Mr Seselja gave his valedictory speech on Thursday, his final sitting day before he leaves the Assembly on Tuesday to campaign for the Senate.

The Canberra Liberals MLA spoke before a packed gallery of family, friends and political employees, paying tribute to those who had supported his eight-year run in ACT politics and joking that even the Chief Minister would ‘‘miss me just a little bit’’.

Mr Seselja told the Assembly the ‘‘ACT is not an easy place for the Liberal Party’’.

He recalled the efforts to unify the party after he was elected leader in 2007.

He called it a ‘‘crazy-brave’’ decision to make him parliamentary leader at just 30 years of age.

‘‘It was a daunting and exciting moment,’’ Mr Seselja said.

‘‘The first polling I saw had us winning perhaps four seats.

‘‘We worked our guts out to just re-establish credibility with the community ... The unity improved, morale lifted and so did our performances.’’

Mr Seselja said he had used his time in the Assembly to stand up ‘‘for the outer suburbs of Canberra’’.

The party had ‘‘put cost and living front and centre’’ in ACT politics, steering it to a record eight seats at last October’s territory election.

‘‘I believe the outer suburbs often get left behind by governments, who often focus on the inner suburbs, where many of them reside,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s this insiders’ view of the world which often drives government policy – one which I utterly reject.’’

Mr Seselja paid special tribute to his colleagues Vicki Dunne and Brendan Smyth and ACT Liberals president Tio Faulkner – ‘‘I just wish he’d signed his time sheets from time to time,’’ he said.

He also thanked his sparring partners across the chamber, including his ‘‘Green friend’’ Shane Rattenbury and Chief Minister Katy Gallagher:

‘‘I know you’ve been very keen to see me go,’’ he told her.

‘‘But I don’t think you’re really that keen. I think you’ll miss me just a little bit.’’