Criddle to retire from WA Nationals

The Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls says regional WA has been well-served by Agricultural Region MLC Murray Criddle who today announced his intention to retire from the WA Parliament early in the New Year.

Mr Criddle has spent almost 15 years in State Parliament and was Minister for Transport in the Court Government from 1998 until 2001.

"Few politicians have been as dedicated and passionate about the welfare of regional Western Australians than Murray Criddle," said Mr Grylls.

"Murray has served on many important Parliamentary committees and has been an absolute credit to The Nationals WA and to the State Parliament.

"Testament to Murray's character and passion is that he continued his enormous work rate in opposition after losing government at the 2001 State election, covering the issues across his far flung electorate that stretches from Kalbarri to Esperance."

Mr Grylls said Mr Criddle was a universally-respected politician who worked tirelessly for a fairer deal for regional and rural communities.

"As Transport Minister in the previous Court Government, Murray Criddle was responsible for delivery of TransformWA, the visionary $1 billion program that re-built much of Western Australia's run-down regional road network," he said.

"His work on enhancing and streamlining WA's regional ports, including progressing Geraldton's Southern Transport Corridor and the Esperance Port upgrade has made a significant contribution to the regional economy.

"Murray Criddle was also a champion of the Regional Airports Development Scheme which has helped to upgrade more than 40 regional airstrips across regional and rural WA," he said.

The Nationals WA State President Wendy Duncan, who contested the last State election as number two on the party's Agricultural Region ticket, will be nominated as Mr Criddle's replacement.