Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

John Edward Lee, or more fondly known as 'Johnny Lee', was a friend, father, grandfather, Carlton supporter and the staunchest unionist you would ever meet. I was proud to call him my comrade. Johnny Lee lost his final fight in the early hours of the morning of 3 June. While the loss of Johnny Lee is desperately sad for everyone who knew him and loved him, he wouldn't want to be remembered with any tears. Johnny had a very colourful life, working on various docks and ships throughout Australia whilst travelling the world. He had stories from every country he went to, accompanied by photos, VB in hand, and a list of lifelong friends that he made on the way. One of Johnny's proudest moments was becoming a delegate for his beloved union, the Maritime Union of Australia.

Johnny and I had quite a few things in common. But what many people didn't know is that it included having a tattoo of an anchor. You see, Johnny Lee loved his union and what they stood for so much that he got a tattoo of the MUA anchor logo on his bicep. While my anchor tattoo might have been pretty ill-advised—and, thankfully, it's hidden away from public view—Johnny Lee got his strategically placed on the inside of his bicep, so whenever he would raise his arm, clenched fist, at a rally or on a ship it would always be seen. To his friends, this became known as the chicken wing.

In addition to this ink, he took his role in the union very seriously—to the point where he would sign off any message with his union number instead of his name. 'Rank and file, Comrade,' he would say, if you ever questioned it. He was always ready to hold the line and wave the flag, even if a dispute wasn't his to be had. John was about workers' rights, through and through, and was passionate about mentoring our First Nations brothers and sisters into the industry.

John completed his delicate training and became a fierce advocate for the shipping industry. I recall one rally, in Cairns, were John doused himself in a liquid, that I could only describe as tar like, to demonstrate the effect of some of the industrial activities of his employers.

During his time at sea, not only did he fight for the rights of workers but also he created a family—his daughter, Cindy, and now two grandchildren. He was so proud of them, and they were so proud of him. When Johnny first began his fight against cancer three years ago, it didn't slow him down. While he did have to stop work, he simply gave more of his time to campaigning, not just for his union but for every union campaign he could get to. You would see Johnny arrive on his scooter, dog on leash, and he was set.

There was never a rally without Johnny Lee or his booming voice. Right until the very end, John fought for equality, workers' rights and, of course, his beloved shipping industry. It is very telling that his very last Facebook post was a post calling for support of the Voice to Parliament.

The union movement in Queensland and, particularly, in Cairns has lost a comrade and a friend and a smile that just can't be replaced. Johnny Lee made you feel great about being a union member, about being a fighter for workers and about standing up for your mates. My thoughts tonight are with the union movement, particularly the MUA, his very best mates, who he loved dearly. I want to make special mention of the MUA officials Paul Gallagher, Jason Miners, David Lyon and, of course, Steve Blacklow from the ACTU who practically nursed John in his last couple of weeks.

While we mourn the loss of this giant not just of Cairns but of all of Queensland, we can hear him say, 'Don't mourn for me. Organise.' So to sign off, as John would say, I will end with this: Giddy up, Comrades. Stay true, No. 5019045.