Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to my good mate and stalwart of the Labor Party, John 'Johno' Johnson, who passed away overnight. They simply do not make them like Johno anymore. He was a man of faith, family, Labor and the community. A stalwart of the Labor Party and the Maroubra community, he was a mentor to many. Johno actually took me to my first ever Maroubra Labor Party branch meeting in 1984. He served our party in the New South Wales parliament as President of the Legislative Council from 1978 to 1991. He was Treasurer of the Labor Party, Director of the Prince of Wales Hospital, a board member of the Cancer Council, chair of the Catholic Newspaper Company, a fellow of Warrane College at the University of New South Wales and was a director of the Randwick Club.

He lived for Labor and all it stood for. He literally raised millions of dollars for our party, not through donations but through raffles, selling everything from dishing liquid all the way up to family holidays. At school, at Marist Brothers Pagewood, when I was a student there, there was always Johno running the chocolate raffle and selling his father Mac's heavenly puddings, often even when they were out of date. He was a stalwart of the Catholic church in Sydney, which rewarded him a couple of years ago when he was awarded a papal knighthood in the order of St Gregory the Great by Archbishop Anthony Fisher. If I ever get to heaven, there is no doubt that Johno will be there ensuring that the rules are stipulated—no more redraws for raffles.

Rest in peace, great mate Johno Johnson. I offer my condolences to Pauline, his many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.