Crook bows out

In a shock decision, WA Nationals MP Tony Crook has announced he will quit politics after one term in Federal Parliament, opening up the prized rural seat of O’Connor for Liberal candidate and Katanning farmer Rick Wilson.

Mr Crook said he was tired of travel to Canberra and wanted to spend more time with his family.

“I find that when you get to the point on Sunday morning when I have to fly back to Canberra and I don’t want to get on the plane, well that’s starting to tell you something,” he said.

“I value my family too much.”

Mr Crook said he considered securing funding for the Albany Centenary of Anzac Commemorations, the Albany Ring-Road and the Albany Community Care Respite Centre to be significant successes of his term.

Mr Crook, 53, stunned pundits in 2010 when he took O’Connor from veteran Liberal Wilson Tuckey.

The Kalgoorlie farmer and former Royal Flying Doctor Service employee had campaigned to expand WA’s Royalties for Regions policy to the national stage.

Though he promised to sit as a crossbencher, he went on to join the Federal Nationals party room, but not the coalition party room.

He also ignited tensions inside the WA Liberal Party when he backed a government Bill to deregulate the wheat industry and gave crucial support to pass the Federal flood levy in 2011.

Mr Crook said the grinding nature of the hung Parliament and disillusionment when politics came ahead of policy played a part in his decision to go.

Nationals WA president Colin Holt said he thanked Mr Crook for his service, confirming the party would run an O’Connor candidate at the Federal election.