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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 746 ..

Adjournment

Motion (by Mr Wood ) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Canberra Hospital

MR QUINLAN (Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism, Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming and Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Corrections) (5.39): Mr Smyth asked me a question, while I was standing in for Jon Stanhope at question time, in relation to the Canberra Hospital. I have a written response here and I will happily table it.

Mr Johno Johnson

MS MacDONALD (5.40): I rise in this adjournment debate to pay tribute to Johno Johnson, former member and president of the Legislative Council of New South Wales.

In August last year, Johno Johnson retired from the New South Wales parliament, after more than 25 years of service to the people of New South Wales. Last week I had the honour and privilege of attending a tribute dinner for Johno. In attendance at this dinner were Cardinal Clancy, Archbishop George Pell, Gough Whitlam, Bob Carr, Paul Keating, Bob Hawke, Neville Wran, Duncan Gaye of the National Party, and many others of repute and otherwise.

Many members of this Assembly know Johno, either personally or by reputation but, for those of you who do not, I will speak a little about him, both in relation to his history and from my personal perspective.

Johno was born on 26 July 1930 and left school at the age of 15. He commenced work in the retail industry, and was actively involved with the Shop Assistants Union, eventually rising to the position of assistant secretary. Johno was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1976, and was elected president in 1978. He held the position of president for 13 years, and has been held up as an example of an excellent chair of proceedings by all sides of politics.

In fact, Johno is so well regarded by all sides of politics that, when he retired last year, 27 pages of tribute speeches were made to him by all sides of the New South Wales upper house. I would also add that he probably made about four pages himself.

His departure from the Legislative Council was also noted in an article by Laurie Oakes last year, and yesterday in an article by Alan Ramsey in the Sydney Morning Herald.

My first experience of Johno was at the New South Wales Labor Party conferences, where Johno ran the canteen. He has ably run the kitchen for the 800-plus conference delegates for longer than most remember, and it is a task that most others would not want to take on. Of course, he ran it in his own style: tea the way he liked it; the most expensive International Roast coffee ever encountered; and only two types of

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