‘Panda’ steps down

John Pandazopoulos hands out how to vote cards at the last election. 57301 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By CASEY NEILL

DANDENONG MP John Pandazopoulos is stepping down from State Parliament.
The 50-year-old Australian Labor Party member today announced that he would not seek renomination for the seat ahead of next November’s election.
“By the time of the next election I will have been in State Parliament for 22 years, making me the longest-serving Member for Dandenong, the longest-serving member of Greek heritage and currently the longest-serving Labor member in the Legislative Assembly,” he said.
Mr Pandazopoulos entered Parliament at age 29.
“When we include my time as a councillor and mayor of the then City of Berwick I have been in public life continuously for 26 years,” he said.
“It has been an honour and privilege to have served the people of Dandenong and surrounding suburbs including Doveton, the suburb I grew up in, and to have lived in the electorate for most of my life.”