'A lot at risk': Another Bendigo Labor MP quits ahead of election

Maree Edwards, the member for Bendigo West, has announced she will not contest the seat in the upcoming November Victorian election, leaving voters in the regional city without an Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate. Edwards, who has served for almost 16 years, was the first woman to hold the Bendigo West seat and the fourth woman to serve as speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

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I do think we can hold both Bendigo East and Bendigo West and we will have candidates in place very quickly. And we will be extremely competitive, there's a lot at risk.

"I do think we can hold both Bendigo East and Bendigo West and we will have candidates in place very quickly," Edwards told ABC Central Victoria. "And we will be extremely competitive, there's a lot at risk." Her departure follows that of her colleague and close ally, Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan, who also announced she was leaving politics this month after stepping down as Victorian premier to make way for Ben Carroll.

Edwards stated she had considered retiring for a long time, particularly after her husband's death last year, but that the recent leadership changes within the government had delayed her plans. She denied that the leadership change motivated her decision to resign, asserting that it was simply a matter of timing. "That's absolutely not true, I think anyone who knows me knows that I don't tend to run around making claims about different members of parliament."

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That's absolutely not true, I think anyone who knows me knows that I don't tend to run around making claims about different members of parliament.

Professor of politics at Monash University, Zareh Ghazarian, described the seats of Bendigo East and Bendigo West as "crucial" for the election outcome. He noted that these seats could serve as a "litmus test for how Victoria's feeling, especially in rural, regional parts of Victoria." Ghazarian highlighted the challenge for Labor in demonstrating it is not solely a party of Melbourne, making Bendigo West and East vital for the party's electoral success.

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These are the seats to keep a watch on, they can be essentially the litmus test for how Victoria's feeling, especially in rural, regional parts of Victoria.

Ghazarian warned that losing Edwards so close to the election could harm Labor's chances in Bendigo West, which has been a safe Labor seat for approximately 30 years. "Three months out from election isn't much," he said, adding that the selected Labor candidate will have limited time to establish themselves and present their ideas.

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Three months out from election isn't much.