Hats drop in the ring as Brumby quits

A FORMER staffer to Steve Bracks and an unlucky upper house MP are possible Labor candidates for John Brumby's vacated safe seat.

Former premier John Brumby with wife Rosemary McKenzie in Melbourne yesterday. Picture: Aaron Francis

A FORMER staffer to Steve Bracks and an unlucky upper house MP are possible Labor candidates for John Brumby's vacated safe seat.

The former premier yesterday resigned on the first official day of the new parliament, forcing a by-election in his Melbourne western suburbs seat of Broadmeadows, held by a margin of more than 20 per cent.

Mr Brumby, 57, said it was in the best interests of the state for him to quit parliament after the November 27 election loss.

"I thought long and hard about it, it's not been an easy decision to make but it's one which I've made and I think it's the right decision," he said.

"In this business . . . you've really got to be able to give 110 per cent and I just honestly don't believe that over the next four years -- it's a fair haul -- that I'd be able to make that contribution."

Labor insiders say the party will probably take its time in deciding who will be nominated for the seat given they believe a by-election is unlikely before February. The decision over the timing of the by-election will be determined by the new Speaker of the lower house.

But names are already being bandied about for potential preselection, including Danny Pearson, a lobbyist at Hawker Britton and former staffer to Mr Brumby's predecessor as premier, Mr Bracks.

Unlucky former MP Nathan Murphy, who took over the upper house seat of Theo Theophanous in March, only to lose it at the election on November 27, is in the mix along with a few others.

It seems Labor state secretary Nick Reece, once tipped to get a seat after he leaves the job early next year, is unlikely to get the nod for Mr Brumby's old electorate given the result of the election.

Labor sources say they want to make sure they get a good candidate given the relative safety of the seat but admitted that may "take some time".

Some Labor sources say a female candidate is needed to even up numbers in the Right faction.

"At this stage, there doesn't seem to be a wide field and so it's going to have to be a lot wider to get a good candidate," said one source.

Mr Pearson confirmed yesterday he would "certainly be interested" in putting his hat in the ring. "I would love the opportunity to participate in the process," he said.

When he announced his decision to quit politics yesterday, Mr Brumby said he had no regrets in a 17-year state political career and believed he left the state in a better shape than when Labor was elected in 1999.

"Victoria today is much better, stronger and fairer than it was 11 years ago," he said.

"We are a resilient state that has faced significant challenges and together we have risen to those challenges."