Australian Associated Press

theguardian.com, Wednesday 23 October 2013

Former Labor foreign minister to step down just weeks after being elected to six-year Senate term in September

Bob Carr was recruited 18 months ago to replace Kevin Rudd as foreign minister. Photograph: Damian Shaw/AAP

Former foreign minister Bob Carr will enter academia after formally tendering his resignation from the Senate on Wednesday.

Carr has confirmed weeks of speculation that he is leaving politics following Labor's election defeat on 7 September.

"It's been a very great honour for me," Carr said of his 18 months as foreign minister.

"Life is a learning experience and the last 18 months has been the richest learning experience imaginable."

Carr said he believed he had also done some good in the role.

The former New South Wales premier was recruited by former prime minister Julia Gillard in March 2012 to take over as foreign minister after Kevin Rudd resigned to challenge for the Labor leadership.

He filled a Senate vacancy triggered by the retirement of the former minister Mark Arbib.

Carr said he would submit his resignation to the president of the Senate on Thursday.

He now plans to "reinvent" himself as an expert on Asia and is going to take up two part-time academic posts.

He will become a professorial fellow at the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at Sydney University. He will also take up a role as an adjunct professor at the University of New South Wales.

Bob Carr announces retirement | World news | theguardian.com