Theophanous calls it quits at next election

Theo Theophanous announced today that will retire from politics.
In a press conference held at midday the veteran State Labor MP said that he will not contest next State election, although having recently nominated for his Upper House Northern Metropolitan seat.
“After more than 20 years in public life, I have decided I will not seek preselection for another term,’’ he told reporters.
‘‘I will remain a backbencher and serve the electorate at a local level for the remainder of this term. I will not contest the next election,’’ he added.
On Friday, Mr Theophanous was officially discharged of a rape allegation in Melbourne Magistrates Court. Magistrate Peter Reardon had found little credibility in the case brought against Mr Theophanous by a woman alleging that she was raped by the Victorian MP in his Parliamentary office more than ten ago.
Mr Theophanous was charged with one count of rape on Christmas Eve last year and was forced to resign from his cabinet position.
In a short interview to Neos Kosmos English Edition last week Mr Theophanous said: “There’s no bigger test of a family than what we’ve gone through and I’m so proud of my family and of my wife and the way in which they handled themselves… the way in which they supported me through what has been a nightmare and I’m so pleased that the judge so through what was… the evidence showed a complete fabrication.”