Nats MP won't contest federal election FEDERAL Nationals MP John Forrest is to retire at the September 14 election ending a 20-year career in parliament. Mr Forrest made the announcement on Wednesday as he visited the Wimmera Machinery Field Day, in western Victoria, with Nationals leader Warren Truss. The MP was first elected to parliament in 1993 and successfully held the seat of Mallee at six subsequent elections. Between 1998 and 2006 he was the Nationals' chief whip. Mr Truss paid tribute to Mr Forrest, saying the MP had enjoyed the respect and admiration of parliamentary colleagues from all sides of politics. "That he has done so over such a long innings is testimony to his character," he said. He lives his strong Christian convictions and has always been ready to stand up for what he believed to be right. Mr Truss described Mr Forrest as "a gentleman in every sense of the word." It's a tag that has lost no currency in the modern age, in fact, it's even more valuable today. From the backbench, Mr Forrest made a remarkable contribution to Australian life, Mr Truss said. His greatest achievement for his electorate was the $1 billion Wimmera Mallee pipeline. He championed the project before he entered parliament and secured $450 million of federal funding to see the project completed, assuring water for farming and town use throughout the Wimmera Mallee.