Ex-minister Dalidakis delivers his resignation, then exits post-haste
High-profile Labor MP Philip Dalidakis has resigned from Parliament, effective immediately, to take up a new position in the senior ranks of Australia Post.
The upper house member and former trade and investment minister visited Governor Linda Dessau to submit his resignation shortly after midday on Monday, before travelling to Victorian government offices at One Treasury Place to notify Premier Daniel Andrews.
He is expected to make an appearance at Australia Post headquarters later on Monday afternoon alongside chief executive Christine Holgate as she meets with staff to announce the new appointment.
His departure comes at a critical time, leaving the Andrews government down a vote in the Legislative Council as it tries to pass its amended Fire Services Bill through the chamber.
On Sunday, Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien ruled out granting any pairs to the government.
Mr Dalidakis, 43, is expected to take the role of executive general manager of corporate services, which has been held by acting executives since Chris Blake left the postal carrier in December to join former chief executive Ahmed Fahour at lender Latitude Financial.
Mr Dalidakis did not return The Age’s calls or requests for comment on Monday.
His shock departure from Parliament comes six months after he emerged as one of two ministers to be dropped from the frontbench to make way for more women, following a reshuffle targeting equal numbers of women and men in cabinet.
Prior to the reshuffle, Mr Dalidakis held the trade and investment, innovation and digital economy and small business ministries.
It is understood his contract at Australia Post begins on July 1.
Mr Dalidakis entered Parliament in 2014 as the upper house representative for the southern metropolitan division.
Before that, he was a senior state parliament staffer, the chief executive of the state’s peak forestry group, and deputy chief of staff to former senator and communications minister Stephen Conroy.