VIC:Shorten triggered ousting: Langdon

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2010
VIC:Shorten triggered ousting: Langdon

MELBOURNE, Aug 26 AAP - Victorian government lower house whip Craig Langdon has named
federal Labor powerbroker Bill Shorten as one of the "faceless" men behind his preselection
loss last month.

Mr Langdon cited family reasons for his resignation on Wednesday after 14 years as
an MP but also pointed to disunity in Labor ranks.

He lost Labor preselection for the seat of Ivanhoe in July to Education Minister Bronwyn
Pike's former chief-of-staff Anthony Carbines.

"I am going through a divorce and my children must come first," he told ABC Radio on Thursday.

"I'm not trying to damage the government per se, I'm trying to represent my seat and
get the best for it.

"I'm aware there was a campaign behind my back."

In a letter to Premier John Brumby, Mr Langdon said he was "fairly certain who the
`faceless they' are".

"I believe they were led by Bill Shorten and the AWU (Australian Workers Union) group
based in Geelong," he said.

"I've never been beholden to the factional warlords and that may well be my undoing,
I've never sought their support."

The state government would have struggled to hold on to the seat at the November poll,
Mr Langdon said.

"I don't believe the candidate's up to it," he said.

"My office has been inundated with phone calls and people coming in complaining about
his role as a (Banyule) councillor and his role as a candidate."

Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman David Davis said Mr Langdon's resignation
was a reflection on the Victorian government.

"He's obviously been a hard-working local member ... but this can't be seen as anything
other than an attack on the premier and the government."

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KEYWORD: LANGDON

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