I congratulate Jon Stanhope on his achievements as Chief Minister of the ACT and leader of the ACT ALP. Jon retires as the longest-serving and most successful leader of the ACT Labor Party.
Jon came to lead the ACT ALP following defeat in the 1998 ACT election and steered his party to Government in the subsequent 2001 election.
In 2004 he secured the only majority Government in the Territory's history and in 2008 won a historic third term for Labor.
Under Jon, ACT Labor pursued brave and difficult reforms of the Territory's education system and has begun a total rebuild of Canberra's hospitals. These reforms and investments will serve Canberra for years to come. When fire came to Canberra's suburbs in 2003, Jon stood up for his city and led the rebuilding effort.
For a decade in the Council of Australian Governments, Jon's has been a wise voice and I, along with many leaders of larger jurisdictions, have been grateful for the benefit of his experience and judgement.
It's fitting that my last public event with Jon as Chief Minister was to plant a tree cut from the Tree of Knowledge from Barcaldine in Canberra. Jon has been a trusted steward of Labor's vision and values and a fine servant of the city he loves.
Jon's commitment to community service began years before he entered elective politics and I know it will remain for years to come. I am sure Jon and Robyn are looking forward to the next phase of their life very much and I wish them well.