Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was going to speak about something else, but the events that took place in Tasmania yesterday have overtaken that in importance. Yesterday, the Premier of Tasmania, Paul Lennon, stepped down from leadership and from parliament. He did it now because he believes he has fulfilled his promise to his predecessor, Jim Bacon, who died in June 2004. Jim and Paul were long-time friends and colleagues and it was not an easy task for Paul to fill the charismatic Jim Bacon’s shoes, but he did it. Although his way was different, he was no less effective for the economy and the wellbeing of Tasmania. Paul has had four long, hard years as Premier. I believe the low polls gave him the reason to make a snap decision in order for Labor to continue to build on his and Jim’s legacies and for Tasmania to continue to have a majority government. It will give his successor a good 22 months to stamp his authority and his policies on government.

I would like to pay tribute to Paul for what he has achieved during those four years and thank him for continuing to support the forest industry despite the cost to his popularity. I believe he understood what working people are all about, especially those who work in country areas in traditional pursuits, because these are the industries that have built Tasmania’s economy and provided our livelihood. It is not easy to stand one’s ground in the face of opposition, and he has been doing it for 30 years, representing people in all the areas of work he has been in. Being Premier was just another platform in which he has proved his worth as a politician and as a human being.

I would also like to thank Paul for his strong and dedicated work for the state. He did not always make popular decisions but he made them for the betterment of the state and not for himself—despite the ridicule and vitriol that have come his way in recent years, which I do not believe are warranted. Although the criticism may have led to his decision to step down, it was not because he heeded it for himself; he noted it for the position he held. I am sure he believed that now was the time to go and that the time had come to hand the banner on for the sake of the party and the government.

Paul has always been generous with his time and his support for those things he believed were right, and he will be remembered with affection by those whom he supported and assisted to make the state a better place to live and work. Personally, I thank Paul for his support and assistance over my time in federal parliament, and I hope his successors will come to really understand what he has done for the state. Thank you, Paul.