The Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon Duncan Kerr SC MP has announced that he will not recontest the next federal election.
During his 22 years of public service as a Federal Member of Parliament, Mr Kerr has made an outstanding contribution both as a Minister and as the representative of his electorate of Denison in Tasmania.
As Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Mr Kerr has played a key role in strengthening Australia's presence in the Pacific, best demonstrated during the 40th Pacific Islands Forum, which I hosted in Cairns last month.
Mr Kerr was formidable during the 11 years in Opposition from 1996, where he held several shadow portfolios including Immigration, Environment, Justice and the Arts.
He also made a significant contribution to reforming Australia's legal system in areas such as criminal and evidence law while serving as Justice Minister and Attorney-General in the Keating Government.
Prior to entering politics, Mr Kerr was a distinguished figure in the legal profession. He has appeared before the High Court on a number of landmark constitutional cases and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2004.
I applaud Mr Kerr's commitment to the Australian Labor Party. The Australian Government today holds all five federal seats in Tasmania due to the tireless effort of people like Mr Kerr.
Mr Kerr will step down from his role as Parliamentary Secretary at the end of October.
I wish Mr Kerr and his family well in his future career and thank him for his invaluable work for the Australian Government.