FORMER South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has announced his retirement from politics, outlining his plans on the final sitting day of parliament for the year.
Mr Weatherill, who has sat on Labor’s backbench since the party’s defeat at the March election, said it was the “right time” to leave politics.
The Labor MP has held the safe seat of Cheltenham, which takes in the north-west suburbs, including Alberton, Cheltenham, Findon, Hendon and Woodville, since 2002.
Upon election, Mr Weatherill immediately entered the cabinet of the Rann Government as a junior minister.
He later held portfolios including housing, Aboriginal affairs, environment and education.
Mr Weatherill lost a ballot for the position of deputy leader in the days after Labor’s 2010 election victory, but was backed by Labor powerbrokers as a replacement for Premier Mike Rann.
After Mr Rann resigned, Mr Weatherill was sworn in as the 45th Premier of South Australia on October 21, 2011.
Mr Weatherill said it was an incredible honour to serve the people of South Australia for more than six years.
“I leave proud of the achievements of the previous Labor Government,” he said.
“We kept building our state, with record investment in infrastructure, schools and hospitals and left office with a growing economy and the third-lowest unemployment rate in the nation.”
Premier Steven Marshall praised the outgoing MP’s “extraordinary” and “valuable” parliament contribution.
Mr Weatherill’s retirement will trigger a by-election in the electorate.
