The Labor member for Calwell, Andrew Theophanous, has announced that he is quitting the Australian Labor Party to sit as an independent in the House of Representatives. Theophanous is facing 27 criminal charges arising out of an investigation by the National Crime Authority relating to immigration procedures. Theophanous claimed at a press conference that the reason he was resigning from the ALP was because faction leaders have reneged on a deal to give his brother, Theo, the Calwell pre-selection.