Long serving Labor senator Kim Carr has announced his retirement ahead of the 2022 election.
“I have decided not to seek endorsement for a place on the ALP Vic Senate ticket at the coming election. When my current term ends on June 30, it will bring to an end my time as a senator, which began in April 1993, when I filled a vacancy created by the retirement of John Button.” Senator Carr posted to social media today.
The ‘Father of the Senate’ is currently the longest serving member of parliament in the upper house. The longest serving member of the House of Representatives is Liberal MP Kevin Andrews who joined the parliament in May 1991, Andrews will also be retiring at the next election after he lost preselection.
Senator Carr said it has been an “honour and a privilege” to serve the people of Victoria for nearly three decades.
“The Labor Party’s mission to create a fairer Australia never ends and while I would have liked to have continued to pursue it in the Parliament, issues with my health have made that inadvisable.” Senator Carr said.
The Labor veteran said he was proud to have made a difference for people in the fields of science, innovation, industry, higher education and research sectors during his time in the parliament.
Senator Carr served as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research in the first Rudd Labor government, he retained his position when Julia Gillard became Prime Minister but was later dropped from cabinet, but stayed in the outer ministry as Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Defence Materiel.
In a 2012 Ministerial reshuffle he moved to Minister for Human Services. He resigned from his position when he supported Kevin Rudd in an unsuccessful to attempt to reinstate Kevin Rudd. When Rudd later returned to the role of Prime Minister, Carr was returned to his role as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, as well as taking on the additional role of Minister for Higher Education.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese praised Senator Carr’s contribution to public life.
“Kim Carr has been a tireless advocate for the cause of Labor during his three decades of service in our nation’s parliament,” Albanese said in a statement on Sunday.
“The parliament has had no stronger supporter of Australian manufacturing and science than Kim Carr.”
Albanese also highlighted Senator Carr’s role in the party as a long-term member of the party’s National Executive.
Senator Carr grows a growing list of politicians who will be leaving the parliament ahead of the federal election.
On Labor’s side six members of the House of Representatives will be retiring including Sharon Bird (Cunningham, NSW), Anthony Byre (Holt, VIC) Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, NSW), Chris Hayes (Fowler NSW), Julie Owens (Parramatta, NSW), and Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, NT). Labor will also have a additional vacancy on it’s Victorian senate ticket due to the death of Senator Kimberly Kitching.
So far 13 members of the Morrison government have announced they will not be re-seeking election. From the Liberal party they include John Alexander (Bennelong, NSW), Kevin Andrews, (Menzies, VIC), Nicole Flint (Boothby, SA), Greg Hunt (Flinders, VIC), Steve Irons (Swan, WA), Andrew Laming (Bowman, QLD), Christian Porter (Pearce, WA), and former Speaker of the House Tony Smith (Casey, VIC).
The Nationals also have several members retiring including George Christensen (Dawson, QLD), Damian Drum (Nicholls, VIC), Ken O’Dowd (Flynn, QLD), and Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon who lost also lost preselection.
Additionally the Liberal’s Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells political career looks destined to come to an end after the party pushed her down to the unwinnable forth spot on the their senate ticket in New South Wales.
OIP Staff
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