Legislative Council

16071 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Tuesday 3 July 2001 ______ The President (The Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann) took the chair at 11.00 a.m. The President offered the Prayers. The PRESIDENT: Order! I acknowledge that we are meeting on Eora land. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Questions Without Notice Motion by the Hon. John Della Bosca agreed to: That questions commence at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday 3 July 2001. PETITIONS Wildlife as Pets Petition praying that the House rejects any proposal to legalise the keeping of native wildlife as pets, received from the Hon. Richard Jones. Council Pounds Animal Protection Petition praying that the House introduce legislation to ensure that high standards of care are provided for all animals held in council pounds, received from the Hon. Richard Jones. Cannabis Sniffer Dogs Petition praying that the Minister for Police intervene to prevent the use of cannabis sniffer dogs in the Northern Rivers area, received from the Hon. Richard Jones. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders Motion by the Hon. Duncan Gay agreed to: That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 93 outside the Order of Precedence relating to the retirement of the Hon. John Johnson be called on forthwith. Order of Business Motion by the Hon. Duncan Gay agreed to: That Private Members' Business item No. 93 outside the Order of Precedence relating to the retirement of the Hon. John Johnson be called on forthwith. RETIREMENT OF THE HONOURABLE JOHNO JOHNSON The Hon. DUNCAN GAY (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [11.04 a.m.]: I move: That this House records its appreciation of the Hon. John Johnson for services to the Legislative Council and the people of New South Wales, both as a member of the Legislative Council for 26 years and as President of the House for 13 years. It is no oversight by the Government that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is moving this motion. The Government insisted on this as a way to indicate to the people of this State the high regard held for the Hon. 16072 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 3 July 2001 Johno Johnson as a highly esteemed member of the Legislative Council. In fact, I asked to move this motion. I am the only member of the leadership group in the House today who served in the Legislative Council when the Hon. Johno Johnson was President, so I have a special recollection of that time. Johno Johnson was born on 26 July 1930 at Murwillumbah in New South Wales. He left school at age 15 and commenced work in the retail industry. I acknowledge the presence of young students in the public gallery. They are about to hear a very special story, which I hope they will remember. There are people in politics—good people who try to do the right thing—who transcend the political divide and who are appreciated by those on both sides of the House. Johno Johnson married Pauline Russell on 6 January 1962, and they have two sons and two daughters. He became a delegate to the Shop Assistants Union and worked his way through the organisation to become the union's assistant secretary. After many years in the Labor Party, Johno became honorary finance officer in the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party, and he remains heavily involved in fundraising at State and Federal levels. I think all honourable members, and probably most of the staff of the Parliament, would have been collared by Johno at some stage or other and asked, "Brother, want to buy a raffle ticket?" If he was not happy with something I had said, he would say, "Duncan!" Johno was first elected to the Legislative Council in April 1976. In his maiden speech in November of that year he spoke out against abortion and for government-funded election campaigns. I read his maiden speech just last week and again I was struck by Johno's grasp of the English language. The final paragraphs of Johno's maiden speech read: From the nadir of despondency late last year to a new epoch from 1st May this year, our party rejoices that it has reached the Treasury benches of this State. A rich new future is assured in which not wealth nor privilege matters, after eleven years of the legislative miscellany of injustice rendered by accident or design. If we are shown to be perfidious, that perfidy deserves the vengeance of the elector … We have been given a duty of care in the strictest application for the common good that will be pursued with all vigour. Several comments in that speech still apply today—I leave it to honourable members to work out which ones they are. In concluding his maiden speech, Johno stated: In conclusion Mr President and honourable Members, I trust that my sojourn in this House will not at any future time be looked back upon in anger by anyone. Johno got it right on his first day. I am sure that I will not be alone today in saying that he is a true icon of the New South Wales upper House. No-one will look back in anger on him. On Melbourne Cup day in 1978 Johno became President of the Legislative Council, which made him the youngest member ever to be elected President. President Johnson! The saying could have been, "All the way with Johno." Johno abandoned the use of ceremonial attire, preferring to preside in a suit without a wig or gown. However, unlike others, he never abandoned the other traditions of this House and he never allowed his political affiliations to interfere with his decisions from the chair. He worked hard for the Labor Party outside this Chamber, but when he was in the chair, he was impartial. I urge all honourable members to obtain a copy of the compilation of Presidents' rulings that have been put together by the Clerks. They will quickly see that Johno made some of the best rulings in this Chamber— rulings that are still quoted today by Presidents in this place. During Johno's presidency, new Parliament House buildings were constructed and the original buildings were restored. It must have been a time of great change. I refer now to some of the thoughts that have been expressed by others about Johno. We all have our own thoughts about him. I refer to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald dated 10 January 1987, which states: If there was a competition to name the most faceless man of the "faceless men" in charge of the State ALP, "Johno" Johnson would be a leading contender ... As one Minister told the Herald this week: "If Johno ever stops supporting Barrie— that is, Barrie Unsworth— it will be the end of him as Premier ... As one senior ALP figure put it: "If you don't get the nod from Johnno, you don't get the job." The article then refers to Johno's raffles and it states: The ALP picnic was held every year at Bronte Park. There was a raffle prize, a smoker's stand donated by R. M. O'Keefe— Johnny's father—a smoker's stand every year. 3 July 2001 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 16073 At the ALP conference, they used to raffle every year a rug—10 cents a ticket—and the rug was always obtained by the secretary of the Textile Workers' Union— I do not know from where— who would get a donation from one of the textile manufacturers. I set up in opposition to embarrass them into doing something different. I raffled a big gallon bottle of Scotch whisky and we made more in one raffle than they had made in 20 years. Of course all honourable members would be aware of Johno's famous raffles of wine, whisky, et cetera, and they would know that Johno does not drink. The article continues: Every appointee within the ALP head office and every new Labor MP is also given a welcome by Johnno which is a laying-down of the law and an introduction to politics and theology rolled into one. He offers frank political and personal advice at the same time, summing up the appointee. Some young single men come out of the morning tea with Mr President feeling that they have an imperative to marry while others feel they have been admitted to a seminary rather than a political party. John Johnson's religious beliefs are evident and genuine but he does not discriminate against those who are of a different religion or no religion at all. He heads a Parliamentary prayer group in his office, welcoming members of all faiths and all parties. It is not a cynical exploitation but it is another one of the bridges Johnno builds between diverse groups. In 1988, as a new member of Parliament, I recall that when the note came around for the prayer group meetings we were all summoned by our Whips and given a warning. We were told that he might be a nice man and that he might be doing the right thing, but some of our members had a habit, once under the spell of this nice man, of revealing all. So we had to be careful when we attended his prayer group meetings. The Hon. John Jobling: He was very good at it. The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: He was very good at it. The Australian of 14 May 1988 has an article written by Stephen Loosley, who at that stage was the Federal Labor Vice-President.

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