Stuff-up or conspiracy? Stephen Conroy says one should always assume the former, although he has done little to quell the conspiracy theorists regarding his own mysterious resignation.
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The outgoing Labor senator gave his first interview since quietly tabling his resignation speech last week, appearing on Andrew Bolt's program on Sky News on Tuesday evening.
He reiterated his reason for biting the dust - to spend more time with his family and children - and warned young political wannabes that he could no longer recommend a career in politics.
"If a young person, 25, walked up to me today and said 'Look, I really loved your career, I've really admired what you've done in politics, I really want to go into politics,' I'm not sure I could put my hand on my heart any more and say 'Hey, look, go for it, go for it like I did,' " Senator Conroy said.
"Because it is a pretty tough, fierce media environment out there today, and that's a little sad, because I think being in politics is a noble profession."
Senator Conroy is a key Labor powerbroker and a long-time confidant and factional ally of Labor leader Bill Shorten. Their grouping, known as the ShortCons, forms the basis of Victorian Labor's Centre Unity faction.
The senator rejected suggestions from fellow panellist Michael Kroger, the president of the Liberal Party in Victoria, that Mr Shorten would be left high and dry without one of his key numbers men in Parliament.
"There are a whole range of people who have got Bill Shorten's back," Senator Conroy said. "Yes, I was very close to Bill and we still remain good friends and he's disappointed that I'm leaving, but he sent me off with fond farewells."
Senator Conroy named Richard Marles and David Feeney, two key players from the Victorian Right, and newly returned South Australian senator Don Farrell as MPs who would protect Mr Shorten in his absence.
"Don Farrell is absolutely a passionate Bill Shorten supporter and has been for a long period of time.
"Richard Marles has been working with the Victorian group along with David Feeney and a whole group of other people," he said.
Senator Conroy's unorthodox resignation raised eyebrows inside and outside the Labor Party. After 20 years in the Senate, he quietly tabled his resignation speech late on Thursday night, and it went unnoticed until Hansard was published the next morning.
He tried to text the news to Mr Shorten, who was overseas, but completely blind-sided acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek, who was giving a press conference when she was stunned by questions about Senator Conroy's departure.
Asked about the peculiar chain of events, Senator Conroy said one should "always take the stuff-up rather than conspiracy".
"I have to say I'm embarrassed about poor Tanya. She's a very dear friend of mine," he said.
"I didn't know that Tanya was doing a press conference. I have apologised profusely for that."
Senator Conroy's last official day as a senator is September 30.
His replacement will need to be confirmed by a joint sitting of the Victorian State Parliament.
