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http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1782410/Rob-Oakeshott-to-quit-politics
Federal independent MP Rob Oakeshott announces he will not contest the September 14 election.
The man who gave Julia Gillard the final vote to form minority government in 2010 is walking away from politics.
Rob Oakeshott has announced he will not contest the September 14 election, opening the way for The Nationals to recover his NSW seat of Lyne.
"Now is the moment," the independent MP told his local newspaper on Wednesday.
Mr Oakeshott had been considering his future for some months following a bruising three years in a hung parliament.
With fellow rural independent Tony Windsor, Mr Oakeshott gave Labor the last votes it needed on the floor of parliament to form government after an indecisive election in 2010.
He announced the decision after famously making a rambling explanation that lasted 17 minutes.
Since then, he has backed the Gillard government on most issues, but especially for supply and confidence.
His initial stance and continued support for the government was almost certain to cost him his seat at the September election.
"I have done everything I said I was going to do and done the best I can," Mr Oakeshott said, adding there was "no question" the past three years had been the toughest of his life.
He accepted some of his critics would suggest he was running away from the challenge.
"Those who throw opinions around and try to bully and push members of parliament from the sidelines - they're nothing."
Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, who is contesting Mr Windsor's seat of New England, refused to criticise Mr Oakeshott.
He described him as "a decent man" who had no malice.
"I wish him the best for the future," Senator Joyce told ABC radio.
Mr Oakeshott became the youngest serving MP in NSW politics after narrowly winning a 1996 by-election for the seat of Port Macquarie for The Nationals.
In 2002, he resigned from the party, before being re-elected as an independent the following year.
He claimed the federal seat of Lyne in a 2008 by-election, following the retirement of former deputy prime minister Mark Vaile.
It was the first time the seat had been taken from the National Party in almost 60 years.
