Warren Snowdon announces retirement as federal Member for Lingiari | NT Independent

Warren Snowdon announces retirement as federal Member for Lingiari

by | Dec 10, 2020 | News | 2 comments

Long-serving federal Labor Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon will retire from politics at the next election, he announced in Parliament Thursday afternoon.

Mr Snowdon, 70, was first elected in 1987 and held portfolios such as Minister for Indigenous Health and Minister for Veteran’s Affairs during the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments. He’s been the longest-serving MP in the country since 2016.

He joked in Parliament that he was a “relic” and stated he is the only member of the current lower or upper house to have sat in old Parliament House.

“I’m about to roll the swag,” Mr Snowdon said.

“It’s been an absolutely enormous privilege to serve the people of the Northern Territory for that time, and I will continue to serve them until the next election.”

In a statement, he added it had been a difficult decision to retire.

“This has been an intensely difficult decision for me as I remain fiercely dedicated to the people of Lingiari,” he said.

“Although confident I still have the vigour and energy of my younger days, there comes a time to all of us when, as Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice: ‘with mirth and merriment, let old wrinkles come’.

“It is time for others eager to have the honour, opportunity, excitement, adventure and respect of Territorians I have enjoyed on my journey representing the Northern Territory.”

Mr Snowdon was first elected in 1987 and served until 1996 when he was defeated. He returned however, in 1998 and retained the seat through numerous elections.

He worked for the Central Land Council in Alice Springs before entering politics.

His announcement comes just a day after legislation was passed to maintain the House of Representatives Northern Territory seats of Solomon and Lingiari in the Federal Parliament, after the Australian Electoral Commission had moved to axe one of the seats based on declining population in the NT.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Mr Snowdon, saying he is big loss to the chamber.

“He is someone who is a big loss to this place, and veterans and serving personnel, men and women who wear our uniform have such high regard for Warren Snowdon because they know that he is on their side,” Mr Albanese said.

“He was determined that he wanted to see the people of the Northern Territory maintain two seats. Not at a personal interest, but because it is in their interest for such a large geographical area, which does have a lot of population in the capital city to not be forgotten the people in the regions in remote indigenous communities.

“He fought very hard to make sure that was going to open in the even in the knowledge that he had come to he’s his decision [of retiring].”

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2 Comments

  1. he should have retired many years ago.. no value to the community

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