never done.

Parliament has taken control of Mr Eideh’s electorate ­office while allegations are investigated by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, with staff locked out and on indefinite leave.

It is understood Mr Eideh requested the office be closed last week.

In parliament, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy asked Premier Daniel Andrews if he was aware Mr Eideh’s office had been taken over.

Mr Andrews said he could not confirm it, but backed Mr Eideh in his position as the deputy president of the Legislative Council.

Mr Guy ­later described the move as “stunning”.

“I’ve never, never seen a circumstances where an MP changed the locks on his own office, presumably to lock out his own staff,” he said.

“If members of parliament and the Labor Party can’t trust their own staff, that they have to go to the extent of changing the locks on the doors, it’s pretty extraordinary.”

Victorian MP Khalil Eideh. Picture: AAP

Mr Eideh, his office manager Robert Mammarella and a printing firm linked to the ­alleged scheme have all ­denied wrongdoing.

Mr Eideh declined to comment about his decision not to recontest the upper house seat of Western Metro.

Ms Thomson had been supported by former Senator Stephen Conroy in Footscray, but the Right is now backing communications manager Katie Hall for the safe seat.

Ms Thomson hoped the ALP would select someone to continue the work she had started.

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