Ken Travers resigns from shadow cabinet
UPDATE: Shadow transport minister Ken Travers has resigned from Labor's front bench citing personal reasons.
Mr Travers, one of Labor's hardest workers and the architect of the party's Metronet public transport policy at the 2013 election, has been on health-related leave for the past several weeks.
Supportive colleagues expressed concern and admiration for Mr Travers this morning in the wake of the announcement, which was made by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan in a statement.
"Today I accepted the resignation from Shadow Cabinet of the Hon. Ken Travers," Mr McGowan said.
"Ken has resigned for personal reasons and to focus on electorates across the northern suburbs.
"On behalf of Caucus and the WA Labor Party I thank Ken for his contribution to the Shadow Cabinet over the past six-and-a-half years, especially his work in the Transport portfolio and the visionary Metronet policy.
"I will announce relevant changes to the Shadow Ministry in due course and in the interim, Ken’s shadow portfolio responsibilities of Transport, Agriculture and Food, Infrastructure, the Wheatbelt, and the Mid West will be taken over by me."
Deputy Labor Leader Roger Cook said Mr Travers' experience would be greatly missed from the front bench.
"He's a huge loss for us because as everyone knows, his knowledge of his portfolio is encyclopaedic," Mr Cook said.
"He'll be a hard act to follow."
Another Labor colleague said it would be difficult for the party but good for Mr Travers.
"I hope it's just a time out," the Labor MP said.
Mr Travers, an MLC for North Metropolitan, had planned to step down from the shadow ministry after the 2013 election defeat but Mr McGowan talked him out of it and urged him to stay on.
