PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION

Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania) (18:22): I apologise for having to leave directly after your speech; you may not have to do the numbers, but I still do! As everyone has said, Jonno is a colleague that has earnt the respect of the people right across the chamber, and that has been evident in the contributions people have made but also in the senators that came to say goodbye to you not because they wanted to see the back of you but because they are sad to see you go.

They have that level of respect, and that is worth recognising. Throughout our time working together, I've always known Jonno to treat people with warmth, respect and professionalism. We sit on opposite sides of the chamber and hold different political views, even though we do have some issues—the forestry issue comes to mind—where we pretty much are singing from the same song sheet.

But we do share something that's very important: a commitment to our own state of Tasmania and to achieving the very best outcomes from for the people who call it home. Now, you called it 'conspiring'; I call it 'achieving'. Let's get the language right because I've got to go back over to the Prime Minister's office later!

Jonno and I first really bonded on the flights over here. A good glass of wine can always make you talk more freely! But the one thing that Jonno did always talk about—and we've heard this in contributions—was his family, his love for his family and the fact that he missed his family.

And the one good thing that is coming out of this very, very sad day is that they get him back full time. I'm very pleased for them. And the other aspect of the speech that Jonno gave today that really struck me is that he outed himself as the black sheep of the family.

He, of course, talked about his Labor great-grandmother. So even though he strayed from the true path, he did have a good Labor foundation! Jonno and I often worked together on the non-contro legislation.

There doesn't seem to be much of that anymore. But we used to have a competition about how quickly we could do it, and I'm pretty sure we got it down to about eight seconds for one piece of legislation. I just want to say, I really wish you all the very best.

I wish your family the very best. I know I'll see you—because Jonno is my neighbour. But you will be missed, from all sides of politics.

The one thing I've always found about you is that it's not about picking a fight or just the politics. It's about looking for solutions. Of course, you're willing to have the fight if you have to, and you know you put your party first, as we all do.

But you're a man that's looking for solutions that will help Australians, particularly Tasmanians. I'm going to leave it there, because I'm not known for being very emotional, but I might be tonight. I just say, all of these people that know Jonno very well also know he does a mean impersonation, but I'm going to leave that story for another day.