Roxon praised for work on tobacco PM Julia Gillard says Attorney-General Nicola Roxon (pic) will be remembered for her law reform. AUSTRALIA'S first female attorney-general Nicola Roxon won international recognition for taking on big tobacco and driving Australia's world-leading packaging laws, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says. Ms Roxon, who was elected as the member for Gellibrand in 1998, has resigned as attorney-general and minister for emergency management. She will move to the backbench on Monday to be replaced by Victorian MP Mark Dreyfus, QC, and will not contest her safe seat at the next election. Ms Roxon was emotional in Canberra on Saturday as she explained it had been a privilege to work for Labor for all those years. But it was a demanding and exhausting job and she could not commit to the work rate for a sixth term in parliament. "I admire the work the prime minister has done on behalf of Australian families and am extremely grateful for her understanding of the needs of mine," she said. However she urged other women to consider giving politics a go, saying the sky was the limit and the political system needed them. Ms Gillard said Ms Roxon had fearlessly taken on big tobacco and as minister for emergency management had been at the helm of the nation's response to natural disasters on many occasions.