Lara MP resigns as minister to put ‘family first’

NEW PRIORITIES: Lara Labor MP John Eren announced on Monday he would resign his ministership to focus on family and health.

Lara MP John Eren has resigned as Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Sport and Veterans after regaining his seat in the Victorian Election.

Mr Eren would step down to focus on his family, health and representing Lara, he announced on Monday.

In a statement he thanked his constituents for re-electing him and said he would “continue to work hard to deliver outcomes for my electorate”.

Mr Eren was clinically dead for three minutes after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2016.

He was involved in a much-publicised altercation with Labor factional boss Adem Somyurek in February.

Mr Eren was also one of 21 MPs caught up in Labor’s ‘Red Shirts’ rort.

In March Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found the party paid $338,000 in taxpayer funds to electorate officers for them to campaign in the 2014 state election.

Mr Eren declined to respond to recent questions from the Indy regarding the scandal while police were investigating it.

In his statement he listed lifting the profile of women in sport, creating Visit Victoria and Centenary of Anzac commemorations among his achievements as minister.

He thanked his ministerial staff, and spoke of growing up in commission flats after moving from Turkey with his parents as a child and working on Ford’s production line.

Mr Eren regained his seat by a margin of almost 20 per cent as Labor annihilated the coalition in Saturday’s election.

Geelong Labor MP Christine Couzens saw off high-profile independent candidate and former mayor Darryn Lyons, who won 25 per cent of the primary vote.

Liberal MP Andrew Katos lost South Barwon to Labor candidate Darren Cheeseman, while Labor MP Lisa Neville comfortably regained Bellarine against Liberal challenger Brian McKiterick.