Queen’s Birthday honours: Former political leaders and legal minds head Tasmania’s list

*Pic: Geoffrey Dyer’s portrait of Paul Lennon which hangs in State Parliament House …

Leaders and legal minds dominate Tasmania’s Queen’s Birthday honours list this year, with a former premier and former judge earning top gongs.

An author, a dance teacher and a volunteer cook were also among the 17 Tasmanians recognised.

Former Premier Paul Lennon was named an Officer (AO) in the General Division for his service to Parliament and the community of Tasmania.

A once divisive character, the retired Labor politician, who resigned in 2008 with a preferred premier rating of just 17 per cent, did not regret his actions in the top job.

“I didn’t govern for opinion polls, I governed to do what I thought was needed to make Tasmania strong, to give people hope,” he said.

“We gave people hope and we did that because we gave strong leadership but that didn’t mean that every decision that we were taking back through that decade from 1998 to 2008 was supported by all the people.”

Former judge Pierre Slicer QC also picked up an AO.

Slicer was arrested during the Franklin blockade and spent a lifetime advocating for Indigenous rights, but more recently worked as a supreme court judge in Samoa.

“I ended up in life with two hearts and two homes – Tasmania and Samoa,” he said.

“Both island states, both which retained a sense of community.”

Read the full story, ABC here, where there is a full list of those awarded …

• mr t, in Comments: #16, Bazzabee, I thought it might have been an opportunity to list all of Paul Lennon’s achievements that contributed to this award. I mean to say, it must represent more than just occupying a position as Premier for a few years. We could examine Tasmania’s unemployment levels, school retention rates, health system, budget improvements, small business initiatives, consumer confidence, roads, sewerage, water supply, local council amalgamation etc. … You seem to be a Labor fan from way back. Would you care to proxy some answers on behalf of Paul?

• Garry Stannus, in Comments: And all for the greater good.  This is the stuff of legend … Jimbo Bacon, Paulie ‘Busted Sav’ Lennon, Linda ‘Paulie’s right hand’ Hornsey (#26?), Stevie ‘White-out’ Kons and Kim, the greenie sawmiller from Meander.  On behalf of us greens throughout the state Bazzabee, I salute your party’s real-politik.  You, and Paul Lennon, did Tasmania proud.  Paul’s gong is not just a personal award, it represents moreover just what the Labour Party has contributed to the ‘polity’ and social fabric of our beloved state, notably its undying efforts even in Lara Gidding’s fin de siècle recall of the Parliament for those last disgusting changes to that Pulp Mill Non-Assessment Act 2007, twice expired and twice renewed.  I am sure that every man and woman from the readership of Tasmanian Times salutes our former Premier, an’umble man, and takes pride from the recognition that ‘e’as received from ‘er Majesty.  Good luck to yas, Paulie and Bazza.