PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION

Senator CASH (Western Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (17:35): I, too, rise to pay tribute to my very dear friend and colleague Senator—sadly, soon not to be—Jonno Duniam. Jonno, you will have heard this a million times over the last four months—I have no doubt you will hear it again tonight, and you will continue to hear this—but you know that we believe you are leaving us far too soon.

You are an outstanding political talent, and you still have an enormous amount to give. But, as I have often said to people in politics—I think there are very few people other than those of us who serve in politics who really know the value of this—as a politician, to be able to choose the time of your departure and the terms upon which you leave, is probably the greatest gift that can be given to you.

So, as selfishlessly as possible, as we would like you to stay, we absolutely respect the reasons that you are leaving. Jonno's valedictory was typically Jonno—full of humour and incredibly witty but, I have to say, very self-deprecating. I'm going to give a slightly more formal speech so that I can properly set out on the record, Jonno, for when you are eventually reading these speeches in the future, your record of service in this place.

For someone who has only served for 10 years, you well and truly are leaving a legacy of which you should be incredibly proud. As many of you know, and it has been stated, although he only looks 24 years of age, he's actually been around politics for over 25 years. You've done incredibly well.

You've served 10 years in the Senate. I know Jonno from quite a while ago, when he was a very talented young staffer working for our former leader in this place and a senator for Tasmania—and now a member of the Tasmanian parliament—and that, of course, is Eric Abetz. Eric, though, wasn't your first political employer.

You had already worked, as you said, for Tasmanian senator and former president in this place Paul Calvert. Then came Stephen Parry. You were deputy chief of staff to Will Hodgman, including when the Tasmanian Liberals returned to government in 2014.

So, when Jonno arrived in this chamber in 2016, it was almost a perfect fit. Yes, you were a new senator, but you certainly were not new to politics. You had a grasp of the parliament but, in particular, the Senate that very few will have even today after serving in this place.

One of the most important things that I noticed about you—and you've articulated this in your speech today—is that you genuinely cared about people, particularly the people of Tasmania. I'm a proud Western Australian. I completely understand the advocacy that you gave to the people of Tasmania.

You're incredibly proud of the state from which you come. You were promoted very quickly. You served as Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries, for regional tourism and for industry development.

I recall that because you helped support Australia's tourism industry—not many may remember this though—through the devastating bushfires. That was an utterly devastating period of our time which sadly then progressed very quickly into COVID. You were a true champion for Tasmania's forestry, fishery and aquaculture industries.

I recall well that you fought for the Mersey hospital in Tasmania. I have to say, I think that's where we all learnt that you were never, ever afraid to make your voice heard in Canberra when it was in the best interests of representing your constituency in Tasmania. The one thing that I think we all learnt from you, and it is an incredibly impressive trait to have as a member of parliament, is that, once you decide something needs fixing, there is very little chance you are actually ever going to stop until the challenge and the problem that you have identified is fixed.

As you said in your speech, that is why we are here—to solve problems for others. You were then elected as shadow minister for the environment and shadow minister for fisheries and forestry, and I think that was when every single person in this place understood. You mastered the brief, you mastered the detail and you campaigned, in particular, to protect salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.

That is the perfect example of the diligence that you had. When the industry's future was thrown into uncertainty, you took the fight to Senate estimates, onto the floor of this chamber and into the national debate. And you were successful.

Well done. I acknowledge, in particular, your contribution as Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate. People think that the leader's job is a tough job, and I think, certainly, Senator Wong would agree.

But I have to say our jobs are made so much easier by our managers in this place. You were an utterly outstanding manager. There are long days, difficult decisions, plenty of pressure and occasionally, as you've said, some fairly colourful moments in this chamber.

When you are leading a team in this place, you absolutely need a manager who (a) knows what he's doing and, more than that, (b) has your back. I always knew, when I spoke to you, that I trusted you implicitly. You were someone that I could have a quick three-second phone call with, and we'd know exactly what had to be done.

And then you went and did it. I don't think we should ever underestimate the roles of the managers in this place, because they well and truly do keep this place running. I have valued your honesty, your judgement and your loyalty.

I have enjoyed working with you enormously; I think you know that I've loved working with you. But, more than that, I have valued your friendship. There was something particularly poignant about Jonno's first speech in the Senate in September 2016.

He spoke proudly of being a sixth-generation Tasmanian and of the influence of his wife Anisa's family—and we've heard that from Jonno tonight—who had experienced communist dictatorship in Albania. Towards the end of that speech, he turned to his three young sons—Hugo, Henry and Spencer—who are not so young anymore, and he said: I know there will be times when we will not see a lot of each other … That was 10 years ago and, as Jonno said tonight: boys, you were little then.

Even then, though, Jonno understood the sacrifices this life would demand of them—the weeks in Canberra, the campaigns, the missed birthdays and the weekends. Today those three little boys are young men. Hugo, Henry and Spencer: thank you for sharing your dad with us.

Sorry, Jonno, I'm going to get more emotional talking about your family than you. To Anisa, who I just adore: Jonno described you in his first speech as his ever-understanding wife. Political spouses carry an enormous burden.

You don't stand for election, but you live with every consequence of political life. So, on behalf of all of us in the coalition, thank you for everything you've done to enable Jonno to serve. Jonno, you've mentioned this tonight, and Senator Wong has mentioned this tonight.

In your first speech you spoke of your late grandmother Iris Graham, who lived by the simple motto: 'Deeds, not words'. And, 10 years later, you've lived up to that promise. You have served Tasmania with distinction.

You have served our party with loyalty. The Liberal Party will miss you. The Senate will miss you.

Your colleagues will miss you. But Anisa, Hugo, Henry and Spencer: you're getting someone very, very special back. I wish you every happiness in the next chapter.

You've certainly earned it.