Mr Lennon and Queen Birthday Honours

Tasmania: Mr Lennon, who now runs a private business development company, has been appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in the Queen Birthday Honours, for his distinguished service to parliament and Tasmania."You don't go into life expecting these sorts of awards to come your way but when they do you accept them with pride," he said, according to Nine News Australia. The honour specifies Mr Lennon contribution to "economic diversification and sustainability"."In 1998 Tasmania was regarded as a basket case: our unemployment rate was more than 11 per cent, we were riddled with public sector debt and 80 per cent of Tasmanians didn't think we had a future."Within a decade there was a turnaround that saw Tasmania boast the nation fastest growing economy, with unemployment at four per cent. Mr Lennon, 55, who was in the island state top job from 2004 to 2008, had previously been head of Tasmania trade union and sees no reason to loosen ties between the movement and the Labor party."Into the future you are going to see people with a trade union background representing working people in parliament," he told AAP in Hobart. Fellow Tasmanian Labor politician Michael Polley has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his services, including 19 years as speaker of the state House of Assembly.© AAP 2015tasmania Email your news tips Do you have any news photos or videos Property news: Home ideas to stay warm in winter - realestate.com.au Motoring news: More than 50,000 Chrysler 300 recalled - carsales.com.au Property news: Gourmet bars winning the burger wars - news: SRT Tomahawk concept is nuts - carsales.com.au (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.