Editorial: Ryall has my respect

Tony Ryall received his silver tray with 14 other retiring MPs this week. Photo / APN

It's the end of an era in Parliament with the retirement of Bay of Plenty MP Tony Ryall.

Mr Ryall, known for his colourful shirts and ties, has called it a day after 24 years in the corridors of power.

And what a career it has been. It started at the relatively young age of 25 and I was impressed when I read the full list of the Cabinet portfolios he has held - there were more than 10 of them.

His latest responsibilities as a senior minister have included the difficult health portfolio, the one where there is ever increasing demand and never enough money.

Mr Ryall has navigated his way through this minefield with professionalism and care.

He is proud to have presided over raising child immunisation rates and increasing elective surgeries. In an interview with the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend in June this year, he said his proudest political achievement has been to provide more cancer services for patients, from the funding of Herceptin for breast cancer patients to speeding up radiotherapy services.

Anyone who can improve services for cancer patients has my respect. As we have witnessed during the past couple of months, politics is a tough game and Mr Ryall deserves respect for serving the constituents of Bay of Plenty and the wider New Zealand population for nearly quarter of a century.

It cannot have been easy at times. It was not unusual to see him on television commenting on a major health initiative and then later running into him at a school gala at the weekend talking to people.

There have been over the years MPs who ultimately failed to win my respect. Brendan Horan, dumped from New Zealand First and who stubbornly stayed on as an independent until voters dismissed him last Saturday, is an example.

But Mr Ryall, who received his silver tray with 14 other retiring MPs this week, can leave Parliament with his head held high. He is on record as saying he tries to avoid controversy and I cannot recall him being involved in any trouble.

His parting advice to the new generation of politicians, such as Tauranga list MP Clayton Mitchell, is noteworthy.

"Work hard and appreciate the value of your team."

The rookies would do well to follow this advice.

I wish Mr Ryall all the best.