Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to use this opportunity in the Senate to pay tribute to the retiring Mayor of Cairns, Bob Manning. I've known Bob for a long time now and have dealt with him particularly closely since I've been in the Senate. I've always enjoyed his company and understood his fierce advocacy for the Cairns region. He is someone who has a long history of public involvement in the area and has previously been a chair of the Port Authority up there. It would be fair to say that we didn't always see eye-to-eye politically, as he was a former candidate for the LNP, but since he became mayor he is certainly someone I have really enjoyed working closely with.

He has a really proud record, and he can retire and be happy with his achievements in local government. He had electoral success, and ran a really coherent and well-functioning council for a number of years. He was very passionate about arguing for economic development in the area. He was also very passionate about the delivery of a Papua New Guinean team into the NRL, and having a potential base for them in Cairns. It's something that we have been working closely on over the last couple of years and it's something I know he was really determined to continue to push, right up until his retirement.

I take this opportunity to wish Bob all the best in his retirement. I look forward to continuing to catch up with him when I am in the Cairns region. I pay tribute to his long service to the community in Cairns, and pass on my best to Bob, his wife and his family, and wish him all the best as he has a quieter time now that his public life is over.