Today (Tuesday) marks the beginning of the end of an era in Manx politics.

This week’s sitting of Tynwald will be the last one for David Cretney MLC, after 35 years serving in the Manx parliament.

Most people would have hoped for parole after 20 years.

But, seriously, as Mr Cretney takes his seat on the top deck of the Tynwald chamber one last time, it is only right we acknowledge the role he has played.

Thirty of those 35 years were as an MHK, which means that on countless occasions, he was endorsed by the voters of Douglas South.

A staunch advocate of the underdog and a shining light in the Manx Labour Party for many decades, whether you agreed with his policies or not, you would never question his sincerity.

And while the Tynwald sitting will not be his last parliamentary duty - there is one more Legislative Council session before he signs off at the end of February - it will be his final appearance in the foremost chamber of the island’s tricameral parliament.

He will be missed.

Rather fittingly, the penultimate motion on the order paper for this week comes from Mr Cretney, when he will ask for a select committee to investigate a petition for redress of grievance that calls for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public and to also restrict displays in rural areas to use only silent fireworks.

Naturally, this week’s sitting will be dominated by Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan’s latest Budget, about which you can read more on page 19 of today’s Isle of Man Examiner.

On the rest of the agenda, Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas is due to give a statement on nursing and residential care reform.

The Social Affairs Policy Review Committee’s report on measures to prevent suicide returns. Voting on some of its recommendations was held over after Health Minister David Ashford revealed plans to try again with his amendment - to water down a recommendation calling for a ’suicide audit’ to instead have Tynwald noting that the public health directorate collated and analysed the information and that should link into a joint strategic needs assessment.

His amendment failed last time because, while the House of Keys was in favour, the Legislative Council was against. So he is allowed to try again, with just one vote of all Tynwald members.

It is worth remembering that this committee has been chaired by Mr Cretney and he will be keen to see its remaining recommendations - which also include urging the police and courts to give more support to people affected by suicide - passed.

There are appointments to the Financial Services Authority to be approved, along with the proposal that Tynwald rubber stamps Treasury’s pick for the new non-executive director (chairman) of the Steam Packet, Lars Ugland.

Amendments to public sector pension provisions for members of the judiciary will also be considered by Tynwald.

The final item on the agenda is about Post Office services.

Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew), who has been battling the threatened reduction of services - or possible closure - at Ballasalla sub-post office, wants Tynwald to support a motion that would decree that no sub-post office should be closed where a sub-postmaster can be found to take it over, at least not before a review of the impact on loss of services has been conducted by the economic policy review committee.

Not surprisingly, post office closures also feature on the question paper.

Other subjects up for discussion include more about the teachers’ pay dispute, what the latest is on the delayed improvements to the National Sports Centre - a question originally down for the House of Keys last week but withdrawn by Mr Moorhouse after he was told more information would be available this week - building preservation, the government’s housing strategy and passenger numbers on the ’electric railways’.

The list of written questions tabled starts with an interesting one from Daphne Caine (Garff), who wants a list of all government departments’ overall funding bids submitted ahead of the 2019/20 Budget - and which were approved and which were rejected.