After Warrandyte MP Ryan Smith announced he would be leaving politics, Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto will soon face his first electoral test.
His electorate, which is located on the northern edges of Melbourne, will hold a by-election as a result of the decision.
Smith, who left his position after 16 years, cited a “growingly negative tone of politics” as a motivating reason.
In a statement, Smith stated, “I have decided it is time to bring this chapter of my life to a close.
The conservative MP announced that he would leave the legislature on July 7 and said it had been an honor to serve in that capacity for almost 20 years.
Smith said, “I have valued the opportunity to work with and for them all. My role as a community representative has brought me into contact with an amazing array of people throughout the electorate.”
“I think many people who select this line of work do so with the welfare of their communities in mind.
“However, among other things, I have grown more uneasy with the growing negativity of politics, both domestically and internationally.”
The Liberal Party has held the safe seat of Warrandyte since 1998, however the margin of victory is only 4.2%.
Tim Smith, a former member of parliament for the Liberal Party, revealed to The Age that he is thinking about standing for preselection in the upcoming by-election.
Between 2014 until 2021, he served as the inner-city representative for Kew, but he left politics after being arrested for drunk driving while returning from a banquet.
After being at the wheel during a collision, he gave an evidentiary breath test result of 0.131, which is more than 2.5 times the legal limit.
The former MP claimed he had a “desire to remove the Andrews government” after spending the previous year in London.
According to him, the Liberals have attacked each other more frequently than Labor over the last six months, according to The Age.
Paul Keating once quipped, “Their attacks on the government are like being flogged with a warm lettuce.”
Pesutto, the leader of the opposition, spoke to the media this morning and stated that he had read Smith’s resignation letter before speaking to them.
“I think we all need to respect the way Ryan wanted to own the way he wanted to make these announcements,” added Pesutto.
Pesutto stated that the Liberals will “throw everything” at the Warrandyte by-election.
To ensure that we select the best candidate, he stated, “I’ll obviously be working with the membership and the leadership of the organisational side of the party.”
“I would really like to see a woman running for office.”
