Niall Blair is a man of great integrity and grit who has served rural, regional and remote Australia with honour.
Niall Blair is a man you can count on when the chips are down. Niall is a man you want next to you when you go to battle.
His self-sacrificial nature and willingness to fight for regional communities is something I won't forget.
Niall Blair is a true leader. He tells people the truth regardless of whether it's what they want to hear.
When the Murray Darling Basin Plan was in tatters, Niall Blair's leadership helped deliver agreement between the states and territories - a neutrality test to govern water recovery which had previously been beyond the wildest dreams of Basin communities.
He worked with all sides of politics honourably and all knew his word could be trusted. This is why Niall Blair was a key factor in the delivery of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Niall Blair's achievements are too many to list but I think perhaps the biggest is that he's one of the most honest and honourable politicians to sit in any Australian Parliament.
I wish him all the best as he moves on to the next phase of his life.
