Seasonal Felicitations

Mr JOHN AQUILINA (Riverstone—Leader of the House) [10.07 a.m.]: I move:

That the House take note of Christmas felicitations.

Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to wish you and yours the very best for the festive season and also to thank you for your efforts in the chair. I know it has not been an easy year. I know that as an Independent Speaker at times it has been difficult for you to be totally above what is happening in the Parliament and to be totally impartial in the way you give your rulings. As a former Speaker, I understand how difficult that situation is. The raw statistics of members called to order can appear to show an imbalance, but Opposition members are always called to order more than Government members because the Opposition is there to oppose. The statistics are in no way an indication that you have not exercised the greatest impartiality at all times and have not ruled wisely: you have given very fair and judicial rulings on matters before the Chamber. Congratulations on the work you have done so far this year. All the best wishes for the festive season and beyond.

The SPEAKER: I thank the Leader of the House.

Mr JOHN AQUILINA: I acknowledge the work of the Whips: the Government Whips, the member for Bathurst and the member for East Hills; and the Opposition Whips, the member for Wagga Wagga and the member for Lismore. The work of the Whips is not easy. Those of us who are in the Chamber almost all the time know precisely how difficult it is to round up members to keep the orderly processes of the House moving along in a businesslike fashion. The Whips have a difficult job: often they must respond to a change of tack in terms of how things are done. Despite the best intentions of everyone to adhere to the program, at times it is necessary for various reasons to change the program at relatively short notice, and an item of business is brought on for debate and so on. The Whips have the task of ensuring that the appropriate members are advised so that legislation or other matters can be debated in an appropriate way. That is not always easy to do.

Despite the political differences in this place, I commend the way the Whips have managed to work cooperatively in a businesslike fashion, with the interests only of ensuring that the procedures of the House are facilitated as efficiently as possible. I acknowledge the presence in the Chamber of the Leader of the Opposition. I compliment him and extend to him best wishes for the festive season. I have been on the Opposition benches. Few members on this side of the House have been in Opposition, and few members opposite have been in government. I suppose that is simply a natural corollary of the time since there was a change of government. I know how difficult it is in Opposition. Sometimes frustrations can be voiced in this Chamber in a way perhaps that Government members do not always appreciate, but I understand how it happens. I have been here too long to be too sensitive about the many matters raised in the Parliament.

As for the Christmas season and our need to cooperate with one another as members of Parliament representing our constituencies, I acknowledge both the pluses and minuses of being in government and being in opposition. I acknowledge the difficult task of the Leader of the Opposition and, through him, the task of all members opposite. The Independents are out on their own in many ways. Being a member of Parliament can sometimes be a lonely task, but members of parties are able to take consolation in working with one another. The Independents do not have that network and support; often they do not have anyone with whom to chew over an idea or perhaps a thought in relation to what may or may not be the best course of action for them to take. That can be a lonely path. Sometimes this leads to frustrations being expressed in this place, which makes it difficult for them.

I turn now to the staff of the Parliament. Once again—I have done this on a number of occasions in the past—I single out that group of people who are most extraordinary in facilitating the work of the Parliament, the Hansard staff. I acknowledge that all members of this House, however long they have been here, owe a great debt to the Hansard staff. Sometimes when one is involved in the thrust and parry of debate in the Parliament things are misstated, but the remarks are always turned into golden words in Hansard. The way our speeches are rendered makes us all look much better than at times we deserve. I sincerely thank the Editor of Debates and all the Hansard staff for their work.

Many other people make a huge contribution to the workings of the Parliament. The attendants are here from the start of the day, long before many members of Parliament even arrive, and are sometimes here long after many of us depart, no matter how early we start or how late we finish. To the attendants, thank you for all your help. To the cleaning staff, the catering staff, who have had a difficult year for various reasons, and everybody who has made the Parliament function and hum in the way it has, thank you for your contributions. To the Clerks at the table—Russell Grove, Mark Swinson, Les Gönye and Ronda Miller—Greg Kelly and others who have been helping out in the procedures room, it is impossible to name you all but we have interacted with all of you from time to time. We appreciate the work you do in getting things done in a timely, appropriate and impartial way. We again thank you for your support and the work you have done, in many cases over many, many years and in a tried and proven fashion. Thank you for your contributions this year.

This year for me has been somewhat different, having been appointed the Leader of the House for the Government. I held the role of shadow Leader of the House for a couple of years after Labor lost government in 1988. In government it is a little more exciting at times and a little more frustrating at times because there are many complexities to deal with. One has to be alert at all times and juggle situations to ensure that the Parliament continues to work efficiently. In particular I mention two people who have worked hard and helped me a lot. One is a young lady who has been in her current job for the first time. She is well respected by members on both sides of the House, and she has had extensive interaction with Opposition members. She has conveyed in a diplomatic way various and sometimes difficult messages to the Opposition on my behalf. To Priscilla Armstrong-Guirguis, the Princess of the Parliament, thank you very much.

Mr Daryl Maguire: I second that.

Mr JOHN AQUILINA: The member for Wagga Wagga, who has seconded that, has often had to deal with Priscilla. Nicole Ryan came into the parliamentary scene as a novice, and has done a remarkable job in ensuring that the office of the Leader of the House continues to operate in a timely way and is accessible at all times. I make the point that the office of the Leader of the House is accessible not only to Government members but also to Opposition members so that inquiries can be readily dealt with and fully answered. I will not delay the House much longer, but I shall finish by mentioning a special group of people who are not seen in the Parliament but without whom none of us could work—our electorate staff. To my electorate staff, to Sandra and Janine and others who have filled in and relieved for me from time to time, thank you for your hard work.

Ruth Apps was my first electorate secretary. At the age of 81 she still comes in and relieves for lengthy periods. She is probably the longest-serving, or the second longest-serving, electorate employee of the Parliament. I say to my electorate staff and the electorate staff of all members that we recognise that although you are not in the parliamentary precinct you are still very much a part of what the Parliament does. You are the front-line troops, the people dealing with our constituents' concerns when often we are dealing with issues in the Parliament. To all my colleagues, Government and Opposition, felicitations for the season and best wishes for Christmas and New Year. I know that both Government and Opposition members eagerly look forward to the new year to partake in lively debate, address issues that affect the State and, hopefully, continue to advance the process of the Parliament in an increasingly efficient way.

Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Leader of the Opposition) [10.19 a.m.]: I join the Leader of the House in noting Christmas felicitations, which has always struck me as a most unusual debate that is held in this Chamber each year. In the true spirit of Christmas—peace, tolerance and understanding—I am happy to take part. I start, as did the Leader of the House, by thanking you, Mr Speaker. I genuinely welcome a return to independence in the Speaker. I do mean small "i" independence, although I acknowledge you are a big "i" Independent member of this Parliament. Independence in the Speaker is important for the House and reminds us of the way this Chamber should operate. Whilst I understand that you cannot be completely happy that the high standards and goals you set when you assumed the chair have yet to be fulfilled, we are moving in the right direction, with plenty more to be done. As the Leader of the House said, it is hard for the Speaker to be above what goes on in the House and remain impartial. I congratulate you at the end of two sessions on being able to do that. I acknowledge your staff, Margaret and Lucy, who in addition to providing photography and other services to you run the best unofficial coffee shop in this place.

I congratulate the shadow Leader of the House, the member for Murrumbidgee, who has done an extraordinary job in the short time he has been the leader of Opposition business. He demonstrates the right mix of robustness, energy, intellect and humour. I believe he is as good as the best that I have seen here—the former member for Ashfield and former Minister for Police, who brought a degree of panache that masked any arrogance on his side of the House with grace. The member for Murrumbidgee does it better without the numbers behind him and he does it in a way that is earning him respect from both sides of the House. The Opposition Whip, the member for Wagga Wagga, and The Nationals Whip, the member for Lismore, do a good job in their mechanical roles and in dealing with all the pressures and stresses of personalities on this side of the Parliament, starting at the very top with the Leader of the Opposition all the way through to our most junior members. I congratulate and thank all Liberal and National party members of Parliament and wish them the best for Christmas.

I join with the Leader of the House in acknowledging the role of the front-line staff who work in our electorate offices across this city and the breadth of New South Wales to ensure we are able to deliver services to the people of our electorates and this State. I acknowledge the Coalition class of 07—the member for Manly, the member for Goulburn, the member for Epping, the member for Hawkesbury, the member for Pittwater, the member for Davidson and the member for Port Stephens.

The outstanding initial contribution those Liberal Party members have made to this place augurs well for the future. I also acknowledge The Nationals class of 07—the member for Murray-Darling and the member for Tweed and the original and first Kevin 07, the member for Barwon. I acknowledge all those who make this place work. I thank the Chamber officers for their assistance. Despite the heat that is occasionally injected into debate, we do appreciate their advice. I acknowledge the attendants and all the work they do when the House is sitting. More importantly, I acknowledge the attendants and staff of the Parliament's education unit for all the work they do on school visits. If we do not pass on to our younger people an understanding of the democratic institutions in this State there will be no secure future for the State or country.

I would appreciate the Speaker taking up this matter of concern. Schools that visit this place pay enormous credit to Peter, Richard and others for the role-playing and other exercises they conduct in the Legislative Assembly. With all due respect to the attendants of the Legislative Council, the Presiding Officer of that Chamber must heed the message to smarten up the school tours of that House. The students are bored silly during their introduction to the upper House. The upper House does not engage in the same innovative and proactive role-playing model of the lower House. It would be great to have both Houses inspiring young people to learn about the role of the parliamentary institutions.

I acknowledge the Hansard staff, who make our words read much better than they would as delivered. I also acknowledge and thank the Parliamentary Library staff, who provide an extraordinary service to this place. Their efforts are sometimes underestimated and unacknowledged. They should never be taken for granted. I acknowledge all the other parliamentary staff, starting with the cleaners, including my friend Isaac, who is always cheerful and encouraging when I meet him on level 2. Isaac is also well known to the Speaker. I acknowledge the catering staff, who have had to put up with the brunt of the Treasurer's attacks upon the Parliament. I acknowledge the Information and Technology Service staff and the administration staff.

I also acknowledge the natural enemy of the politician: the people who occupy level 6, the media. We have an interesting relationship. Although we are wary and cautious of each other, there is no point in our being here and arguing issues unless the media is able to report our messages to the wider public. They do an extraordinary job. I thank them for their hospitality on Tuesday night. I thank them for all that they do, for all that they put up with and for their humour. I even thank them for their difficult questions because they keep us on our toes and ensure that we are performing at our best, which is good for the country at large.

I extend Christmas felicitations to all members opposite, particularly the Leader of the House and the two Whips. As far as I am concerned, in the best traditions of Paul Whelan: it is never personal; it is political. What happens in the Chamber stays in the Chamber. That is the way I have approached my politics and that is the way I will try to continue. Although we should think about the true meaning of Christmas and not wish for Christmas presents, if I did have a Christmas wish it would be for more sittings, for more sitting days with question time and, regrettably—and I say that because I do not know whether it is in the public interests—that Reba Meagher and Kevin Greene keep their jobs and Morris Iemma remains the Premier of New South Wales.

Mr ANDREW STONER (Oxley—Leader of The Nationals) [10.27 a.m.]: We are already drawing close to Christmas after what seems to have been a very long year. The sittings of this place this year were a record low, particularly in relation to question time. It is appropriate that I express felicitations and appreciation to all those involved in the running of this place, which is a very large pillar of our great democracy. I have often said that I have the best electorate in New South Wales. I know that many other members would say exactly the same thing. I feel doubly blessed in that I think I have the best team behind me in politics. I refer specifically to my electorate staff, Margaret Bateman, Patricia Baker, Jodie Griffiths and John Bentley. Big John hovers between the electorate and Sydney helping me out in many ways.

I also mention Mary Tarr, who helps out on a relieving basis in my office in Kempsey. In my Sydney office I have a terrific team of young people who are absolutely behind me in everything I do. I refer to my chief of staff, Pete McConnell, Rod Bruce, Ben Shine, Bree Price, Di Hockey, Tara Black and Aidan Cromarty, who are a terrific bunch of people and an important part of The Nationals' efforts in this place to represent country and coastal people.

Mr Speaker, to you and your staff I express felicitations on behalf of The Nationals. Recently when we met on level 2 of Parliament House I mentioned to you the end of these sittings. I think you have had a pretty good year in some quite difficult circumstances at times. It certainly is a breath of fresh air to have a Speaker who at least attempts to be independent in the running and umpiring of this place, as difficult as it can be, as we saw yesterday afternoon with the argy-bargy on the sessional orders. I thank all the people involved in the orderly running of this place: the Deputy-Speaker, the Assistant-Speakers and the Acting-Speakers, Thomas George and others, who do a terrific job; the Clerks, Russell, Mark, Les and Ronda; the Sergeant-at-Arms, Greg Kelly; the attendants, Richard, Ian, Dennis and Joe. Your efforts are appreciated, certainly by me and all The Nationals.

I refer to my Coalition partner, Barry O'Farrell, and his staff, particularly Natasha and Peter, with whom we work very closely. I extend our appreciation to you for your efforts. The Whips on both sides of the House do a great joband I think Thomas George and Daryl Maguire count the numbers quicker than Gerard and Alan. Perhaps the Opposition Whips can give the Government Whips a few tips for next year!

Mr Thomas George: I count both sides.

Mr ANDREW STONER: Yes, I know, Thomas George counts both sides. The other staff of Parliament have a difficult job in keeping this place running as well as it does under quite difficult circumstances at times. I acknowledge the work of the Leader of the House, John Aquilina, and his staff. I also acknowledge the shadow Leader of the House, Adrian Piccoli. As the Leader of the Opposition stated, Adrian Piccoli has done a fantastic job in his first time in that role.

The Hansard staff, the staff of the Legislative Assembly Procedure Office, Members' Services staffwho make sure we are always equipped and pointed in the right direction to do our jobs, particularly in our electoratesAccounts staff and the Building Services staff do a terrific job. As the Leader of the Opposition mentioned, the catering staff faced challenges under a Treasurer who wants to cut costs in that area of responsibility. Nevertheless, they did a good job in those circumstances. I thank the Security staff and the Library staff, who are always professional and very helpful. I thank the Information Technology staff for their help in equipping some of we technophobes with the tools we need to do the job. The staff of the Premier's Department have been very helpful to my office, and I acknowledge their efforts. I thank the media gallery journalists for their effortsgood and badover the year. We wish you the very best over the Christmas season.

To all of you, do enjoy the break away from this place. Have a happy, holy and safe Christmas. I recommend you visit the beautiful mid-North Coast, and I am sure the member for Coffs Harbour will second that. But do take care in your travels, particularly on the Pacific Highway, which is getting better, but remains dangerous in many places, particularly with increased traffic. Take it easy and be prepared for some bottlenecks, especially around Kempsey. It is going to be terrible this year. Finally, as we draw closer to Christmas, it is important that in a nation with a Christian culture and a Christian heritage to remember the reason for the season, and not to countenance the political correctnessincluding the banning of "Ho! Ho! Ho!" from Santabut to focus on what this time is about: the gift of Jesus. Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Do not get carried away with commercialism and all that Christmas seems to be becoming; remember the time with your familiesthat is what Christmas is all aboutand the message of love expressed by Jesus.

The SPEAKER: I will make a brief contribution from the Speaker's chair. I say thank you to all members who have extended a high level of courtesy to me and to my office throughout the year. An Independent Speaker has been new to this House. There has been a great deal of change, both real and proposed, in this House. I thank all members for the constructive way in which they have provided advice and support to me, and that was from all sides, which is tremendously encouraging. I thank the Leaders in the broad sense. I thank the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of The Nationals and the Premier for the confidence shown in their advice to my office in a most constructive way. Members who have been here a considerable amount of time particularly have been able to offer their support and advice in a very frank and constructive way and not in a political way, which I appreciated very much. I think that is important.

I thank the other Leaders—the Leader of the House, the member for Riverstone, and the shadow Leader of the House, the member for Murrumbidgee. As the Leader of the Opposition said, this can be a robust place, but I have always found that their contributions to me have been constructive, and I have appreciated that very much. I thank them for their support throughout the year. I thank the Whips, who do a fantastic job in this placetheir efforts are underrated. I thank the Whips and Deputy Whips on both sides of the House for the work that they do, which should be acknowledged tremendously. The support and friendship in those roles is something that is not acknowledged enough, it often crosses political boundaries and it is something that is an appropriate message to all of us, because it is real and we should continue to send it to the community.

The House tried a few new roles with Speakers this year. I thank my Deputy-Speaker and the two Assistant-Speakers, which is a new position. I thank those we call Acting-Speakers. The member for Lismore and the member for Baulkham Hills are the first members of the Opposition to have occupied the chair as Acting-Speakers. I believe that they have done an outstanding job in an impartial way as Acting-Speakers. Those members, together with the Government's Acting-Speakers—the member for Charlestown and the member for Mulgoa—have assisted the House enormously in those roles. I thank them very much because the role of Acting-Speaker does not attract an allowance. They have always been very willing to occupy the Chair at times when it is difficult to understand the program exactly. It is great that they have been able to jump in and take over that position, which is simply the nature of how this House is run.

I thank my staff. They are tremendous people who simply serve. They want to serve everyone in the Parliament, as is appropriate for the Speaker and the Speaker's staff to do. Margaret, Lucy and Joe are tremendous people who are dedicated to serving each and every one of you. I want members to knowand I am sure they do as it has been commented upon by the Leadersthat my staff want to serve, and continue to serve. I thank them very much for their support, their hard work and their friendship, which means a great deal to me. As other members have done, I thank so many who make this place work. Although I had been a member of Parliament for eight years prior to becoming Speaker, I had not realised how many people do so many things in so many different areas to keep this place functioning. This is not meant to be a political statement, but they do so in a very difficult funding environment. I thank them very much for their work in sometimes difficult circumstances. Other members have mentioned Hansard, and I also thank them. I do not know how they hear half of what is said in this House, let alone how they make us read so beautifully the next day. I join with all members in congratulating them on the work they do.

I appreciate the many services that we have in this building. The Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of The Nationals highlighted the attendants. They do a tremendous job on the frontline in this place, particularly with their leadership of our school visits and also with the many other visitors to this place. I spend my life here meeting and greeting people of all backgrounds—guests of members and other visitors to the Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition touched on this. The attendants in the Legislative Assembly do their job very well, and we congratulate them and thank them. To all the services of this placethe cleaners, information technology, the whole range of services that we as members rely uponI say on behalf of the Parliament thank you very much for all you do. The place would not function without you. I note it is a changing environment, but we look forward to doing as much as we can with the resources we have so that we can continue to work as the parliamentary team that operates this place.

I want to spend a moment thanking the Clerks—Russell Grove, Mark and all the people who sit at this table—the Serjeant-at-Arms and the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms. People often do not realise just how much goes on in this place to allow it to continue to function. We had a pretty robust debate yesterday. At times like that many people are seeking advice and there are many procedures and processes going on. I particularly highlight Russell Grove. He is an institution in this place. He is a person of very high integrity who does, in my view, an enormous amount to keep this place held in high regard not only across this State and Australia but also internationally. I congratulate him and thank him for his support and friendship, as I do all the people who assist the Clerk and his team in all the various offices of administration in this place.

I offer my Christmas felicitations to each and every member and again thank them for their very courteous dealings with my staff and me. I look forward to Christmas with my family and coming back in the new year when we will again put the interests of the people of New South Wales forward. Merry Christmas.

Mr STEVE WHAN (Monaro—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.42 a.m.]: As convenor of the Country Labor parliamentary group I add my Christmas wishes to everybody this year. I start with the staff of the Monaro electorate office, who do a fantastic job representing and meeting the needs of constituents in the Monaro area. Jane Housley, who left earlier this year to move to Sydney to be closer to her daughter and her grandson, was a staffer in the electorate office from the time I was elected in 2003 until after this year's election. I thank her for her contribution over that time. Steve Curran, Lee Evans, Martin Elms and Ben Duggan have been in the Monaro electorate office during this year as well. I thank them for the work they do in ensuring that the electorate office works really well and is able to meet the needs of constituents and for their assistance with my role as Parliamentary Secretary. Martin Elms had a great year: he got married and I congratulate him.

I also thank and wish Merry Christmas to the staff of the House: the Clerks and all the people who run this place, as everybody else has said. Mr Speaker, congratulations on your first year in the role of Speaker. I have certainly enjoyed our treks around New South Wales with the Rural and Regional Task Force. That has been a particularly rewarding part of the past few months and I am certainly looking forward to meeting next week and the release of the report early next year. I also add my thanks to Hansard for the terrific work they do often in difficult circumstances. They understand what people are saying and make sense of it. I wish a very Merry Christmas to my colleagues on this side of the House. It is a terrific honour to be part of a Labor Government that was returned this year and to be part of such a quality team of people. They are a group who have great talents both on the frontbench and on the backbench, and it is something we never take for granted. We were very lucky this year to have the input of a large number of new members who I think have added significantly to our team on this side of the House and who I am sure are going to make great contributions to this Parliament over the years to come.

I feel privileged every day to be part of Morris Iemma's team in Government. I think he is a terrific, positive Premier who does a great job in quietly getting about and carrying out his role as Premier. I wish a Merry Christmas to all the Country Labor branch members around New South Wales who are on a particular high at the moment because of the great Federal result in country New South Wales. They worked hard all year. Having to man polling booths and other such activities can be a fairly thankless task at times. I wish them a Merry Christmas. I also mention, importantly, the people who live in the electorate of Monaro. Like many members in this place, I will be going to lots of school functions and other events over the next few weeks.

I would invite the media—who think we go on holidays when this place gets up—to go out at times with any member of this place and see what I believe is the real work carried out by members of Parliament: being in their electorates and meeting the needs of the people. Over the next couple of weeks that will involve a huge number of wonderful events such as school presentation days, which we all enjoy attending and seeing the wonderful smiling faces of the kids and the pride of their parents and their teachers. I also wish members of the Opposition and the Independents are very Merry Christmas. I look forward to another productive year next year. Merry Christmas everyone.

Mr ANDREW FRASER (Coffs Harbour—Deputy Leader of The Nationals) [10.46 a.m.]: I reiterate the comments of the Leader of the Opposition, who stated that this has to be one of the most unique debates in this place every year. In doing so, I must outline the fact that whilst this Chamber has always been and always will be a very adversarial Chamber, I think each and every one of us acknowledges that it does not matter whether you are on the Government benches, the Opposition benches or the crossbenches, we all have one goal: to give to our electorates the best representation we can. We can do that only with the assistance of the great staff we have both in the electorate offices and in Parliament House. Mr Speaker, it is a breath of fresh air to have an Independent Speaker. I wish you were not so independent at timesfor instance, when you introduced me to the Serjeant-at-Arms the other day! Even though I think the going onto three calls was fairly sudden, I probably deserved to go.

The SPEAKER: I thank the member for his Christmas spirit.

Mr ANDREW FRASER: It is good to see. I compliment your staff on their courteous manner. When members want to have a chat to you, you are available. Your staff ensure that if you are busy they get back to us and you always get back to us as well. That is greatly appreciated by every member of this House. I believe as we move on in the next three years in this place we will see a better running of this place, despite the debate on the standing orders yesterday afternoon.

I compliment Barry O'Farrell and Andrew Stoner on their leadership of the Coalition over the start of this term of Parliament. It has been a difficult time with a Federal election overshadowing what we do in the State sense. I believe all of us will now see an opportunity to raise State issues rather than running on Federal issues, as we have done in the past. As Deputy Leader of the Nationals I especially thank all the members of the National Party team: Katrina Hodgkinson, Don Page, John Turner, George Souris, Russell Turner, Steve Cansdell and Adrian Piccoli, and in the other place Melinda Pavey, Rick Colless, Jenny Gardner, Duncan Gay and Trevor Khan. They all contribute to a great team.

I especially welcome and compliment our three new members in this place: the member for Barwon, Kevin Humphries; the member for Murray-Darling, John Williams, who brings with him a uniqueness that comes only with that large far western electorate—his laconic sense of humour is not only appreciated in our party room and joint party room but also in the House via his interjections from time to time; and the "100 per cent for Tweed", Geoff Provest. Geoff, at some stage I will find out who keeps putting "100 per cent for Tweed" stickers on my office door. I am sure it is not you, but it is obviously someone who supports you! All The Nationals members do a great job in keeping their electorates well informed about what goes on in this place and keeping them well represented in this place. I congratulate each and every one of you.

No-one has mentioned them yet, but I think they need top-of-the-bill mention in this place. I refer to our spouses, especially the spouses of country members. I note with interest the debate last night on family-friendly hours. If this place gets up at 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, members who live in country electorates will not get home. It is still family unfriendly for country members. It is quite bizarre. The opportunity for our spouses to attend Sydney is extremely limited. We have a travel budget but, in reality, our staff and our spouses have to come out of that travel budget. A lot of us have young families—the member for Burrinjuck, for example.

When I first came to this place my youngest was threehe turned 21 this year. There may be times when you need to go home because of a family crisis and you cannot get there. I think city members do not fully appreciate the fact that most of the time we leave home on a Sunday night and we get home on a Friday night. When you get off the plane, there are functions to attendas I did last Friday night. And that is if you can get a flight; there are many delays. You get off the flight, you go off to a number of functions over the weekend and you are here again on Sunday night. On a personal levelI have said it beforethe job that my wife has done over the past 17 years in raising our three children is absolutely fantastic.

Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: She is a saint.

Mr ANDREW FRASER: She is a saint, for many reasons. But the fact is that that goes for a lot of our spouses, especially in country electorates. We lead a fairly disjointed lifestyle when it comes to family friendliness. On the other hand, I suppose it keeps the honeymoon alive for many of us because we do not see one another all that often. To our staff and to the staff generally in the parliamentary circleespecially our electorate staffa big thank you. Whilst your spouses may be representing you at certain functions and events in your electorate, it is the electorate staff that handle the day-to-day matters of your constituents. I believe they do it with great aplomb.

I really have to put on record my appreciation to Diane Leahy, my senior electorate officer; to Campbell Forsythe; and to Deb McGrath, who has been a temp for me for about 15 years. She is retiring in February next year. She is hanging up her pen. She has been absolutely fantastic. I wish her all the very best in the future. I know she has temped for a lot of other members on the North Coast and she has done a great job. She has great understanding and great empathy, as do Campbell and Diane. To all other electorate staff, thank you very much for the great job that you do in a similar manner.

I refer to the parliamentary staff. I thank Hansard because they make our speeches make sense, they correct the grammar and they put the commas in the right spots. They do a fantastic job. Thank you for your tolerance and your long hours. We might be tired and cranky in here, but you must be even worse off. You record the events and speeches as they are given and, as has been said before, in many cases you record our speeches much better than we delivered them. The attendants in this place always greet you with a warm, cheery welcome of a morning. They look after our visitors and schoolchildren when they come to Parliament House, especially if country members are unable to be here. I compliment you on doing a great job and on speaking to the schoolchildren when they come to Parliament House.

The library staff do an absolutely fantastic job and research. If you ring them and ask them for some detail, they get that detail to you. They ask when you want it and you say, "Any time in the next half an hour would be absolutely brilliant, but if you can do it in 10 minutes it would be even better", and they always seem to come through. They do a fantastic job. I refer to the administration staff. We have our differences—especially country members when it comes to claims for our travel allowances and whether boarding passes are in order—but I thank you very much for the onerous task you do. I am sure if John Turner were here he would send special Christmas felicitations to Greg McGill. John is our gear steward in The Nationals and has a lot of correspondence with Greg and his staff. The cleaners do a fantastic job. They are always here early of a morning and they do a tremendous job cheerily and happily. I thank security, especially Lorraine. who gives us all a warm greeting as we come in of a morning. She is normally here of an evening when people are leaving as well. All the security staff do a great job. As has been said earlier today, catering has been trying to provide us with a menu that we appreciate while dealing with Mr Costa—it really is tough.

I thank the Clerks of this House, especially Russell Grove. I once again put on record my apologies for the comments I made in the heat of debate yesterday. I have always found that all the Clerks are open at any time for adviceand I say that with 17 years' experience in this place. They really do a great job. Quite often Clerks can be accused of X, Y and Z, but if you do not ask, you are not told. I have always found that if you knock on their door or pick up the phone they will give you advice. You do not always cherish the advice they give you, but the fact remains that this place will run for a very long time and the advice that they give you is developed and compiled over many, many years.

I thank the departmental staff of all the State government departments in our electorates. Quite often many issues arise, be it health matters, Department of Community Services matters, housing matters and so on. They give us great service and do their jobs very well. I must say I am disappointed with the politicisation of the Roads and Traffic Authority. Quite often when we want to go to the Roads and Traffic Authority we are directed back through the Minister's office. Those people would like to be able to speak to us directly and resolve issues without creating ministerials, but unfortunately that does not happen. They have a job to do, they do it well and they liaise well with our staff and with members. It is a credit to them.

We all have our moments with the media as to whether they quote us correctly and as to whether they give us the runs we think we deserve. Each and every one of us knows individual media statements are the most important. If they do not get the front page or the lead story on the television or radio, we wonder why. However, they have to sift through every one of our media releases. Sometimes, especially on the North Coast where we share media, there could be a dozen media releases on the one subject from both Government and Opposition members—and, for that matter, Independent members. They do a very hard job and they do it well across the board.

To each and every one of my constituents, thank you very much for the confidence you have shown in me in re-electing me to this place for another four years. I will continue without fear or favour to represent you. I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas. I mentioned spouses but I forgot to mention that the job of a leader's spouse is hard. There are demands on leaders, and to some extent deputy leaders, and their spouses. Rosemary O'Farrell and Cathy Stoner pay a fairly big price because their husbands have to be all over the State and have to cover all the issues. Most of the time Cathy and Rosemary accompany Andrew and Barry. Constituents do not realise that when they elect one member they always get two. I think compliments need to be given to Cathy and Rosemary for the hard campaigns prior to the March election, for the great job they have done since and for what will happen over the next three years until the next election.

I wish all the members of this place a happy and holy Christmas. Come back refreshed. We will put the gloves on again in February and go back to the adversarial nature that this Chamber is renowned for. I trust that everyone will have a great break. Be careful if you are travelling. I say that in all seriousness because a young man died recently at Bulahdelah. I know that the North Coast will claim lives over this holiday period. Be aware of that. Stop, revive and survive. Make sure you get to your destination safely. Enjoy your holiday. If you are visiting relatives, as a lot of members do on the North Coast, do it safely. Have a great break. I look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Ms VIRGINIA JUDGE (Strathfield—Parliamentary Secretary) [11.00 a.m.]: I commend the spirit of the Hansard reporters. A couple of beautiful Christmas reindeers have just arrived in the Chamber. They also got into the spirit of the Melbourne Cup by wearing gorgeous hats.

On behalf of the Strathfield electorate, which I am privileged to represent, I wish everyone a happy and holy Christmas. This is the first time I have participated in Christmas felicitations in my five years in this place. I knew from the very first day that I came into Parliament that the staff were fabulous and they have continued to be. Without them I would not have survived in this place. They have all helped me—the attendants, the library staff and the education staff. Being a Luddite, I have often called on the information technology help desk. I also appreciate the assistance of the kitchen staff and the cleaners. We cannot survive in this wonderful seat of democracy on our own; we all work as a team. I place on the public record my thanks for the help that the staff have given me. I also wish a happy and holy Christmas to members of all political persuasions. I hope they have a wonderful Christmas with their families and friends, and that everyone returns safely next year.

I have always supported family-friendly hours, and I have taken on board the concerns of members from rural areas. The staff of the Parliament and the staff who support the members—whether they be backbenchers or Ministers—must get home from work at the end of the day. No-one has spoken about them. When we finish sitting late at night some of them must catch trains home and be back here bright eyed and bushy tailed early next morning. Family-friendly hours will benefit everyone who works in and supports the Parliament of New South Wales. Family-friendly hours send a clear ideological message about the value we place on our families and relationships. Their introduction will make our working conditions more contemporary and will allow us to spend more time with our partners and children, or whomever we share our lives. They will allow us to connect and have more quality time with the people we love and care about.

More than 50 per cent of our constituents are women and the new sitting hours will encourage more of them to take on a parliamentary role. Many talented and skilled women might like to consider standing for Parliament but the sitting hours would preclude it because of their commitments. These days many men also play a greater role in caring for their children. Making our workplace easier to access is a great step in the right direction. Family friendly hours will also help to legitimise this place as a contemporary institution. I extend my felicitations for the Christmas season and thank everyone for helping to make my job easier and more enjoyable. I also welcome our wonderful new members who joined us at the last election. I hope their time here is as pleasurable and exciting as mine has been.

Mr DARYL MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [11.05 a.m.]: Felicitations and best wishes to all in the Parliament. I thank colleagues on both sides of the House for their cooperation with the member for Lismore and me in our role in this place. I also extend my congratulations to the Independent Speaker. He has a very difficult job. While I do not always agree with his decisions, he is there for a reason and to act fairly for all members of this place. I also acknowledge that he must do that and run this Parliament under very trying circumstances.

I also extend a very special thanks to those staff who have left as a result of the savage budget cuts imposed by Michael Costa. They are all good people who have served the Parliament and the people of this State well. We have heard previous speakers today refer to the efforts of the staff who we all know and care about. They have left because funding has not been made available to enable this place to operate, as I believe it should.

I also extend best wishes to the clerks, the Hansard staff, the security staff and the cleaners. I particularly acknowledge Martha, who works in the executive hall. She is a gorgeous soul. I do not think that we appreciate the efforts of people like Martha—happy Christmas, Martha. I also thank the library, hospitality, printing, stationery, procedure, members' services and accounting staff. I thank the Leader of the House and his staff, with whom we have extensive dealings. The Leader of the House mentioned Pricilla—another delightful soul with whom we have close dealings. It is good to see young, professional people working to ensure the passage of legislation and the orderly running of this place.
We also have dealings with the Premier's Department. I mention in particular Davina Langton. I have a great deal of contact with her. She is a young and professional person on the way up. She has a very difficult job because from time to time chaos reigns, but she always seems to rise to the challenge. I also extend very special Christmas wishes to members on both sides of the House who joined us for the first time at the election. The Leader of the Opposition has mentioned them. It has been a great pleasure to welcome them and to enjoy their company and, of course, the robust debates that we have in this place. I have one message for them: Once you leave the brass bars of this Parliament you should leave your fights behind as best you can. That is good advice. Once we get into the hallways we should have decent conversations and sensible relationships.

In that respect I extend my good wishes to members who have left this place. I refer in particular to John Bartlett, who is fighting the good fight. We came into this place with the member for Lismore and the member for Burrinjuck, who is in the Chamber, in 1999. John Bartlett and I were on a committee trip and on the afternoon we were due to fly out of New York John said that he would like to visit the World Tower. I responded that I would prefer to go and have a beer with him. Our secretary, Catherine Watson, told us that we should visit the tower because we may never get the chance again. So we went to the top of the World Tower. That was two months to the day before terrorists destroyed it. Sometimes life is too short and we should never put off the things that we think we can do tomorrow or the next day; we should do what we can now and live life to the fullest. John, all the best.

The drought continues, crops have failed in regional New South Wales and we face significant challenges. However, rural communities and farmers are great optimists—they have to be. We have faced these challenges before and we have always risen to them and survived. Recently I had the great pleasure of dining with Jill Ker Conway. Members may know that Jill is the author of several books, but I refer in particular to The Road From Coorain. Jill was honoured with a Charles Sturt University honoris causa for her life's work in education. I had the pleasure of dining with her and talking about The Road from Coorain—as many of you know, I was born and raised in Ivanhoe. Coorain station is about 60 kilometres from Ivanhoe. The book relates to the struggle of their family to stay on the farm in terrible drought times. I believe the message in the book is that we do survive but we have to pull together and support each other in challenging times.

Finally, I thank my staff. They have a difficult job to do both in Parliament House and in Wagga Wagga. To Maryann and Holly, who left my employ this week but who are still employed within our organisation, Margaret, Brenda and Paula, thank you for everything you do. I know I can be difficult and demanding to work for, but I do not think we really appreciate that you are the face of our office. You deal daily with the great challenges and problems of constituents and do so professionally. I thank you and wish you and your families well. To my colleagues in the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, you are a great team of people. I thoroughly enjoy working with you as part of a very professional team.

Again, I know I can be demanding from time to time as the Whip's role sometimes requires, but I must say that you are a most professional group of people and dedicated to your electorates. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Jillian Skinner, normally would be here to offer felicitations, but the good news is that she is about to become a grandmother. We wish the Skinner family and their daughter Amy all the best for the arrival of her first child and their first grandchild. Lastly, of course, to my colleague Thomas George: I know things get tense from time to time and we have a difficult job to do. I thank you for your professionalism, support and all that you do. You are a great mate and work very hard for your constituents. You are well regarded in this Parliament.

I believe that when we walk past that brass bar of the House at Christmas time, or at any time, it is important that colleagues have respect for each other. We play an important part in democracy: we can have an opinion in this place and put forward our thoughts regarding concerns in our electorates. We should encourage young people to be involved in politics and to take an interest to ensure that their vote counts. The message must be enforced and kept strong that their vote is important and that it is important to take an interest in the political affairs of their environment. I hope I have covered everyone. If not, to everyone: best wishes and merry Christmas. To my electorate, the people of Wagga Wagga, which includes for the very first time the local government area of Tumut, happy Christmas to everyone. There are better times ahead and I wish you all well.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [11.13 a.m.]: I take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year. In doing so I reiterate the thanks and endorse the comments of appreciation of the previous speakers to everyone that make this Parliament work. On a personal note, it has been quite a tough year for me, but being re-elected at the election in March was a highlight. I thank particularly my staff for the way they handled those situations and for the support they have given me and the constituents of the Lismore electorate. Karen, Bronwyn, Christine, Kirsten and Carol make up the team, and I thank them and their husbands and families for their support. The reason I have so many girls is that they all job share, but they are the face of the Lismore electorate.

When we are in this place, when all members are away from their electorates, their electorate staff is the face of the electorate. They handle 90 per cent of the work while members are away. They forward information to us when we are in this place and continue the electorate work, despite the member not being present. I pay tribute to the Government Whips, Gerard and Alan, for their cooperation. As Daryl said, at times it is an unenviable task. However, we receive cooperation from all members of Parliament. I thank Daryl also. As he just outlined, we might clash a little at times but that is only because we are in trying to seek the betterment of the work to be carried out here in the House.

I also pay tribute to Russell Turner, my deputy. He has always been there for me whenever I have needed someone to fill in. I thank you Russell for his support. I pay tribute and extend my thanks to Peter McConnell and the staff of the office of the Leader of The Nationals. They are very supportive whenever anything has to be done. I thank the parliamentary staff of The Nationals in the other place and the staff who work in this place for The Nationals and the Coalition because they provide the basis for us being a real Coalition team. I believe it is the most successful Coalition team in Australia.

I place on record my thanks to Hansard, who are suitably dressed for the occasion. I address my remarks to all the Hansard team. It is well and truly documented here that they make our speeches read very well. They turn what could be a disaster into a success. I sincerely thank them for their efforts not only at the moment, but for everything they do for every member of Parliament. It is greatly appreciated. I express my thanks also to the staff of members' services, security, accounts, and the cleaners, especially Selma, who comes to work early each morning always with a smile on her face to do the hard work. I pay tribute to her. I also thank staff in catering and the bar, library, stationery and every department in this Parliament. When you walk through the door each morning security staff say "G'day" to you. You get to the front desk and Dennis and everyone says "G'day". It is such a nice environment to walk into.

I will never forget when I was in business and I employed a young lady who would walk past everybody and sit at her desk without even saying "G'day". Of course, this was in the days before unfair dismissal laws. I called her into my office one morning and said, "Listen, I want you to walk back out and until you can walk past and say 'G'day' to everyone and greet everyone as you walk into the office, you cannot come back in here." She walked out. For the first day it was tough but by the end of the week she really appreciated that because it changed the whole attitude of the office. It is greatly appreciated here at Parliament when everyone you walk past says "G'day" to you. These thanks are in no specific order, but I pay tribute to the staff in the office of the Whips. I refer to Jan from the Government side, Tara and Maryann in my office and all staff associated with the Whips. They put up with a lot, and I place on record my sincere thanks to them.

I come now to the clerks: Russell, Mark, Les, and Ronda—the whole team—Greg Kelly, and the attendants Richard and Ian. I pay tribute to them. Yesterday we had a heated debate that in some ways could have been better conducted. Please do not take exception to what happened yesterday. We think the world of you. Your support to us every day is greatly appreciated. Yesterday, while we were having a little lemonade, I said to the Whips that what happened in the House yesterday afternoon was a great experience for me, but we do not want it to happen again.

This week the House passed the Liquor Bill and the GM bill, two bills that could easily have been debated for two months. I want members of the Government to listen to what I am about to say, as well as the people on our side: The bills were passed because the Minister—I acknowledge the Minister for Gaming and Racing is in the House—in his wisdom properly briefed the Opposition. As a result, when the Liquor Bill was called on for debate everyone had a say on it and it was passed. The same occurred with the GM bill. I pay tribute to the Minister for ensuring that the shadow Ministers and the Opposition were properly briefed. If the energy that was displayed in making changes to the bills had been put into the process prior to the bills coming before the House we would have saved a lot of time and energy. I pay tribute to the two Ministers who handled those two contentious bills. Their passage through this House was handled in a professional manner. Perhaps other Ministers should speak to those two Ministers to learn how to deal with such matters properly.

This year I was appointed as a Temporary Speaker. After that I realised that there is another side to running this place. I have been the Whip, but when you become involved in the Speaker's domain you realise that there is a lot of work involved in running this House. I pay tribute to the Speaker, the Deputy-Speaker and my fellow Temporary Seakers, and to Joe, Margaret and everyone in the Speaker's office, because making this place run is a team effort. I place on record also my thanks to the Leader of the House, John Aquilina, to Priscilla and Nicole in his office, and to the shadow Leader of the House, Adrian Piccoli, who has done a magnificent job. He has really matured into the job and I thank him for his support.

While we go crook at each other at times, I am proud to be the member for Lismore in the New South Wales Parliament, which runs every day as a team effort. When there is a breakdown, it is probably because a team is not cooperating. I pay tribute to the constituents of the Lismore electorate and I thank them for their unwavering support over the past six months. I pay tribute to Deb for her support to me as well, and my family—Stuart, Cameron and Margaret—and my grandchildren, because they have provided family support to Brendan, who I hope we will be able to have Christmas with us. I thank all members of Parliament on both sides for their support this year. I have appreciated it on a personal basis as well as on a professional basis. I extend to all a warm, happy, safe and holy Christmas, and I trust that you will be blessed with good health next year.

Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) [11.24 a.m.]: As a new member of Parliament who was elected at the March 2007 election, I will reflect on my experiences since entering this place. It was suggested to me when I was first elected to Parliament that it can be a very lonely place, but that has not been my experience. I am appreciative of members on this side of the House who have made me feel very welcome, as they have all new members. We have experienced a great deal of camaraderie over the past few months that is very special and we have formed some very strong bonds. I also mention the members of the Opposition. As was mentioned by the member for Wagga Wagga, once we go outside the House there are some very good exchanges of conversation and good discussions about our experiences in each other's electorates and the problems confronting our constituents. That is an important part of Parliament that many people in the public are unaware of.

If I may be permitted to offer advice after such a short time here, when we get caught up in debate about parliamentary business we need to better promote ourselves and the job we do in our communities. Sometimes when we debate the time we spend in the Chamber we devalue the work we do in our communities. I know that all members from both sides, as well as the Independents, are committed to doing the best they can for their communities. Members work very hard in their communities. They attend a wide range of events and, as has been mentioned, they spent a lot of time away from their families. We know when we take on this job that those things will impinge on our lives, but we should sometimes give each other credit for the work we do in our communities.

While the work we do in this place is very important—this is where legislation is made—the work we do in our communities and the representations we make to Ministers and departments is a special and important part of our jobs. I thank the Ministers and their staff for the cooperation my office has received when we have made representations. A number of Ministers have visited the electorate of Wyong and the Central Coast since the election. What has really impressed my community is the accessibility of those Ministers and their willingness to sit down and talk about issues and listen to the concerns of my constituents. We have held a number of forums and a number of Ministers have turned up for a one-hour meeting to sit down with people and have a chat. That is an important role of government.

I acknowledge my colleagues Grant McBride, the member for The Entrance; Marie Andrews, the member for Gosford; Robert Coombs, the member for Swansea; John Della Bosca; Jill Hall, the member for Shortland; and our two new Federal members, Craig Thompson and Belinda Neale. I am looking forward to a really strong team on the Central Coast next year that can tackle issues affecting the Central Coast and make sure that our people are well represented. It is an exciting opportunity. We have a really strong team now. I also mention Chris Hartcher, the member for Terrigal. While I probably do not agree with Chris on a lot of issues, I have found him to be a very intelligent person and I have really enjoyed his contributions to debate. I am thankful that he has offered me some kind advice and has not been too hard on me when I have been speaking.

I conclude by thanking my staff—Ann, Colleen, Judy, Kim and Dale—for the work they have done since my election. They are the real heroes in the job. They perform all the front-line duties and make sure that everything that comes through the front door is followed up. While much appears to be happening on the face of it, they are the researchers who follow up every single issue for constituents, and that is certainly greatly appreciated. I wish all the staff of Parliament a happy Christmas. I notice that the colour-co-ordinated Hansard staff are getting into the spirit of the season. All the parliamentary staff are very friendly. When I have been lost and wandering, they have always been willing to point me in the right direction and give good advice, and always with a smile. I offer Christmas felicitations to all, and wish everyone a very safe and restful holiday.

Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Burrinjuck) [11.29 a.m.]: I begin my Christmas felicitations by thanking my party leader, Andrew Stoner, and the Leader of the Opposition, Barry O'Farrell, for all their hard work in keeping us in line as an effective Opposition this year. I pay my compliments to their staff, in particular the staff of the Leader of The Nationals—Pete McConnell, Tara Black, Bree Price, Rod Bruce and Ben Shine. I also thank the staff of the Leader of the Opposition, in particular, Sam Fairlie-Cuninghame and Julian Leembruggen, as well as Rose at the front desk, who always has such a lovely manner, Natasha, and everybody who works in the leaders' offices.

I also extend my compliments to all my parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the Chamber, including members of Country Labor and other members of the Australian Labor Party, and especially to all my Liberal and Nationals colleagues on the Opposition side of the House—Thomas George, Andrew Fraser, Don Page, John Turner, George Souris, Russell Turner, Steve Cansdell, and Adrian Piccoli. Good on you, Pic, for the wonderful work you are doing as Opposition Leader of the House, which is an extraordinarily difficult job. The speeches Adrian Piccoli has made on behalf of the Opposition, particularly regarding suspension of standing orders, have been absolutely outstanding. He has taken to the role with extreme relish.

I welcome our new members of Parliament—Kevin Humphries, an outstanding member with the largest electorate, which takes up approximately a third of the State; the wonderful character who is John Williams, the member for Murray-Darling; Geoff Provest, the member for Tweed—100 per cent for the Tweed; and our new member of the Legislative Council, Trevor Khan. I congratulate Trevor on his election. I extend my compliments to the Leader of The Nationals in the upper House, Duncan Gay, and to Jenny Gardiner, Rick Colless and Melinda Pavey, who are all such wonderful members and contribute so much to the Parliament, as well as to the people of New South Wales.

I wish to express a very heartfelt thanks to my family, especially my long-suffering husband, Jack Saeck, who, week after week, watches me walk out the door. He stays behind, gets the kids away to school or to day care, picks them up in the afternoon, cooks their dinner, gets them breakfast on the following morning, and every night he puts them to bed and deals with their complaints and illnesses. I just cannot stress enough how important his role is in my life and how much I appreciate everything he does. I love him very, very dearly, and I miss him a lot when I am away. To Georgia and Hamilton—thank you for your continuing understanding.

I also thank my electorate office staff, particularly David White. This year David has had a few illnesses, but he is so appreciated for everything he does. He works extremely hard. I cannot thank him enough for the wonderful work he does. David deals with all of the electorate office details that have to be followed up, takes the most complicated telephone calls, turns them into something that the local member can understand, makes comprehensive file notes, and assists with drafting correspondence and with Department of Community Services shadow portfolio work. I thank him also for the spirit that he brings into the office, which cannot be underestimated. He has a working spouse, a disabled son and two daughters, who I know constitute a wonderful family. I thank him for leaving his home life each day and coming into the office.

I thank also my staff members—Rowena Weir, Gaenor Bingley and Margot Shannon—whom I cannot compliment highly enough on the lovely manner they bring to the Burrinjuck electorate office. They are always smiling and happy. The three of them are just a joy to be around. I greatly appreciate everything they do in the office—their job-sharing abilities and their capacity to pass on information—and I do hope I can hang onto all four of them for as long as possible. I would not replace any of them—David, Rowena, Gaenor and Margot—for quids.

I also thank the staff of parliamentary services and members services. This year I would like to thank Natasha. I know my phone has caused her so much grief, but I thank her for everything she does—and I am sorry if I get grumpy with her every now and then. I thank also Maria and Cathy in the dining room and the staff at the coffee machine in the foyer. I think more of us possibly could resemble the Minister for Community Services during question time if we were not able to have coffee before coming into the Chamber. I hope the Minister for Community Services has a very merry Christmas with his family. I also thank the Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, and the Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, as well as all the caseworkers, people working on the Helpline, and people working with domestic violence, particularly over the Christmas season. We know Christmas will be rough for people who work with domestic violence because, when alcohol is involved, we know that somewhere there will be domestic violence. I wish all those workers the compliments of the season and good luck in their daily pursuits. I thank them on behalf of the members of the House for the hard work they do in our community.

I also thank the staff of the Legislative Assembly Procedure Office who handle bills and papers for all their hard work—Ronda, Joe and Rebecca. I also thank the entire Hansard staff, but in particular Lisa Gelzinnis, who always has a smile and takes our papers at the end of our speeches, for everything that she does. As the member for Lismore said, Hansard makes us sound so good! I thank the media, especially the radio stations for taking my early morning calls and turning up to media conferences during the year. I also thank Building Services staff for everything they do. I especially thank Russell Grove and Patricia Broderick in his office—two outstanding participants in parliamentary democracy in this State.

I also thank the security staff, in particular Morgan, Eugene, Lorraine, Chris, Shannon, Scotty, and everybody else involved in security. I pay compliments to the Leader of the House, John Aquilina, for his endeavours in assisting me to get Parliamentary Friends of the European Union up and running. He is doing a great job. I thank everybody who is involved with the Parliamentary Friends of the European Union. It will be an exciting committee to be a part of. I also thank the ABC for its encouragement in getting the Parliamentary Friends of the European Union up and running.

I wish a very merry Christmas to all the farmers in the Burrinjuck electorate who have suffered so dreadfully over the past six or seven years because of the ever-extending drought. I thank God for the welcome recent rain. Though it was, unfortunately, too late for some, it was nevertheless welcome. At home we have had 12 centimetres of rain in the last month, which is extremely welcome. This summer as the grass grows following recent rain, bushfires will be at the forefront of our minds. We know we cannot really get through Christmas Day—or certainly not a New Year's Day—without a bushfire. There will be many challenges ahead for our State Emergency Service personnel, for our rural firefighters and for everybody else who responds to emergencies within the Burrinjuck electorate.

I pay homage to people who clean up the mess caused by horrific car crashes, particularly the ones continually occurring on the Barton Highway, the Hume Highway and on myriad regional roads in the Burrinjuck electorate. On those roads terrible fatalities and injuries occur. I thank those who have the task of picking up the pieces—they have the heartfelt thanks of the community and me. In conclusion, I once again say a very warm thank you to my family for their understanding and their commitment. I could not do this job without them. I want them all to know—Georgia, Hamilton and Jack—just how much I love them and appreciate them.

Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance) [11.38 a.m.]: Felicitations to all associated with Parliament. I wish members and their staff, Hansard, the Clerks, the Parliamentary Library staff, staff in the kitchen, security staff, committee staff and all staff in the back-up offices that are part of the Parliament a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday. I thank my electorate staff, led by Di Anderson, as well as Chris Morley and Annette Dafter. I thank them for their endless patience and commitment to my electorate and to the wider community. As everyone who is a member of the lower House knows, without a good electorate staff a member is not a good member. Members depend on their staff doing their job well and making sure that all the issues of the community are brought forward so that the members can deliver for their local community.

I thank all party members, friends, family and extended family who worked on my re-election campaign. I congratulate my local colleagues, Marie Andrews, the new member for Gosford; David Harris, the new member for Wyong; and Rob Coombs, the new member for Swansea. David Harris and Rob Coombs are both made of the right stuff and will make great contributions to their electorates on the Central Coast. It is a real privilege to be a member of the New South Wales Parliament representing the local community, and both David and Rob reflect that. I say a special thank you to my immediate family, who have supported me every day during my time in Parliament. Especially I want to mention Barbara, my life partner, William, Karin, Gabriel, Augustin, Isabel, Emma, Nick, Eddi, Leo, Kelly, Aimee and Iggi, whose real name is Ignatius. I express special thanks to my mum, Elaine, who is now 79 years old, who has a forensic memory of anything relating to State and Federal politics.

Mum has had a wonderful 2007 with the re-election of me and the Iemma Government, with the election of Kevin 07 on 24 November in a result that beggars comparison in contemporary politics across Australia, and on the Central Coast with the seats of Dobell and Robertson returning to Labor—after 11˝ and 7 years respectively. Congratulations to Craig Thomson and Belinda Neal. On the night of 24 November Mum refused to go to bed until the former Prime Minister conceded, such was her commitment to the Labor Party. Merry Christmas, mum. I wish all people in the Parliament and everyone throughout our electorates a happy, holy and safe Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee) [11.42 a.m.]: I take this opportunity to say thank you and a merry Christmas to a number of people who have supported me and the Coalition in the Parliament throughout 2007. Firstly, I take this opportunity to thank my wife, Sonia Casanova, for her patience and for putting up with having a husband who is a member of Parliament, particularly in an election year. She helped out substantially in the election campaign in Murrumbidgee as well as in Murray-Darling, which we won off the Labor Party. She has done enormous work for me, for The Nationals and locally. On top of that, she is a great wife and a wonderful support. Members with spouses and partners would appreciate that after a tough day there is nothing better than to go home to somebody that you love, have a debrief, a whinge, and tell them of the successes and failures, which makes for an easier night's sleep. Thank you very much, Sonia.

I thank my electorate staff in Griffith: Lyn Sparks, Sally Brown and Jan Casagrande. They do fantastic work and I echo the comments of other members of Parliament that without good staff it is very difficult to be a good member of Parliament. As country members of Parliament we are away from our electorate offices for days at a time and our electorate officers do an enormous amount of work. Indeed, I often feel as though I am just the name on the top of letterhead and those who do the major work in the office are the electorate staff, and I am sure other members of Parliament would agree with me.

I also acknowledge The Nationals branch members in Griffith, where I live, and across the Murrumbidgee electorate. I acknowledge John Fulton, electorate council chairman, and John Minogue—no relation to Kylie—who was the campaign director for the election in March for the support they gave me and The Nationals in retaining the seat of Murrumbidgee. Thank you very much. I thank and wish merry Christmas to the head office of The Nationals. The people there have done a wonderful job as well. We picked up a couple of seats in the State election. The Federal election, which was won by the Labor Party, was more difficult and I congratulate the Federal Labor Party on its victory in November. We are lucky in Australia to have democracy where we can have a change of government that was seamless and without any bloodshed or great drama. It is a great credit to Australia as a democracy.

I thank also my parliamentary colleagues in The Nationals and the Liberal Party for their great work this year, coming off the back of the March election. In particular, I thank the staff of The Nationals, Peter McConnell, Andrew Stoner's chief of staff, and others within his office. They do an enormous amount of work and, I reiterate, it is hard to be a good member of Parliament without good staff. They are here every day of the week furthering the values that The Nationals hold dear.

I pay tribute to the attendants and staff of Parliament House who always welcome members of Parliament with a smile. Sometimes when things are grim, it is great to be greeted with a smile. They are always assisting us. I thank also the Clerks. We have some difficult days, like yesterday, when, as shadow Leader of the House, I do not necessarily agree with the Clerks, and they probably do not agree with me. However, we all have a job to do and I thank them for the work they have done. I know there are other matters before the House today, so just I wish everybody a merry Christmas.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.