Giulia Jones delivers valedictory speech to ACT Legislative Assembly, doesn't rule out tilt at federal politics

Mrs Jones delivered an entertaining, emotional and at times scathing valedictory speech to the Legislative Assembly, where she addressed every member of the parliament.

The member for Murrumbidgee and former deputy opposition leader formally resigned on Thursday morning, after announcing her decision to leave territory politics last week.

Mrs Jones used her final speech to reaffirm her calls for the ACT being allowed to raise its own police force, and to put forward an exposure draft bill to improve treatment for frontline workers who sustain post-traumatic stress injury.

She also took a swipe at members of the Legislative Assembly, urging them to do better.

"I'm speaking to all sides, all parties, when I say we are not serving the people of Canberra as well as they could or should be served," Mrs Jones said.

"Canberra is the national capital yet the territory lags behind the rest of the country in virtually every independent measure of service provision, whether it is waiting lists in hospitals, the culture in our health system or education, the availability of rental accommodation, the cost of housing or police numbers we underperform.

"Despite this, I believe we have become all too comfortable in here, we need to be striving harder for the people of Canberra.

"The starting salary for an MLA is a senior executive service wage for the average Canberran in the public service."

Speaking to The Canberra Times before the speech, Mrs Jones, a mother-of-six, said she had no regrets about her time in the Assembly but said she wanted to spend more time with family.

"I've given the best part of my adult life to this, my strongest years and the most energetic years ... it's just time for something else," she said.

Mrs Jones said, as her older children entered their teenage years, she wanted to be able to spend more time with them. For the first time on Thursday, all six of Mrs Jones' children were in the chamber.

"I think it was easier when they were little because you can walk out of the house and they're happy, they're home and people are there looking after them," she said.

"But teenagers do need you more and there's more at stake in this time of their lives so I'm really looking forward to, as I have been on leave, spending a bit more time with my kids."

Mrs Jones said she will be going to a new role but she is unable to say anything about it until next Monday. She showed possible interest in federal politics when asked if she would consider putting her hand up for the ACT Liberal senate seat, as Zed Seselja is almost certain to lose the spot.

"One day I would look at that but again I don't know, it depends a lot on what happens. I'll take a year or two to do what I'm doing but I'm certainly not ruling it out," she said.

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Earlier this year, Mrs Jones stepped down from the deputy leadership role in the Canberra Liberals. She cited the ongoing personal toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to spend more time with family.

But there had also been some internal disagreements between Mrs Jones and Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee's office.

Mrs Jones did not address this but said it was not the reason she is going.

"Basically people have their own styles and they are well entitled to them, and yes there is a bit of a difference of style, but it's not the reason I'm going," she said.

As her last act, Mrs Jones released an exposure draft for a bill addressing the issue of post-traumatic stress injury experienced by frontline workers in the ACT.

She said she hoped it would address the fact that people have to go through onerous processes to prove the injury had been sustained on the job.

Mrs Jones said it was something she had been working on for the past couple of years, and she hoped the laws would be introduced to the Assembly either through Liberal member Peter Cain or adopted by the government.

"While my time in the Assembly has come to an end, this issue remains as unfinished business for me," she said.

But an ACT government spokesman said a similar scheme already existed.

"From 1 January 2022, first responders are entitled to the presumption their employment contributed to them suffering PTSD, to a significant degree," the spokesman said.

"This presumption can only be rebutted if the insurer provides evidence to contradict the presumption."

The most entertaining elements of Mrs Jones' were her tributes to her fellow members.

Mrs Jones told Chief Minister Andrew Barr that while he had a hard exterior, there was "a heart in there". She also spoke about having a close friendship with Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry.

She remarked about a time when she was on the phone to Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and was being harassed by someone who said "you and Mr Barr can go and eff each other".

"This man was clearly not well researched or he would have known I'm not really Mr Barr's type," Mrs Jones said.

Mrs Jones told Ms Lee she was proud to have served as her deputy. Mrs Jones resigned from the deputy leadership on January 31; the pair had been Australia's first all-female political leadership team.

"People underestimate you and you have more capacity and grit than all the man in this game put together," Mrs Jones said of Ms Lee.

The only time Mrs Jones teared up in her speech was when she addressed fellow Liberal member Elizabeth Kikkert.

"You have given so much to be here, you have looked roaring lions in the mouth and refuse to give up on your calling," she said.

Mrs Jones resignation will trigger a recount in the seat of Murrumbidgee. Liberal Amardeep Singh is the likely successor.

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