Member for Casuarina Kon Vatskalis to quit politics

MEMBER for Casuarina Kon Vatskalis has announced he will retire from politics after 13 years in the Territory Parliament.

Kon Vatskalis has resigned from his position as Casuarina MP for the Labor Party.

KON Vatskalis surprised his constituents and political observers yesterday by announcing he will be resigning as the Labor MLA for Casuarina halfway through his fourth term, forcing another by-election.

The former health and environment minister said he woke up one morning recently and began to question if he wanted to be in politics, 13 years after first being elected.

“I believe it’s time for me to say goodbye and let some new blood come into Territory politics,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Mr Vatskalis was first elected to the NT Parliament in 2001 as the member for Casuarina. His resignation will come into effect in mid-September, after the August parliamentary sitting.

“I have to admit, I had a great time,” Mr Vatskalis said. “Politics are a very interesting game. An ugly game, a hard game, but I always looked at it as a fun game.”

His resignation will mean the Northern Territory will be thrown into its third by-election since the August 2012 election. A date for that has not yet been announced.

Labor Leader Delia Lawrie said the party would miss Mr Vatskalis, but she was looking forward to the by-election.

“The timing that Kon has chosen has been one to support the team,” Ms Lawrie said.

“We won’t be taking the seat for granted. We’ll be working very hard to retain the seat for Labor … It presents an opportunity for the electorate to send a very strong message to the Government that they don’t accept the cuts that are occurring.”

CRACKS BEGIN TO SHOW IN LABOR’S ‘GREAT TEAM’

Mr Vatskalis is the most experienced member of the Labor Party, having served in Labor governments under former chief ministers Clare Martin and Paul Henderson.

He has held the portfolios of Health, Infrastructure, Local Government, Transport and Ethnic Affairs among others.

Chief Minister Adam Giles wished Mr Vatskalis the best for the future, adding he had made “a big contribution to public life”. He then took aim at the Labor Party and Ms Lawrie.

“They’re divided,” Mr Giles said in an interview. “It’s deteriorated so much. Delia’s just negative. She’s the most sourest person I’ve seen and just keeps turning everybody off every time she speaks.”

Mr Vatskalis maintains his resignation was offered so he could spend more time with his family and said he would remain in Darwin for the next few years at least.

“It’s time for me to say goodbye politics and hello family,” he said.

He will leave Parliament after the August sittings to devote more energy to his family.

Mr Vatskalis thanked the people of Casuarina for giving him the privilege of representing them for the past 13 years.

He was a Minister in the Martin and Henderson Governments - holding a number of portfolios.

A by-election will be held but a date has not been named.