“Your legacy on climate and housing will stand the test of time. Your drive to introduce light rail in Canberra will be admired by many.” Political columnist MICHAEL MOORE shares an open letter to retiring MLA Shane Rattenbury… 

Dear Shane,

I write to thank you for the long years of contribution that you have made as a Greens MLA to the life of Canberra through your various roles in the Legislative Assembly. 

Your contributions will be missed as you launch into the next phase of your life.

I understand that you have your detractors, but those who seek change and have a vision for a different world will invariably be criticised.

The dedication you have shown as Leader of the Greens reflects a strong personal commitment to the people of the ACT. 

The environment and social justice have been key elements of your personal drive for a better Canberra, a better Australia and a better world.

The people of Kurrajong expressed their appreciation by resoundingly returning you for a fifth term in the Legislative Assembly. Your skills in handling the balance of power as well as your competency as a minister, speaker and attorney-general account for the support you received.

Although there are many issues on which you and I would express different perspectives, I express my admiration for the contribution that you have made over more than four terms as an MLA.

Your legacy on climate and housing, for example, will stand the test of time. Your drive to introduce light rail in Canberra will be admired by many. However, being the effective politician that you are, there will always be those who are angered by your actions. 

It is a credit to you that children will no longer go to jail. As attorney-general in the Labor-Greens coalition (2020-24), I am sure you are proud of your role in delivering legislation in November 2023 increasing the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years old, and then to 14 years on July 1 2025.

You have played a significant role in phasing out fossil fuels and making Canberra a greener city. The Gungahlin to Civic tram line is admired by many. Controversy continues, however, over the next two stages, primarily centring on financial management.

The founder of the Greens Party, Bob Brown, described you as “a person of great integrity, intelligence and compassion”. I also support his description of “exemplary political representation, including becoming the first Greens speaker of a parliament in the world, and then being a very successful attorney-general”.

Your experience working within cabinet, first as a strong independent voice, and later in a coalition, provided the perfect background for developing a new governance model for the ACT.

It is a great shame that so many of your colleagues were unable to see beyond their own ideological prejudices to give you a chance to show what might be possible.

Had your colleagues given you more time and supported the discussion stages, it would have shown faith in your ability, experience and skills. 

Your role as the speaker required patience, the ability to work with all ACT politicians irrespective of their party-political background and also provided for you an insight into their strengths and weaknesses. Your experience in this position ought not be underestimated. 

This common background with Liberal leader, Mark Parton, could have provided the foundation on which to explore alternatives to the quarter of a century of ongoing incumbency of Labor. 

Sadly, I seriously doubt that anyone will be able to duplicate your ability to work so effectively across the community and with all our politicians. But I would love to be proved wrong.

There is life after politics. All the best for your future.

Michael

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.