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Seasonal Felicitations and Valedictory Speeches
The Hon. JOHN DELLA BOSCA (Minister for Finance, Minister for Commerce, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Vice-President of the Executive Council) [6.28 p.m.]: I move:
That this House at its rising today do adjourn until Tuesday 27 February 2007 at 2.30 p.m. unless the President, or if the President is unable to act on account of illness or other cause, the Chair of Committees, prior to that date by communication addressed to each member of the House fixes an alternative day or hour of the meeting.
On behalf of my ministerial and government colleagues I take this opportunity to offer my thanks to everyone in the Parliament who has contributed to the successful operation of the House throughout the year. I thank you, Madam President, as you have allowed this Chamber to undertake its important work and to debate the day-to-day issues before us. You have maintained order and dignity in the Chamber and have kept the House focused on its proper business. I thank you and your staff. Madam President, as I know you are retiring at the coming election I congratulate you on your distinguished contribution to the New South Wales Parliament. You have served 15 years as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, the last seven as its President, the first woman President from the nation's oldest political party and the longest-serving woman President of this place. Prior to that you distinguished yourself in committee work, with a thorough knowledge of the House and its procedures that marks your most competent role as President. You have been, and remain, a distinguished academic and a public intellectual. Of course, as was referred to in previous contributions, you were also a student activist of some notoriety.
Madam President, you entered State Parliament as a well-known activist not only in the Australian Labor Party and the trade union movement but also in the broader community. You were part of what we called the "progressive movement" during simpler times. Your strong stand on many controversial issues in which you believed and for which you were an outspoken and intelligent advocate is known and respected, even by those who have opposed some of the positions you have taken. None were more marked than your well-known stands on East Timor, apartheid, the Vietnam War, your general activism against all war, your commitment to the cause of peace and your campaign for justice in both the Australian and global contexts.
You are of course a staunch feminist, and exquisitely feminine. You are a supporter of many, many important causes that have stood you and your reputation as both a radical thinker and a radical political activist in good stead. I congratulate you on being a person who has managed to uphold the dignity of a very important traditional institution as President of the Legislative Council but who has not once comprised her beliefs or her principles throughout what I believe has been a very successful parliamentary career.
I acknowledge the presence in the public gallery of the Parliamentary Counsel, Don Colagiuri, and his staff. Their work is very much evident in all we do. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel always produces bills in a timely and patient manner. In the past couple of weeks the efficiency, hard work and good humour of the Parliamentary Counsel has been very much appreciated, as I am sure it is also appreciated by the Opposition and other members who have produced amendments to legislation. I extend my gratitude and that of all honourable members to the attendants in the House for the excellent service they provide. They are, without exception, a pleasant and courteous group. I thank the Hansard staff, who work long hours to record our words accurately and promptly and who must make sense of perhaps ungrammatical and unsyntactical statements. They always make us sound far more eloquent and informed than perhaps we are.
I thank the staff of the Legislative Council Procedure Office and Corporate Support, and the Legislative Council committee staff. I acknowledge the work of the Parliamentary Library staff, who render an essential and excellent service to all honourable members. The resource they manage is one of the most important tools for all of us, especially those who are not members of the Government. I acknowledge the work of the Parliamentary Archives, the staff of Building Services, Information Technology Services, the Parliamentary Dining Room, Printing Services, and the Security Services, and the cleaners and outdoor staff. They all make an important contribution to the proper working of this place. I again thank the Clerk of the Parliaments, John Evans, and the Clerks and their staff, and the table officers, including Legislative Council Procedure Office and committee staff.
I would also like to thank the Whips, particularly the Government Whips, the Hon. Peter Primrose and his deputy, the Hon. Ian West. As we know, Peter does a superb job. He obviously offers wise and important counsel to the Government and to Government members in this place. Through his dedicated service and wise counsel, Peter, like John Evans and other distinguished people we have mentioned today—although Peter is not retiring—has made a great contribution to this place. I also thank my friend and colleague the Hon. Tony Kelly and my great friend the Hon. Michael Costa, Deputy Leader of the Government. I thank my other ministerial colleagues, who have worked hard. We have tried to make ourselves as accountable as possible to this place, sometimes under difficult circumstances—talk about sticky wickets!
I thank all Government members for their loyalty and their hard work during what has been, on occasions, a very difficult year. To the members who are retiring at the end of this term, I wish them all the best and thank them for their contribution to the work of the House. I particularly extend my best wishes to my colleague the Hon. Jan Burnswoods, who is retiring after 15 years in this Chamber. Before entering Parliament Jan was an active trade unionist and a very involved and committed member of the Australian Labor Party at local branch, State administrative and national levels. Her invaluable contribution and experience in committee work in this place—she is a stickler for detail yet can always grasp the big picture—will be greatly missed, particularly by members of the Government. I have appreciated her keen interest in a wide range of social justice issues, particularly industrial relations. Jan has been keenly involved in three tiers of politics: local level, State administrative level and here with us at the parliamentary level. Jan is a person of strong opinions—in case no-one has noticed—and a great deal of determination. Her advocacy on behalf of the vulnerable and less fortunate in this community can never be doubted.
Turning to the other side of the Chamber, I extend my best wishes to the Hon. John Ryan, a political opponent who has been my shadow for a considerable part of my time as a Minister. He is loyal to his party and totally committed to his work, especially the issues involved in his shadow portfolio. He has done a fantastic job in this Chamber. On the crossbenches, I note that the terms of the Hon. Dr Peter Wong, the Hon. Jon Jenkins, the Hon. Peter Breen, the Hon. David Oldfield and the Hon. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans are expiring. As honourable members will be aware, the Hon. David Oldfield, who is retiring, has established a name for himself on the television show Celebrity Survivor. While it cannot be said that he is being voted off the island, he will be leaving this place, and I wish him all the best. I wish the Hon. Jon Jenkins well in his retirement and regret that in recent times he has been dogged by ill health. Jon has earnestly represented the views of his supporters.
Of course, a number of us are seeking re-election—or perhaps still deciding whether to do so. I shall not be so presumptuous as to farewell the Hon Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans. I simply note that I think he has a very tough job ahead of him—and he knows it. I have been here for eight years and it would be difficult to imagine this place without him. So I simply wish you good luck, Arthur, no matter what happens. While we trust that the electors will return us to this Chamber, I take this opportunity to wish all members the best in 2007, regardless of the outcome of the March poll. Despite many divergent views, occasional cynicism and the great and diverse passions that conflict across the Chamber, it is important that we, as holders of public office and regardless of our political persuasions, put our positions as earnestly and as honestly as we can. We must be proud of our debates and the contributions we make and work hard to represent the people who elect us.
Despite occasional cynicism on the part of some, I believe there is not a person in this Chamber who does not do his or her best every day. There is often great passion and conviction behind what we do, as well as a lot of hard work. Many people outside the Chamber do not get to see that. As Leader of the Government, I acknowledge that fact. It is especially true of my Government colleagues and crossbench members, and even the Opposition. Everybody in this place works hard and is dedicated to his or her view as to what should happen in the interests of the welfare of the people of New South Wales and Australia. Whilst I often do not agree with my opponents, I acknowledge their sincerity and dedication. I wish all members the best for 2007.
When I was speaking to the motion about John Evans I neglected to mention that the former Leader of the Government in this place, Michael Egan, had a commitment tonight that he could not break. He very much wanted to be here to farewell the members who are retiring and John Evans. I place on record the fact that Mike wanted to be here. On behalf of the Government, I wish all members of the House, their families and their staff a safe and happy Christmas, and all the best for the holiday season and 2007.
The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Justice, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [6.38 p.m.]: As Leader of the House, I, too, place on record my thanks to all members—Government, Opposition and crossbench—and particularly all staff. Even at 3.00 a.m., when tempers can fray, we try to work together to ensure the smooth functioning of the House. We forget that, while we are doing our business and making tactical moves for various reasons, the staff of the Parliament bear the brunt of our actions. They work long hours. As the Leader of the Government said earlier, when we leave, the staff continue to work for several hours, producing Hansard, tidying the papers and preparing for the next sitting day. I particularly want to thank the Clerks, the attendants, the Legislative Council office staff and the staff of the library, dining room and the other services, all of whom do an enormously great job for us.
To members who are retiring I wish to make a couple of comments. Firstly, Meredith Burgmann I thank you for your support. When you became President I became Chairman of Committees. I was your deputy for a number of years, and we enjoyed a great relationship until I became a Minister. I thank you for those times. Reference was made by the Leader of the Government to Michael Egan. I recall Michael saying that there were four doctors in the House—Dr Peter Wong, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, Dr Brian Pezzutti and Dr Meredith Burgmann—and that if ever he got sick, he would go to Dr Meredith Burgmann. I am not sure whether that was meant as a compliment to you or as an insult to the others. I will miss you, Meredith, you have done an excellent job in this House. As usual, you will probably get the last word when we adjourn tonight, and as your last comments in our caucus were a vicious attack on the Right, I expect your last words in this Chamber to be in the same vein.
The Hon. Jan Burnswoods has always kept her eye very much on the operations of the House. She always provided most helpful tactical advice to me and others, like Peter Primrose, to keep the Opposition at bay. On quite a number of occasions she was able to reel off a speech whenever we wanted to delay matters. Jan knows exactly what I am talking about, and for that I thank her. We will all miss her, and will have to train someone else to do the things she used to do in that regard.
John Ryan is a very dedicated member of the House and is very committed to his ideals. He too will be missed. I wish him the best for the future. I wish Jon Jenkins the best for the future also and I hope that his health improves. I thank him for his support for quite a number of issues. Dr Peter Wong: what can I say about him? When he asked questions of me as a Minister he often spoke very fast. I used to think: I can't understand what he just asked me. Peter then got into the habit of giving me his question on paper so that I could understand him. Unfortunately I found his handwriting to be that of the typical doctor, and I could not read it! Lastly, David Oldfield has obviously been a very astute member of this House, knowing what to say and when to say it, and knowing when and how to vote. Is David not in the Chamber?
The Hon. Michael Gallacher: He is behind you, sitting with the Greens!
The Hon. TONY KELLY: He is sitting with the Greens, taking the last opportunity. I see he is now not sitting with the Greens! A last minute jump to the other side! I thank David very much for his support over the years and wish him the best of luck for the future. I wish all members the very best in the upcoming elections. Obviously I hope that the forces against us do not do any better than we do. I want to see all members who want to come back, in fact come back, but to those who contest the election and do not get elected, I wish you all the best and I hope to see you again in the future.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER (Leader of the Opposition) [6.43 p.m.]: As the parliamentary year and the term of the Fifty-third Parliament draws to a close I take this opportunity to place on record my thanks to all those who have assisted in the conduct of both this House and the parliamentary precinct, giving us as legislators the means to perform our role. Firstly, I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this House, Duncan Gay, for his continued support, advice and friendship over the years, and this year has been no exception. I thank my colleagues in the Liberal Party and The Nationals for their hard work and commitment. An election year is always particularly draining on all members and those around them, and I ask them to convey my thanks and well wishes to their families and loved ones for the support and encouragement provided by them over the past year.
I thank our parliamentary staff for their blood, sweat and tears, given without question over the past 12 months. I personally thank my own staff, Suzanne Fosbery and Clint McGilvray, for everything they have done this year, together with Froydis Twist, who recently left my office to return to the United Kingdom to complete her studies. I thank the Hon. John Ryan, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in this House, for the work he has performed as a member of this House representing our great party. I highlight the work he has done over the years, advocating on behalf of those who are disenfranchised from the parliamentary system and those, who through disability, have often fallen between the cracks.
Whether it has been members of the Building Action Review Group, people from the Disability sector or the homeless, just to name a few, John Ryan pursued their issues with a personal commitment and enthusiasm rarely seen in any Parliament, and that is why so many members of our community owe such a strong vote of thanks for the time John has unselfishly given. I take this opportunity to wish him well for the future. I have no doubt that although John will not be pursuing the issues of the vulnerable and defenceless within these four walls, he will not be far away from the development of good policy, as I believe he will continue to play a strong role serving the public.
From a personal perspective I will forever remember the day we elected Virginia Chadwick as President. It was an absolutely fantastic day and I continue to be suspiciously thankful of Peter Primrose, who conveniently missed that vote. Madam President, I wish you well for the future. I have got to be honest: there was some initial consternation when you took on the role of President, given the circumstances surrounding the staffing agreement reached with the crossbench that secured your election. Although there have been times since when this side of the Chamber has been left bemused by some of your rulings, I feel you have performed a fair job in presiding over the House, and for that I thank you.
This election sees some of the unique characters for which this House has become renowned leaving the red benches. Others will recontest the election. David Oldfield, our very own survivor: You were ripped off mate; you should have won! I have no doubt that he will not drop off the radar, and I wait to see the next instalment of his remarkable career. Who will ever forget the wrath of Peter Wong when the Premier announced his attack on monosodium glutamate? Whenever Peter spoke passionately about an issue he would speak so fast that sometimes it was difficult to keep track of what he was saying. I vividly remember one such debate when Peter Wong was berating the Government. Peter had been speaking for about five minutes, and Michael Egan and I looked at one another, both of us realising that he was speaking to the wrong bill. Peter, of course, was the first to laugh at his mistake; that is the mark of the man. He will be sorely missed.
I will long remember Arthur Chesterfield Evans for many things, particularly his unending supply of yellow shirts, which have become the foundation of his wardrobe over the past six months. He tells us he has a few of them. Arthur is best described as a zealot on the issues of parliamentary accountability and transparency, and we rarely saw eye to eye on other policy issues, particularly law and order, the economy and the role of Government. Who will ever forget ACE's heartfelt and emotional contribution following the tragic death of Keith Enderbury, which fortunately or unfortunately was not reported in Hansard. Despite the confusion, his short contribution gave us all an insight into the character of Arthur. He is a decent bloke, and I wish him all the very best for the future.
Peter Breen: So many parties, so little time! I thank him for his contribution. I will not repeat the comments I made to Fred Nile when he stood for the Senate. Needless to say, I wish him and Elaine all the best for the future. I also offer best wishes to Jon Jenkins. I thank the Clerks and attendants so much for their support, patience and advice over the past 12 months. To the long-suffering Hansard staff, who continue to make silk purses from sows ears, best wishes to them and their families over the festive season. To the remaining parliamentary staff—we on this side recognise it has been a tough year for many of them—I say: Enjoy the break, and I hope that 2007 will be a better one with Santa fulfilling all your Christmas wishes.
To the Leader of the Government, the Leader of the House and all members opposite, I wish you all an enjoyable Christmas and New Year with your families and friends. We look forward to the contest of ideas, belief and future direction that 2007 represents.
The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS (Minister for Health) [6.49 p.m.]: I echo the remarks of other members in relation to the staff of the Parliament—John Evans and his staff, the Hansard staff, the Library staff and all others who have helped us over the course of this term. I will be relatively brief as I have another function to attend and will not be in the Chamber to hear many of the speeches that will follow.
I want to take this opportunity particularly to extend my thanks and appreciation to all those members who will not be with us after the next election, commencing with you, Madam President. A lot has been said, and a lot will be said, about your career. I am sure there is a book, which will no doubt come out at some point in time, that will inform us all the better of the time that you have been here and of course of your activism outside. But can I take this opportunity to thank you for your input to this place while I have been here.
I think, as the Hon. Michael Gallacher indicated, a number of members were somewhat circumspect about how you would handle the position. I said to you the other day that I did not know how you would handle going to the funerals of persons that you had previously protested about, and you informed me that there was only one of those. In any event, you have handled the job with remarkable dignity. I think all honourable members would wish you well in the career that lies ahead.
Regarding the Hon. Jan Burnswoods, I want to say that although Jan has had her critics from within here, I have had the opportunity of serving with her on a number of parliamentary committees. Jan never became a Minister; I am not sure that she ever really aspired to that. But she has certainly spent a lot of time on a lot of different committees. I think it is appropriate to note that a number of members make their mark in this Parliament by their contribution in committee work. Sometimes that effort is not given the acknowledgment it deserves, simply because a committee room is not regarded as aspirational as a ministerial office.
Jan has served on countless committees—I could go on and on about them—making recommendations that ultimately have been reflected in legislation. Her legacy to this place will be that work. There are reports of so many more to come. I know she was passionately following the inquiry into the Inebriates Act. Appropriate legislation will be introduced shortly, after Cabinet has considered it. Hopefully, she can put her mark on the future as far as those developments are concerned. In the dental inquiry she and her committee colleagues handed down recommendations, which she has passionately pursued in advocacy with me and my office.
Jan has been involved with a large number of other committees—estimates committees and so on. Frankly, her contribution to committee work has not had the acknowledgment that it probably deserves. I certainly think this place is the better for her being here. I extend to Jan my appreciation and my thanks, having served on some of those committees to which she has had input. I wish her all the best for the future.
John Ryan is leaving us. As the Leader of the Opposition said, John has been a passionate advocate for the underprivileged and the vulnerable. In many ways, he has been an unconventional member of the Liberal Party given his advocacy in those areas. Two people in the Liberal Party have, I think, moved the Liberal Party considerably in terms of its approach to policy issues. The Hon. James Samios was certainly one. In his time here, the Hon. James Samios made an impact on the Liberal Party in terms of ensuring that it addressed multiculturalism and issues of concerns for persons from diverse backgrounds. He certainly made a big impact in that regard. John Ryan is the other. His presence in Parliament has certainly had its impact in ensuring that the Liberal Party is a little more broad-churched in its approach to those very important social issues that we on this side of the House take as part of our core business but which members of the Liberal Party and the Opposition did not, until John's presence, consider in the way they do now.
There are a number of things I could say about a number of members of the crossbench, but first I want to say something to the Hon. Peter Breen. In your book, which attracted so much controversy, you at least had the decency to remark about me that I was hardline but competent. Having said that after you were refused access to a prison I think showed tremendous grace. I do thank you for your insight and for your contribution in this House. I have always found you fairly reasonable, although I have not always agreed with you. In fact, very often I have not agreed with you.
The Hon. Peter Breen: Mostly you haven't.
The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS: Most of the time I haven't. I wear that as a bit of a badge of honour. Nevertheless, I do acknowledge that there are alternative points of view to mine. Yes, there are! But not very often. My advocacy is often sharpened because of people such as yourself advocating the alternative perspective, particularly in those areas—which, unfortunately, I will never agree with you on—that nevertheless represent some views in our community, in relation particularly justice.
I wish David Oldfield, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans and Peter Wong all the best. In consideration of legislation affecting the portfolios that I have had the privilege of administering, you have all approached issues with an open mind. I sincerely thank you for doing so and for allowing us to persuade you in many cases of the benefits of what we have been advocating, and to have your views incorporated in amendments, ultimately benefiting legislation under consideration.
In the short time that John Jenkins he has been here he has been a passionate advocate for his constituency. I wish him and all the other members of the crossbench all the best for the future. For those other members who at this stage are undecided about whether they will run for re-election, or who are expecting to run but may not be here, I wish you all the best for the future.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [6.55 p.m.]: As I will be back, I will be very brief because there are those who will not be back and deserve their chance to speak tonight. I indicate that I support the comments of all previous speakers, particularly those made about departing members. I single out for comment John Ryan, who is such a decent bloke that we sometimes underestimate the decency and sincerity of the service he has given to the Liberal Party over a long time, commencing with his time working for the Hon. Ted Pickering, who is present in the gallery.
I pay tribute to my own staff and to the great members of the National Party. We are a fabulous, but small, team. Everyone envies us; everyone wants to be part of our team. A couple of our members are retiring this time, but we will be back, and there will be more of us. We are going to liven up the next Parliament. We are going to keep this place hopping.
I pay tribute to the staff of the Parliament, who have worked so diligently this year. I have got to say this has been a really tough year. The cuts to the resources of this Parliament have created a mess—not the least of which has been in Food and Beverages—that has affected not just every member of this Parliament. The Hansard and Library staffs have had to endure the mess also, but throughout they have been terrific and have worked their way through it. Let us hope that next year things are at least better in that particular aspect.
I wish everyone all the best, and a happy Christmas. Please be careful during the holiday period, and we will see those of you who are coming back in the New Year.
Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [6.57 p.m.]: I too will be brief. On behalf of the Christian Democratic Party and Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, who cannot be with us at the moment, I support the remarks of the Leader of the Government and those of others who have shared their thoughts in supporting the motion. I would like in particular to thank the President, Meredith Burgmann, who will be leaving us, for her role here in the Parliament.
I have probably had more differences than others with the President on policies and various issues, but I acknowledge her zeal and the sincerity and consistency of her beliefs—for which she was at one time arrested. I am probably the only member of the House who has given notice of a censure motion against the President for her enthusiastic support for Cuba and North Korea. Madam President, I remember my days at Macquarie University in the 1980s attending your MA in Politics class, in which I learnt some strategies from you. I hope I have been able to apply those successfully. And I mean your socialist policies, not your feminist policies! I will continue to pray for you in your retirement. I have been pleased to have been able to support you as Deputy-President on a number of occasions when you needed that assistance. I was pleased to be able to do that as friends, perhaps, in this place. I appreciated that.
I thank all members of the staff of the Parliament for their help and co-operation. I say farewell to Peter Wong, Jon Jenkins, David Oldfield and Peter Breen. I have had good relations with, and co-operation from, most of them. I have had a lot of differences with Peter Breen on various matters, and those differences will probably continue. But he has always been someone with whom you could have a friendly and respectful relationship while holding strong and differing views. I have sat on a number of committees with Jan Burnswoods. We may differ in ideology, but she has always been someone with whom you could work and co-operate. As other honourable members said, she was always a very hard worker who did her job consistently on all committees. It is a pity that John Ryan is not continuing in the House with his skills and abilities, but that is one of the things that happens in major parties. Thankfully, I have not experienced that in our party_and I hope I will not. Perhaps smaller is better. I respect him for his Christian beliefs and his consistency. I will conclude with a Christian greeting as we move closer to Christmas. It is a favourite of mine, Isaiah 9:6, which was written 700 years before Christ was born:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Councillor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
I pray for God's richest blessing on everyone as they celebrate Christmas with their families. God bless you all.
The Hon. JOHN RYAN [7.01 p.m.] (Valedictory Speech): All good things come to an end. If I get a bit teary, I want to make it absolutely clear that it is not because I am disappointed about the decision last Saturday. Frankly, I am the sort of person who cries at supermarket openings. This will be a sentimental occasion. This House has been the focus of my working life for nearly 20 years, from 1988, when I joined the staff of the Hon. Ted Pickering, the then Minister for Police, who, to my enormous pleasure, is here this evening—thank you very much for the time I had working for you, Ted. Recently I was involuntarily retired in a well-publicised Liberal Party preselection. Obviously, I was hoping to continue to serve into the future, but it was not to be. Perhaps I should point out that one of the reasons I went to work in the office of the Hon. Ted Pickering and eventually came to be elected to this House was that I was defeated by the Hon. Peter Primrose by just 32 votes in a contest for the electorate of Camden in 1988.
I believe that I have faithfully represented the high principles of liberalism in the time that I have served in his House. Those principles involve many things, such as the primacy of the individual, legislating in a fashion that fosters creativity, risk taking in industry, building a strong economy and respecting the contestability of ideas. Just as humans are both glorious and imperfect, all political ideologies, and even parties, have strengths and imperfections. The Left has the strength of seeking to build a decent society, and it sifts and refines everything we have in the present with the aim of correcting injustice and striving for all to obtain an equitable share. They are worthy aims, but they have a tendency to fixate on what we have now. The Liberal Party's constituency is the risk takers. Society's risk takers are those who can appreciate what we have now, but who look into the distance for something greater, something stronger, something more fulfilling. But they also recognise that that accomplishment necessarily involves a sacrifice, and sometimes involves tearing down what we have to rebuild.
Driving liberalism is the wonderment in what humans are and what they can achieve in all of their adversity. For me, this wonder derives from my belief that we have been created by an almighty, intelligent God, expressed in ancient times in the primal cry of the psalmist, who said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." It was rediscovered, captured and celebrated in the art of the Renaissance—captured visually, in its male form at least, in art works such as Michelangelo's David and celebrated by Shakespeare in works such as Hamlet:
What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving, how express and how admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals!
Those lofty ideals have motivated my image of liberalism. In current times the debate, if it can be dignified with the word "debate", within the New South Wales Liberal Party has been about liberalism and conservatism. I am concerned that some are so fixated with being one or the other that they are missing the point. The point is that our party was designed to be a broad church. As Sir Robert Menzies said, "We took the name Liberal because we are determined to be a progressive party, willing to make experiments, in no sense reactionary." That was the very reason I supported something as controversial as the trial of injecting rooms during the Drug Summit. It was a worthy experiment. It was designed by good people as a means of saving lives. Of course, there were legitimate concerns that it would lead some astray, and I respect the concerns of those people. But the facts are that the injecting room saved lives, it cleaned up Kings Cross and it did no harm. I was glad that I was able to confront my prejudices, my fears and concerns, and vote according to my conscience.
Today is not a day to lecture anyone, but those in the Liberal Party who have embarked on trying to make our party a monoculture of conservatism run the very real risk that they will deprive our party of its energy and separate it from its history and exciting philosophical essence that I outlined and tried to describe earlier. My term here has been an amazing journey by any estimation. As I told my preselection panel the other day, albeit unsuccessfully, I came from a very disadvantaged background. I was a client of the Department of Community Services at age 11, and I lived in an Anglican boys' home from the age of 15. It is an enormous miracle how I came to complete high school, become the only person in my family to attend university, then become a schoolteacher and, finally, elected to Parliament. I should point out that when I was a schoolteacher, one of my students was the Hon. Cherie Burton, now Minister for Housing. Obviously I failed_at least in her political education!
It has been an eventful 16 years, and none for me can top the almost constant drama of the forty-ninth Parliament between 1991 and 1995, the one term when I got to experience sitting on the Treasury benches. The Greiner Government won the 1991 election, for those of you who are a little younger, but, as a result of a decision by the Court of Disputed Returns, it became dependant upon the votes of three Independents in another place. I can remember the resignation of the Premier, Nick Greiner, as if it were yesterday. Our party was beset by a series of spectacular scandals that hardly need recounting here. We won the Olympic Games, but we lost the 1995 election. The honourable member for Cabramatta, John Newman, was tragically assassinated and the honourable member for Blue Mountains, the late Barry Morris, was arrested for threatening to blow up his local newspaper. In fact, my part in the Barry Morris saga was to make sure it did not get worse. I can remember the day the matter was raised in the House during question time. I figured that Barry would be feeling a bit miserable, so I thought I would go downstairs to cheer him up.
Barry's office was immediately beneath mine, on level 10. When I got down to his office I was just in time to help two other Liberal colleagues restrain him to a chair. Clutched in his hands was an empty soft drink bottle that he planned to use as a weapon on the then Leader of the Opposition, Bob Carr, after storming his office. The day had other funnier moments. After disclosing the incident, the Labor Party released a tape of Barry's phone message to the media. The tape featured the voice of a man doing an Italian accent. Even though many of us thought it sounded like an impersonation of a character that we had heard Barry Morris doing, Barry flatly denied that the voice on the tape was his. But ominously, later that day I can remember Mrs Fahey, the wife of the then Premier, naively questioning John in the lift, "Why did I hear Barry Morris doing that Tony the Wheel voice on the four a clock radio news this afternoon?" Our political fortunes went downward after that, and we lost the 1995 election—despite the best efforts of a great Premier, John Fahey.
The remainder of my term in Parliament, from 1995 to the present time, has been spent in Opposition. However, despite the challenge of spending most of my time in Opposition, I believe that I have been able to make an impression on public policy. Very little of it will have my name on it, but like a surfer who catches the perfect wave while alone in a remote location—I am the only person who needs to know. My first success occurred before I was actually elected to Parliament when I managed to convince the Greiner Opposition to promise $100 million in funding for additional special education programs, an initiative that obviously stemmed from my teaching background in Sydney's outer west. As a backbencher in the Greiner Government and then the Fahey Government, I acquired a real interest in helping people with disabilities.
I remember vividly the incident that educated me about the problems faced by families who care for children with disabilities. A couple from Wollongong visited my office and brought their primary school aged son who had autism. They left him in my office for a while as they spoke to me and just let him demolish my office slightly while they told me about their concerns. To test my nerves to the extreme, they allowed him to explore the door to my balcony on the twelfth floor of the building. After that, I planned and plotted an attack on the Government in the party room by gearing up a few of my colleagues to speak about disability services during the general business segment of a party room meeting.
I found out later that the then Treasurer, Peter Collins, was absolutely furious because he believed that the then Minister who was responsible for disability services, Jim Longley, had organised a conspiracy to force Treasury to agree to a submission that was at a critical stage of consideration. Jim knew absolutely nothing about my strategy, nor did I know anything about his submission that was before Treasury. But the plan bore wonderful fruit. Shortly afterwards the Fahey Government announced a wonderful package of measures for people with disabilities, including 300 additional group homes and the post school training program we now refer to as Community Participation. It was a valuable lesson to me in how to manipulate the levers of government, even if I was not in control—a strategy I have tried with mixed results a number of times since while in Opposition.
I am sure many honourable members recall my efforts, and were probably bored by them, when I pressed, by relentless speeches about shonky builders, for consumer protection in the residential home building industry. I was privileged that the Labor Government introduced special powers to rescind building licences of unscrupulous operators who posed an immediate threat to consumers. I achieved a complete rewriting of the Home Building Act. With a bit more lobbying, a select committee recommended reforms, including an early intervention procedure, and the abolition of the much-hated and inefficient Fair Trading Tribunal. I must add that a couple of years later the judge of that tribunal sorted me out at the St Patrick's Day luncheon at Darling Harbour when he gave me a piece of his mind. Obviously he was not pleased with what I had done, so I simply explained, "Well, if I hadn't got the agreement of a Labor Government, it wouldn't have happened!"
I played some part in persuading a Labor Government to strengthen child protection laws by introducing a private member's bill to create an offence for serious acts of neglect and mistreatment that could be punishable by a gaol sentence. I also have been a strong advocate for the powers of Parliament in scrutinising the actions of Executive Government. I played some role in preventing a former Treasurer, Michael Egan, from severely restricting the powers of the Auditor-General from assessing the effectiveness of Government programs. But, without doubt, the highlight of my time in Parliament has been the work I have been able to do, as the shadow Minister for Disability Services, for people with disabilities. Standing up for social justice is a fundamental ingredient of liberalism and I have been proud to pursue that cause in Parliament. Sadly, I believe that some in the Liberal Party have not valued that as much as I have. If they had done so, I am sure that I would not be concluding my career in public life so soon.
The founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, regarded social justice as an issue of rights, rather than charity. He said, "The purpose of all measures of social security is not only to provide citizens with some reasonable protection against misfortune, but also to reconcile that provision with their proud independence and dignity as democratic citizens." Menzies was committed to an active and progressive role for government. He said that government had "great functions to perform which are far beyond the scope of private enterprise". No group in our community is more worthy of this mission than are people with disabilities who are frequently disadvantaged, through no fault of their own. I will be forever proud that I had the privilege of speaking in support of the introduction of the Disability Services Act 1993 on behalf of the Minister, Jim Longley, and the Fahey Government. This Act outlines the principles and applications of principles that have revolutionised how we provide disability services. Those principles established the client's freedom of choice as supreme and ensured that people with disabilities have the same rights as do other members of society in attaining a reasonable quality of life.
Disability services will become increasingly important as our population ages. One in 10 Australians either has a disability or is caring for someone with one. I have bad news for honourable members: one in every three of us will acquire a disability in our lifetime. Had I been allowed to continue in public life, I would have been determined to chart a new course for disability services. Currently in New South Wales government-owned services dominate the provision of disability services. More often than not, clients are asked to accept positions in a government-controlled service that has been designed more to fit the needs of the agency rather than to meet the individual needs of clients. Armies of expensive bureaucrats tell people with disabilities where they will live, who their friends will be, what work they will do and what recreations they will enjoy.
I look forward to the establishment of a disability service system that makes maximum use of a well-regulated non-government sector, that is more flexible and client centred in the way in which services are provided, similar to the manner in which they are provided in States such as Western Australia, and through which clients frequently are funded directly and are allowed to construct a service system of their own. While this is a vision of the future that I hope a future Coalition government will be able to realise, I am satisfied that in recent times I have been successful in pressuring the Government to reverse the cuts it made to post school programs in July 2004, in directing attention to improving standards in boarding houses, in supporting the national campaign to get young people out of nursing homes, and in reversing the Government's decision to cut community participation services at outlets, such as Sylvanvale disability service, and in funding early intervention services, such as the Lifestart Program on the northern beaches.
I wish to pay tribute to some of the people I have worked with over the past 16 years. I have been lucky enough to hire and, in some cases, train staff that are now holding important roles throughout the world with such distinction that they make me feel as though my life has been a waste of time. They include Lila Fisher, who worked with me for most of the time I have been in Parliament; Miss Nina Blackwell, who started in my office as an intern before working for me part time, went on to be head of the Australian Republican Movement and now works for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; Andrew Ethell, who has worked for The Nationals leader, Mark Vaile, and who worked on the Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America and now works with Mr Vaile in his new role as the Minister for Transport and Regional Services; and Josh Greenberg, who is a partner in a merchant bank in New York.
Finally, I pay tribute to my current media and policy adviser who is known to many honourable members who are present in the Chamber, Mr Simon Schwab. I owe the world to Simon, who has worked so faithfully for me under very difficult circumstances. He has fulfilled the multitasking role of managing the media, my portfolio, and even the logistics of handling Liberal Party branches and a preselection better than I ever could have asked. I so much wish for him a wonderful future. I can only say that today: Simon, that you have gone beyond being a staff member_you have become a true friend. It won't be as well renumerated, but I hope it will be more valuable.
This is not an audience where I need to explain the sacrifices that are made by members' families. A wonderful family has supported me. Let me put on the record an incident that happened to me that illustrates the point I am making. I had to go for some counselling for a personal problem. I outlined my usual weekly program to the counsellor, and I can still remember his reaction. He said to me that he could not believe the ridiculous expectations that the community makes of politicians. And I agree—he was right. Alexandra, my wife, has supported me to the hilt in the task of being a member of Parliament. I cannot be more proud of recent support she gave to me while I was the shadow Minister for Disability Services. Alexandra has worked for nearly 30 years in the disability sector. Whenever she accompanied me on various visits to disability services, she was something of a secret weapon. Her knowledge and experience increased my credibility no end.
My daughter, Elizabeth, has been a great supporter and I am now in a position to admire her work within the Young Liberals with great pride. My son, Nicholas, has also played his part. More recently, I experienced enormous pride as he returned as a mentor and a participant in this Parliament's regular annual Constitution convention. I am sure members will be enormously amused that he chose an interesting subject for his soapbox address to the convention—why politicians should be better paid. I thank my family for your support over so many years. Now you will probably have me back. I pay tribute to my father-in-law, Mr Gordon Schofield, for being an inspiration to me, enabling me to stretch my boundaries.
I did not get the chance to pay tribute to the Governor, Marie Bashir, in our recent speech in reply. I first met Her Excellency when I was in high school as a resident of Charlton Homes. She was a child psychologist. I was not a patient, but my house parent introduced me to her to as not only a fine professional but as Lady Mayoress of the City of Sydney. She serves us with great distinction as the Governor of New South Wales and sets a brilliant standard of public service. I have been told a great story about her, and this is an appropriate time to put it on the record. I am told that one night as she and Sir Nicholas were homeward bound in her official car she noticed a young man who was looking a bit worse for wear, dangerously teetering on the roadside. Concerned for this young man, she ordered her car to stop and she picked him up and conveyed him home. She noticed that he had no adult supervision, so she called back to his house on the next day to ensure that he was safe. This is the stuff of legend and it tells us how privileged we are to have her as our Governor.
I pay tribute also to Liberal leader Peter Debnam. In my recent trials I could not have asked for any more from a leader. I have enjoyed working with him and I wish all the best for him in the forthcoming State election. There was another occasion when he successfully saved me from a close shave. We joined a number of members in a trip to Tahiti to protest French nuclear testing in the Pacific. We spent a day in various protest marches and meetings, and I nearly got myself arrested for carrying an Australian flag in the office of the French Government administrator. After an active day, I was getting a bit homesick and feeling a bit depressed about the expense of the place. I was sitting in a foyer of our hotel, and Peter passed me by. I asked him what he was doing. He said that he was about to catch a plan that was due to leave at about midnight. I made a spur-of-the-minute decision to grab my bag and join him, even though I had been in Tahiti for less than 24 hours. It was just as well, because shortly after we left, just after dawn on the next day, a group of rioters attacked the airport and burned it to the ground. Had we not left at that moment we would have been stuck there for weeks.
While on the subject of tours, I cannot help but recall another trip I made with a number of members of this Parliament in 1992, headed by then President Max Willis, as young political leaders visiting China. The list of dates proved to be more prescient than you might expect. There were only five spaces for political figures and four of the people chosen were Peter Debnam, Morris Iemma, Eric Roozendaal and me. Most of the people on that list, perhaps except me, have gone on to have stellar careers. I should tell the House about one of the highlights of that trip. We were invited to inspect what they called a species recovery centre for the Australian ostrich. I was filled with images of exotic birds, but the secret came out when they presented us with a brochure that portrayed emus in the wild on the front and, when I opened it, inside they were portrayed roasted with a side salad and chips!
It has been my privilege to work with many other talented members of Parliament. I will not damage the career prospects of Labor members by naming them in this speech_after the fashion of my colleague Peta Seaton in another place. But let me say that the Coalition ones include Liberal Party legends such as Liberal leaders Nick Greiner, John Fahey and Peter Collins, Ministers from the past such as Ted Pickering, Virginia Chadwick and John Hannaford. I am enormously grateful that two of them are present in the gallery at this time. As happens in this place, in recent days I have been rung by nearly as many Labor luminaries, including that rascal the former Treasurer, Michael Egan, and wished well as I have been by my fellow colleagues. We are lucky in this House to enjoy an entirely different working relationship, notwithstanding heated political debate.
Contemporaries I will never forget include Patricia Forsythe, Peta Seaton, Catherine Cusack, Robyn Parker, Gladys Berejiklian, Don Harwin, Daryl Maguire, Melinda Pavey and Jenny Gardiner. In regard to Jenny Gardiner, I must thank her for her patience in the infamous Orange Grove inquiry. It is an ill wind that blows no-one any good. I congratulate the two new shadow Ministers who have been appointed to replace preselection casualties in the Liberal Party, Judy Hopwood and my successor in the Disability portfolio, Andrew Constance.
But I cannot calculate the inspiration and encouragement I received from my friend John Brogden, a mate of mine from the days of working in the office of Ted Pickering. He has done me many favours, including giving me the chance to join a shadow ministry. He was easily the most talented individual I have ever had the pleasure to work with in public life. One of the things I will never forget was his advice when I read him the speech I had intended to give at my upper House preselection. He told me to scrap it entirely, gave me a few dot points as to where I should go, I rewrote the speech and it was clearly one of the things that was most responsible for my most unexpected win in that preselection in 1991. I see the Hon. Ted Pickering grinning. I think he knows what I am talking about.
I would have been nothing, as we all would, without rank and file members of the Liberal Party. I have many to thank for their loyalty, help and support, particularly in recent times. They include good people such as Mark Coure, Tom Glavich, Sam Witheridge, Gareth Ward, Michael Photios and Trent Zimmerman. My supports include a couple called Byron and Shirley Photios who have been constant supporters from the branch level. I suppose that the biggest surprise to me is that it has all passed so quickly. I want to thank other members who are retiring, and I thank other members who have been so kind to me in their remarks around the House, and even in this Chamber. I will not go into that.
I have been enormously blessed in life. I have had the privilege of serving in this Parliament. I have two fascinating children, who are doing well. I have enjoyed the constant support of my wonderful wife, Alexandra. I have many great friends. And we are all in good health. I really do feel like the Psalmist who wrote, "What can I return to the Lord for all of His benefits to me?" The last few years have had their challenges and the last week has been a trial indeed. But I know where my strength comes from, and just as my first comments in this House was a passage of scripture, I would like my last words in Hansard to be the same. They are words that have been a frequent comfort to me, none more than in recently. They come from Isaiah 40:28-31:
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
The Hon. DAVID OLDFIELD [7.27 p.m.] (Valedictory Speech): Madam President, I apologise in advance for having a fair bit to say, but I guarantee that I will speed through elements of it so as to minimise my speech as much as possible, given the time and the length of speeches. Having recently finished filming Celebrity Survivor, there is irony that where politics is concerned I regard myself as having survived rather than flourished. Although I leave this place with mixed emotions, and part of me is sorry to go, the time for my departure has come. I believe that largely to be a good thing. I have not enjoyed being in politics, though that will come as a surprise to virtually all who know me. I have always regarded politics as being a kind of war. In that sense I have been engaged in battle for about 15 years, the last eight of which have been in this place.
I am grateful for what politics has taught me, although I believe I learned the bulk of what was valuable from my experiences in local government and my work as an advisor prior to being elected to Parliament. Much of the time I have spent here since 1999 has been marked by isolation and frustration. Although I am comfortable that I have been responsible for or assisted in the advancement of a great many good things, they came at considerable personal expense. I once read that to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs. Certainly over the last 15 years many of my enemies have gone into my omelettes. I have always been outspoken and always appropriately offended those deserving of such treatment. That is unusual in politics, the nature of which is to generally never do anything that will upset anyone. Unfortunately, that tends to mean never getting anything done.
By the time I arrived here in March 1999 I was a nationally known political figure and had been extensively covered by the media. However, when you are not connected to a major party and you rock the boat on a daily basis, as I did, people come after you. The threats were varied and included violence. I have never been a faceless politician and hence I have not been able to go unnoticed like so many who are not publicly recognisable. I pretty much said what I thought, said what I believed, and stood by what I said. In military terms it could be said that I always ran to the sound of the guns, never away from them.
People who have approached me in bars, in supermarkets, in restaurants and on the street, in clubs, at functions and even at the beach in the vast majority of cases were overwhelmingly positive about what I was doing. However, behind the scenes, false and baseless allegations, as well as political agendas, have involved me in numerous investigations, audits and court cases. Few in politics have had their lives so thoroughly raked through with a fine toothcomb, all leading to nothing but taking their toll along the way. These assaults, combined with One Nation's self-imposed collapse and my strongly held concerns for our country's direction, caused me and those close to me a great deal of anguish and distress.
Whilst at the time it was not apparent, the fact is I became considerably unwell. However, all those bad things are behind me. In the last couple of years I have resurrected my health, renewed my youthfulness, and I am fortunate to be able to say that when I leave this place I will leave it fitter, stronger and healthier than when I arrived. When you are in government you are formulating and passing legislation on an ongoing basis. Outside government, whether in opposition as an Independent or in minor party, you sometimes succeed in tinkering with government initiatives and perhaps have a hand in improving the Government's legislative agenda. If you are very fortunate there is a chance to be successful with a private member's bill. However, that is rare and extraordinarily difficult to negotiate.
The one opportunity I had for this was my Public Health Amendment (Juvenile Smoking) Bill (No 2), for which I appreciate the Government's co-operation in passing. Essentially, the bill brought smoking laws in line with underage drinking laws and, among other things, allowed police to confiscate cigarettes from children. There was no good reason to vote against the bill but, of course, votes are often cast for no good reason and, despite irrational opposition, my initiatives in this area became law. Most notable, though perhaps not most noticed, has been my successful work in moving others toward the light of commonsense. Much of what I formulated and One Nation espoused, whilst initially ridiculed, was later adopted as policy by both major parties.
In June 1998, as recorded by the Sydney Morning Herald, One Nation announced its plans for an English test for new migrants. In his response the Federal Government's Minister for Immigration, Philip Ruddock, amongst varying nonsense included, "these propositions are absurd in the least". Yet in September 2006 the same Federal Government announced that it was considering compulsory English tests to gain citizenship. Prime Minister John Howard was quoted as saying:
I am keen on everybody learning the English language as soon as possible. It is absolutely essential.
One Nation was the first to move for appropriate resurrection of government-based assistance apprenticeship programs, and these policies were further stated in 1999 in the party's policy blue book. The same One Nation policy booklet of 1999 refers to "the need for all young Australians to be taught Australian history" and, sure enough, in Prime Minister John Howard's 2006 Australia Day speech he said:
… the time has come for root and branch renewal of the teaching of Australian history in our schools.
Hansard records many similar matters of fact and, as an example, I point to my initiative in 2001 to attempt to create a form of mandatory sentencing during the debate on the sexual assault in company bill. While the Coalition voted against my idea, within weeks it adopted the approach as policy, an initiative foreseen by me and noted in an adjournment speech on 26 September 2001. In 1999 One Nation's policy blue book stated:
… the need for legislation that prevents criminals from collecting damages from private citizens for injuries sustained during a criminal act, including injuries resulting from a victim's attempt at self-defence.
On 23 October 2002 Premier Bob Carr introduced precisely that policy as his Labor Government's initiative, when in fact it was simply more material acquired from One Nation. In general, One Nation and I have consistently spoken against the policy of multiculturalism as it is currently implemented. We have always spoken of the need for integration and assimilation and this year the Prime Minister was on the front foot with the same language. Mr Howard has been urging integration and the adoption of Australian values, and his various quotes of this kind include:
… fully integrating means accepting Australian values, it means learning as rapidly as you can the English language if you don't already speak it.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to racial equality by adding:
… coupled with an absolute determination to ensure that all sections of the Australian community are fully integrated into the mainstream of our national life.
There is a long way to go, but the Prime Minister is certainly on the right track, albeit many years after One Nation. I wish John Howard well in this continuing work.
Real truth in sentencing began with One Nation and year upon year we have pushed for improved water infrastructure, including the need for more dams. Finally, the New South Wales Government is planning to build a new dam and I congratulate it on that. One Nation has certainly been the inspiration for many national policy initiatives. There are too many examples to list, but I will briefly run through just a few more honourable mentions.
I refer to border security and its relationship to dealing with illegal immigrants and the Liberal's One Nationesque statement, "We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come." One Nation policy, as stated in the blue book, is as follows:
… that with all due fairness, we must have an approach to immigration that will benefit not burden the existing population. In particular it must be imparted to, and accepted by, immigration applicants, that if they wish to migrate to Australia, they must want to be Australians, and not simply people from somewhere else who now live in Australia.
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has taken up the One Nation mantle of concern for simply importing unacceptable cultural aspects and beliefs to Australia. This year the Treasurer publicly stated:
Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to subscribe to certain values, if you have a strong objection to those values don't come to Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma backed the Treasurer's comments. One of my all-time favourites is the long-time and well-understood policy of One Nation to abolish that terribly corrupt organisation the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission [ATSIC]. In the late 1990s every adjective associated with being racist was heaped on One Nation for even suggesting that ATSIC was a broken down and corrupt organisation, let alone that it should be abolished. Yet in 2004 the Federal Liberal Government announced the abolition of ATSIC. Even the Labor Opposition announced that, if it were elected, it would also abolish ATSIC. It is amazing how One Nation policy suggesting the abolition of ATSIC was apparently racist, but it seemed thoroughly acceptable when put forward by Liberal and Labor only a few years later.
I am a firearm owner and have been fortunate for many years to have known and represented other decent law-abiding firearm owners. This group of Australians has arguably been amongst the most persecuted in recent times. Firearms may be used to commit violent acts, just as virtually any implement can, but it is what is in the mind of a person that should be judged and not simply the fact that he or she owns a firearm. Australians skilled with the use of firearms have given good account of themselves in defence of our country. It is a mistake to think that such people will not one day be needed again. People who have unlicensed firearms or who use firearms for illegal purposes and/or endanger public safety should be dealt with appropriately under the law, but law-abiding hunters, shooters and farmers should not be confused or in any way associated with criminals who illegally possess firearms.
Australian governments, State and Federal, have spent vast amounts of money in gun buybacks, yet it still does not seem to dawn on people that criminals do not participate in gun buybacks—they keep their guns. Further to this, there is not a statistic available anywhere in the world that in any way sustains the notion that the level of gun ownership is related to the level of violence within a community. Even the Australian experience shows that access to firearms and the types of firearms that are available bears no relationship to the level of crime committed with firearms, and that is simply because the impact of gun laws is felt by the law-abiding rather than criminals.
Around the world we can find various related examples. In Switzerland, for example, there are more gun ranges than golf courses. Shooting is a national pastime. There are more firearms, including military-style firearms, per capita than in any other nation. In Switzerland it is common to see people walking down the street with rifles slung over their shoulders, yet Switzerland has very little violent crime. The recent Brazilian experience is worth noting, as is the work in particular of Professor John Lott of Chicago University and author of the book More Guns Less Crime—a conclusive work showing that areas of America with the highest legal gun ownership were also the areas with the least crime.
Without question the best example is the British experience where in 1997 all handguns were outlawed and confiscated, yet within two years murder with the use of a handgun had increased 40 per cent and other crimes committed with the use of a handgun had risen over 100 per cent—all in a country with no legal handguns. The British Government's assault on legal gun ownership disarmed law-abiding shooters and proved conclusively that "if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have them". There may be exceptions, though I am yet to see them, but essentially the hysteria over supposed gun control is the product of ignorance and the highly contagious disease known as fear.
There are many people to whom I owe thanks for their ongoing support over a very long period. It is impossible to name all of these people, especially those hundreds of thousands who gave One Nation and me the support of their vote. Over the years I have written to those with whom I was in personal contact, and I have been fortunate to have met a good number of those supporters at functions and meetings throughout Australia. While I cannot mention everyone by name, I will identify at least some and hope they, along with all the unnamed, will accept my ongoing gratitude for their commitment, dedication, loyalty and friendship.
My staff, some of who originally worked with me in Canberra, have, for the most part, been very competent and accepting of difficult conditions. Joanne May, Chris Spence, John Morgans and Col Easton all worked tirelessly and did more than was expected because they believed in the importance of the work we were doing. The members of One Nation—a group that at one time numbered in the many thousands—often, as individuals, courageously spoke of their membership and the issues that mattered to them. This group of Australians were unique in politics in that they were often publicly ridiculed and vilified simply for what they believed. It is ironic that One Nation members were, in essence, treated in the same way as they were falsely accused of treating others.
It is appropriate that I acknowledge by name some friends, members and former members whose efforts particularly stand out: Rod Ayres, Brian Burston, Christine Ferguson, Laurence Capper, John Webeck, Tom Kennedy, Darryl Mullens, George Grivas, John Cantwell, Graham Burston, Estelle and Dennis O'Brien, Lex Stewart, the entire Chermak family, Judy Bergin, Bruce White, Helen Fearn, Don Tarlinton, Wilf Reid, David Barton, Shane and Kane O'Connor, Brian Zahner, Nathan McDonald, Susie Stott and my wife, Lisa. I came into serious conflict with a couple of those I have named, but any differences they had with me or others should not preclude them from mention—to do so would be grossly unfair.
Equally, it would be inappropriate for me not to acknowledge Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge for, despite the magnitude of our differences, there was a time when we worked together well, meant well and were friends. I also acknowledge the current President of One Nation New South Wales, and long-time party member, Ian Hale. Ian often did valuable volunteer work in my office. I also make mention of Miss Katherine Blowen, who unfortunately died of cancer earlier this year. Miss Blowen was my elocution teacher when I was eight years old—she taught me a great deal. She continued her interest in me, attended my Maiden Speech in 1999, and is very much missed by many, especially those connected with numerous eisteddfods, including the Warringah Eisteddfod.
Here in the Parliament, John Evans, who himself will shortly go to a well-earned retirement, and other current and former officers of the House, including Mike Wilkinson, Warren Cahill, Lynn Lovelock, David Blunt and Stuart Lowe; as well as Legislative Council attendants Ian, Maurice, Mike, Charles, Lucy, Erin and John; and the procedural and Hansard staff—who, in my experience, have always displayed courtesy, competence and efficiency—all have my gratitude. I also thank Virginia Knox, whom I saw here earlier tonight. Virginia leaves very large shoes to fill but I acknowledge that Julie Sibraa seems to be doing that with a great deal of competence. I wish Virginia, in particular, the very best for the future.
Those who provide security for the Parliament, and indeed all other staff—from cleaners to maintenance people—have, in my view, done a great job. I have not had cause to complain about anyone in the eight years that I have been here. I note also the terrific work done by the catering staff, particularly David and Maureen. I am not comprehensively briefed on what happened with David Draper so, while I make no judgment of the situation, I am compelled to note that he was always a gentleman and, like Maureen, made my life here easier on many occasions. As for the members, there are some here whom I have become friendly with, and of course there are also those whose abilities I respect despite any ideological differences. My thanks to fellow members for your co-operation over the past eight years.
At the end of my giving thanks comes those to whom I owe the most, and that is of course my family. It has been said there is nothing more important than family and, for those like me who are lucky to come from a good family, that is certainly true. Bill and June, my father and mother, have been mentioned by me on other occasions and it is clear that I am immensely proud of them—not because they are my parents, but because of their amazing achievements and because they are wonderful, honest and decent people. I am extraordinarily fortunate to be their son, and I have benefited from their help all my life.
Since being elected in 1999 I met and married Lisa and, through that, my close family has extended to include my in-laws, Lisa's parents, Richard and Christine Johnston—good and successful people who have also been very personally supportive over the past six years. I feel quite positive about the future—not Anthony Robbins-type positive, as I consider that form of positive thinking to be somewhat delusion based. But I know I am a fortunate person, even if it did take me a while to accept my good fortune. I have marvellous parents who have spent their lives supporting me in whatever undertaking I chose. My mother, June, just turned 83 and my father, Bill, recently turned 88. They are close to celebrating 50 years of marriage. I am enormously proud of them, They are still independent, and the people I look up to the most. I love my horses and my parrots. I have good friends. I am building a new home, and next year my wife, Lisa, and I expect to finally get serious about having children.
Lisa, in particular, deserves much of the credit for improving the way I look at life these days. She, above all others, helped me come to terms with the fact that my life is mostly filled with good things and that I should focus on those good things. As I leave politics and look back on all the ill will and undeserved treatment that has been shuffled my way, just meeting Lisa is enough to overshadow all of the bad and make me feel good about the future. Regardless of all the other things that have happened to me in politics, without politics I would never have met Lisa and so, if nothing else, I have being in politics to thank for making that meeting possible.
The Hon. JAN BURNSWOODS [7.46 p.m.] (Valedictory Speech): I guess it is true that when leaving any workplace, particularly one where one has been for 15 years or more, there will be many people to thank for assistance and comradeship. I pay tribute to Andrew Refshauge and Sandra Nori, who were here when I was elected in 1991, for their friendships and guidance; to comrades such as Bryce Gaudry from the class of '91; to the honourable member for Ryde, now Deputy Premier, John Watkins; and to many other Labor colleagues in both Houses. In the Legislative Council I acknowledge especially our leader for many years, Michael Egan, who taught us so much about dealing with the Opposition and, even more importantly, about never letting them understand what was being done to them. He and we were very fortunate to have a special person in Michael's office from 1991 in Virginia Knox, to whom all of us—not only those in the Labor Party—owe so much for keeping this place working, and for doing so with patience, humour and intelligence.
There are also many people outside Parliament to whom I would like to express my thanks. They include unionists such as Andrew Ferguson from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and many in unions such as the Teachers Federation, and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union; members of the Labor Left—there are too many to count—and Labor women over many decades. It is noteworthy that when Meredith and I were elected in 1991 the Legislative Council had the greatest number of women members—15 out of 42—of any House of Parliament in Australia. We have dropped a little since—the figure now stands at 12—but fortunately in the interim the number of women, particularly the number of Labor women, in the Legislative Assembly has improved greatly.
A few months after we took our seats in 1991 Legislative Council backbenchers were given their own staff for the first time. I have been extremely fortunate in my staff: Kim, Nic, Elizabeth, Emma, Vanessa, Melanie, Louise, Michael, Melissa and now Rachel. I have also been fortunate to have some great casual or short-term staff, including Antony, Tim and Kate. I thank them all for the quality of their work, and the dedication and patience with which they have done it. I am conscious that the one-on-one arrangement involves a number of stresses, particularly for them.
It has been a privilege for me to chair the Standing Committee on Social Issues since 1998. The committee has produced a number of fine reports, culminating in the tabling this morning of the report on the impact of WorkChoices on the people of New South Wales—a warning, if one were needed, about the damage being done to our country by the ideologues of the Liberal Party.
I thank the directors and staff, who have been the strength of the committee over the past eight years, and the numerous members of the committee. I particularly mention Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, who, although he has probably driven us mad on numerous occasions, has been one of the hardest working and most creative members of the social issues committee. He frequently boasts that almost every inquiry we have conducted has come from him and while, of course, that boast has its habitual exaggeration, certainly he has had a huge input to the social issues committee. I thank him and all the others, both Government and non-government, who have been members of that committee for so long. I also thank all the workers in this building, from the catering and cleaning staff to the attendants and Clerks, who have assisted me and other members over the years.
I have been committed to the abolition of the Legislative Council for as long as I can remember. That is certainly so since the time I was on the Australian Labor Party electorate policy committee and it was actually Labor policy to abolish the Legislative Council. There was a period when that cause could muster a bit of support here—myself, Michael Egan and, as he used to tell us, there was about half of John Tingle. I do not know that we ever got any further, although Michael Costa made noises at one stage. But in recent decades most people have ignored the wisdom of our Queensland and New Zealand cousins. Despite those beliefs I have enjoyed my time here and the interaction with present and previous colleagues. They include, amongst many others, those often unsung heroes, the Whips. I particularly thank Dorothy and Peter. My best wishes go to all who are leaving voluntarily, and even more to those who may find in March that they have left involuntarily.
It is not my intention to spend long on the issues and campaigns in which I have been involved, but I would like to say that I am proud of my role in bringing forward private member's bills to equalise the age of consent and continuing the fight until the Carr Government introduced and passed the necessary legislation. In the light of very recent events two things about that campaign have kept coming back to my mind. One is the comment that Patricia Forsythe made to me a year or two ago when she said that whenever she went to a Liberal Party branch meeting the first question she was asked was how she voted on the age of consent. After that, of course, she was asked about abortion.
The other thing that keeps coming back to me is the phone call I received years ago from Senator Bill Heffernan, spewing out his filth. Of all the things for which John Howard is responsible, surely amongst the worst is the aid, comfort and protection he has given to Heffernan, this bigoted, repressed purveyor of slime and sleaze. Two of our colleagues, Patricia Forsythe and John Ryan, have been the victims of the takeover of the Liberal Party by the zealots and extremists of the so-called religious right. Never will I understand why the God that these people worship is obsessed with sex, sexuality and the human body, and has apparently no interest in social justice or the general good.
The events of the past fortnight have brought into sharp focus much that is wrong with politics and media in this country and this State. How could we have sunk to the level of the vicious campaign against Milton Orkopoulos, to the destruction of the principles of the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial? Almost more corrosive than that has been the fear that has cowed previously decent people into silence. The behaviour of Peter Debnam has been disgraceful and sickening. For that, and for many other reasons, I look forward to the people of New South Wales showing their usual good sense and re-electing the Iemma-Watkins Government. Anyone who has been in politics for quite a while knows that there is almost nothing one can say that has not been said better before. So I will conclude by quoting the words addressed in 1654 to the Rump Parliament by Oliver Cromwell:
You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!
Cromwell, like the present day religious right, invoked a Christian God who lacked charity.
Mr IAN COHEN [7.54 p.m.]: On behalf of my fellow Greens I present our felicitations to the Parliament, and I hope to be brief. I would like to start with you, Madam President. You have maintained the dignity of the House, without the trappings, and that is certainly something the Greens have appreciated. I first knew of you as one of those three magnificent women in the anti-apartheid and Vietnam moratorium actions back in the early 1970s. Certainly your good works then have had an impact on me, as they do now. In those days they helped steer me on a course of believing in what is very close to the ideal that you expressed then, and that you continue to represent now in your role as President. I certainly wish you well in your retirement.
I thank the Clerks, who have made this House work so well. The fact that they have always been here for we Greens and for every other member is most appreciated. Parliamentary Counsel has always got the amendments through on time, and it is that work behind the scenes that makes the Parliament tick and keeps us as members of Parliament looking far better than our actual capabilities. Similarly, I thank Hansard for their corrective skills. They reflect us in print in a turn of phrase that we certainly do not always deserve. I thank them for their hard work, late nights and diligence to our collective cause. The attendants are always here and are always friendly. I thank those workers in and around the House, those in security and particularly those in catering, who often do their jobs under trying circumstances and who have faced difficulties with job losses. They work under great stress, but they always work with us in a spirit of support, which has been, and continues to be, fantastic.
I have enjoyed and appreciated the time that Peter Wong and I have spent together in this House, most notably sharing our concerns and commitment about the Government's changing the name of the Ethnic Affairs Commission to the Community Relations Commission. His anger was justified. I supported him and shared his anger and enjoyed working with him on those issues. Peter Wong turned me around on the monosodium glutamate issue from someone who was quite anti and a cynic. His perseverance certainly taught me a thing or two about food additives and cultural cooking. In general, I think we shared a certain camaraderie of those in minority. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans is the last surviving Democrat. He has had a tough job in the House, similar to my first four years in this place, and it will certainly be a tougher job getting back. One never knows, the media might recognise the bright yellow of his democratic shirts, and perhaps he can get some support from the Philippines.
The Hon. Don Harwin: Is that why you started to wear them?
Mr IAN COHEN: I did not wear a yellow one today because I realised that it was perhaps Arthur's last day. It is likely that the media will recognise his role as a champion of democracy, grasping the balance of power away from the powers of darkness, be they majority party members or their agents in this House. We Greens wish him well. I would certainly welcome Arthur back if he is successful. Let us not sell this man short. We may well find that he will be back on the benches in the next Parliament, which will certainly help with the balance of power on what I would call the progressive side of politics. The thoughtful delivery of Peter Breen was always a pleasure to listen to. His chameleon party changes never interfered with our friendship and real communication, which I have appreciated over the years. Lee Rhiannon will be back with extra Greens and extra energy, flushed with the success of Greens at the next election, so to all I say "Watch out!"
I salute John Ryan for his stand on the safe injecting room, and his championing in this House of disability issues, those in great need and victims of a rapacious building industry. The honourable member has been eloquent, consistent and fair—a true liberals Liberal. I believe the Parliament and the party will be less well off when he leaves this House. I wish him well. He has always treated me with great respect, and I have enjoyed a semblance of what it was like when I first entered the House—I have mentioned this before—with Jeff Shaw and John Hannaford. I appreciated the elevation of the quality of speech that accompanied John Ryan when he spoke in the House.
I pay tribute to the Hon. Jan Burnswoods. I often disagree with her on some levels, but I respect her role in terms of gender politics. Our constituents in the gay and lesbian community owe the honourable member a great debt for her efforts. Whenever I see the honourable member coming into a committee, some of which I chair, there is always a shudder of "Here's a problem". But I think that is reflected in the honourable member's absolute tenacity and skill, and her allegiance to her party, which I sometimes feel might be somewhat misplaced. Nevertheless, the honourable member has been consistent and a performer in this House who must be respected. I wish the honourable member well in her life after this Parliament.
I believe that Greens' representation in this House will increase at the next election. I look forward to sharing robust politics with them. I look forward to returning after March simply to see the lay of the land. Despite the fact that I often feel—I do not know whether I have said this in the House before—like a round peg in a square hole, I have certainly learnt a lot along the way. I look forward to robust politics and adventure in this House in the next four years. To those who are leaving, the Greens wish you well, with all the goodwill we have, and hope that your future is similarly successful to the years I have spent here.
The Hon. PETER BREEN [8.02 p.m.]: I am pleased to join in the valedictions for retiring members. Of those members who qualify for valedictions, I single out the Hon. John Ryan, who will be a significant loss to the House. I first encountered the Hon. John Ryan shortly after my election in 1999, when we shared a speaking platform at a function hosted by a Christian church at Campbelltown. Immediately I realised that we were kindred spirits, seeking to follow the practical teachings of Christianity in preference to its institutional and hierarchical representations. I find it ironic that John Ryan has been excluded from the Coalition ticket by religious forces that are the very antithesis of the compassion and tolerance the honourable member exemplifies. Might I say that Marie Ficarra, who until tonight was a friend of mine, will never fill the Hon. John Ryan's shoes, in my opinion, no matter how far she now distances herself from Sam Witheridge and regardless of how many rosaries she has shared with the Hon. David Clarke.
On the Government benches the Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann and the Hon. Jan Burnswoods represent considerable corporate knowledge that will be lost to the House. Like the Hon. John Ryan, they represent the Left of politics, or what might be called the thinning edge of the political spectrum. The Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann will be a particular loss as President. I always enjoyed her style, her fair and balanced rulings and the generosity with which she administered her office. I have fond memories of many interesting and diverse functions in the President's Dining Room. In the eight years of her reign I had just one falling out with her, although it happened at a time that I was under considerable pressure from the ICAC investigation. During my brief stint in the Labor Party no-one made me more welcome, and I sincerely wish Madam President every success in the future.
The Hon. Jan Burnswoods will be remembered for her hard work on Legislative Council committees and the numerous reports that bear her name as committee chair. Committee work is often the interface between the Legislative Council and citizens, and the work is frequently controversial with so many different points of view to accommodate. The Hon. Jan Burnswoods has always given everybody the opportunity to have their say, and I always found her willing to be persuaded by a reasonable argument. She has made a fine contribution to the work of the House, and she will be difficult to replace. As Mr Ian Cohen pointed out, the Hon. Jan Burnswoods' allegiance to the Labor Party is greatly admired.
In addition to the three Left-leaning major party representatives I have mentioned, the House will also be losing at least three crossbench members at the end of the current session—perhaps more, depending on the electors of New South Wales. I refer to the Hon. Jon Jenkins, the Hon. Dr Peter Wong and the Hon. David Oldfield. The Hon. David Oldfield was the third person elected in 1999 on the tablecloth ballot paper, after Jeff Shaw and Patricia Forsythe. His One Nation Party received an extraordinary 225,000 primary votes in the election. It was an extraordinary time in Australian politics. The high point in our relationship was when he was voted off Celebrity Survivor. The low point in our relationship was when I was the subject of anonymous allegations to the ICAC about my use of parliamentary resources and allowances. Over the years the Hon. David Oldfield and I have had numerous discussions, not all of them friendly, but today I honestly believe that he is more thoughtful and, dare I say, more tolerant than the person who was elected in 1999, although Hon. Dr Peter Wong might not agree with that. I wish the Hon. David Oldfield every success and prosperity in the future.
Another crossbench member who is officially leaving Parliament is the Hon. Jon Jenkins, a fellow traveller on the North Coast and the current representative of the Outdoor Recreation Party. He articulates the minority view on climate change, and is arguably the last research scientist in Australia who believes that the current period of global warming is a natural phenomenon. For all that, he is a good bloke and he has been known to listen to a good argument. His sister, Terry, is an old friend of mine from Byron Bay and I know how concerned his family is about his health. While the rest of us are celebrating Christmas, he will be deciding what treatment he receives for a brain tumour. John, you have my best wishes, and I will be anxiously following the progress of your medical care.
The Hon. Dr Peter Wong was elected in 1999 as a kind of counter-check on the mandate of the Hon. David Oldfield. The Hon. Dr Peter Wong will be resuming medical practice and continuing his work for China Vision, an ambitious program to restore the sight of indigent people of the Indo-China region of Asia. I am a great admirer of Dr Wong and his work. He is an extraordinary fundraiser, apart from anything else. Once I attended a charity function at his request. I was astounded to see him raise more than $160,000 at the function simply by passing around a few plastic buckets and exhorting people, in Mandarin I guess, that they had to pay up or else. His fundraising capacity, which he devotes to charitable works, is extraordinary and he is to be greatly admired for that. During the past eight years we shared staff, jokes, meals and advice. I was his doctor and he was my lawyer. It has been a great privilege to work with Hon. Dr Peter Wong and to share adjoining offices with him.
I do not know what the future holds for other crossbench members leaving today. No doubt they will accept the decisions of the New South Wales voters with good grace. They will demonstrate the usual appropriate measure of humility for those in political life and gratitude for the friendships and experiences and privileges of serving the people of New South Wales in this House. Finally, I am grateful to my secretary and personal assistant, Adriana Sammartano, who survived Franca Arena, an ICAC investigation, indecent exposure in the Daily Telegraph and a demanding workload with a demanding constituency.
The Hon. Dr PETER WONG [8.10 p.m.] (Valedictory Speech): I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of my wife, Cathy, Councillor Lee Lam, the Mayor of Auburn, Councillor Amy Tang, Cherie Kam, George Chang and Eric Hund. It was also good to see Johno Johnson, Max Willis and Virginia Chadwick.
Einstein is right: The concept of time is only a matter of relativity. It is time for me to reflect and to thank the many people who have encouraged and supported me during my term as a member of Parliament. My term in Parliament has at times felt like a never-ending story. However, as I look back now I am surprised how quickly eight years have passed. I will depart from this place with the fondest memories, and your friendship has made my time here all the more enjoyable.
Vivid in my memory is my first visit to the Clerk's office to sign some documents following my election to this Parliament as a new member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile was among us. One of us asked him as to what we could expect during our next eight years. He said with a smile. "Do not expect you will do great things just because you're in Parliament". He also said, "Wait and listen before you speak. You have plenty of time." How true his advice was, except that from time to time I contravened this prudent advice, to my own regret.
As I was sitting in my office just after midnight, tired and slowly working through my draft notes for today, I pondered over and over the words I spoke in my inaugural speech. A flood of memories returned. I can see the pictures of Andrew Su, Mathew Wong, Kieran Ginges, Adriana Hassapis, my brother Professor Cyril Wong and his wife Cheryl, Dr Bill Cope, Ariel Marquin, Alan Jacobs, Sam McGuid, May Kong, Stanley Chu, Sarah Kemp, Dr Vo, Dr Vu, Mr Su, Nelson Wong, Stephanie Chan, Pinkie Leung, Cherie Kam, Mr Mack, James and Angela Tong and many, many others right in front of me. While I remain very close with most of them, I have unfortunately lost contact with others. Sadly, one or two are no longer friends. I thank them all. They were the visionaries longing for a party that would uphold freedom, democracy, equality and cultural diversity. If there were any failings, it would be those of the executives and those of us who were successfully elected at State and local government elections who did not uphold the aspirations they had in us. I stated in my inauguration speech:
The foundations of Unity are not only opposition to destructive social forces, racism and bigotry—they extend much further than that.
Unity was based on the spirit of embracing diversity, respect for human dignity and rights, belief in justice for all people and the right of people to participate in the making of their future. Unity was born and cradled on the principles of multiculturalism. Unity takes pride in our cultural diversity and in Australia as a country of extraordinary achievements and extraordinary potential.
It is an ambitious vision. It is a difficult mission. I hope that in my eight years in this House, together with many of our councillors and members, we have shown with our stand on the Iraq war, being the first party that helped to produce a brochure on the Islamic faith and our stand for the people under care of the State and in juvenile justice that we have have captured some of the spirit of our dream.
As I ventured into the speeches made by other honourable members on that day for the first time I read them all and relished the wisdom of Jim Samios, Ian Macdonald, Dr Brian Pezzutti, Ian Cohen, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans and Helen Sham-Ho. There were many interjections with a great sense of humour displayed by many members. Among them were Richard Jones and the inimitable Johno Johnson. It is a skill that I would love to have.
It became quickly apparent to me that as a member of Parliament, whether sitting in the House or attending functions, family life suffers. I pay special tribute to my wife Cathy for her unwavering support during my eight years as a member of this place. I am grateful for the patience and understanding she has shown, and for allowing our home to be used as a meeting place for the Unity Party. I thank her for her love and her unreserved passion for and belief in our cause. I thank her for looking after our children, who have now all completed their university education. I must also thank her for her financial management skills. Without her constant reminders I would have been bankrupt years ago! Our daughter, Michelle, an architect, was also our media manager at the beginning of Unity. Christopher, our eldest son, now married to Elly, stood as a Unity candidate on a number of occasions. Simon and Timothy, my other two sons, have helped us in many campaigns.
I wish to also thank Unity councillors Le Lam, Annie Tang, Jack Au, Sylvia Chao, Thang Ngo and Joshua Nam, all of whom, apart from being very active in their councils, have also helped me greatly during my term as a member of Parliament. Le Lam is currently Mayor of Auburn Council and No. 1 candidate on the Unity ticket in the upcoming State election. I wish her all the best. Annie Tang and her husband are well known in Hurstville and Kogarah, and they provide outstanding service to their community.
My baptism of fire in this House came much sooner than expected. It arrived with the imperial Premier and politician extraordinaire, Bob Carr, introducing his Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Bill 1999. My inaugural speech was made during a motion moved by the Hon. James Samios condemning former Premier Carr for changing the name of the Ethnic Affairs Commission to the Community Relations Commission. What followed was a chain of events, from an upper House inquiry into multiculturalism and lobbying community organisations for submissions to holding a Multiculturalism Summit. Finally, Carr won the day after Helen Sham-Ho agreed to the addition of a misnomer term by-line beneath the name of the Community Relations Commission of New South Wales. Through months of excitement, confusion, disillusion and finally depression, I was guided by my most capable advisor, Violetta Brdaroska, and later on by my very talented researchers Paul Mortimer and Thang Ngo.
Indeed the battle for the name change was a bitter one. The Daily Telegraph reported that the mild-mannered and well-respected Attorney General, Jeff Shaw, was booed and hissed when he addressed the New South Wales Ethnic Community Council's annual general meeting at Ashfield on 23 August 1999. The President of the Ethnic Community Council, Mr Paul Nicolau, had to interrupt his speech and plead with the crowd of 200 representatives to let him finish, reminding them that a senior State Minister was present as their guest. Similarly, the Sydney Morning Herald reported:
As he delivered the justification for the ethnic cleansing of the term ethnic Shaw was heckled and jeered and laughed at by the Ashfield Town Hall crowd. So bad was it that the Communities Council president was forced to beg that Shaw be allowed to continue. Not surprisingly, Shaw did a Harold Holt and was out of the door as soon as he finished. Chika Boom, glad to finally find an audience which wasn't blaming her for anything (yet) told the audience that she wasn't afraid to use the word "ethnic", earning her the biggest cheer for the day.
Throughout this period, Jim Samios and I worked very closely. Indeed, some of the media releases for the Coalition on this issue were generated from my office by my researchers, Thang Ngo and Paul Mortimer. Thang Ngo is now the National Media Director of SBS Radio. As fate would have it, our path with the former Premier would cross again, two years later, on the issue of monosodium glutamate [MSG]. New South Wales would have been the first government in the world to require restaurants and clubs to label MSG in foods. It would have contravened the rulings of Food Standards Australia New Zealand and universal scientific advice on the issue, including that by Dr Lenoid Tarasoff, professor in chemistry, who had published numerous research and articles on MSG, and Connie Katelaris, allergy professor at Westmead hospital. I thank Dr Brian Pezzutti for his scientific and political skills.With the help of the Opposition, including the reluctant but absolutely honourable Duncan Gay, and nearly all of the crossbench members, we finally disallowed Bob Carr's regulation. I also thank some Government members, but I will not mention their names. Next day, one of the daily newspapers reported the event as: "MSG 1, Carr O".
During my time here I have been involved in many policy and legislative changes. Cabramatta means a lot to recent migrants and Unity. Today it is a booming suburb with a new and modern police station, while businesses continue to grow. This was the result of the Cabramatta policing inquiry, conducted at the urging of Councillor Thang Ngo and the Cabramatta community. The inquiry led to noticeable reforms and more State Government funding. The drug problems are on the way down and the streets are much safer than before. Cabramatta is now again an excellent example of the successes in cultural diversity.
As a result of my time in Parliament, I am pleased to say that traditional Chinese medicines are now seriously considered for registration. This was achieved through the recommendations of the parliamentary joint committee, chaired by a very capable chairperson, Jeff Hunter. Before his departure from this House, Dr Pezzutti and I worked closely as parliamentary committee members on the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission of New South Wales. It was Adriana Sammartano from Peter Breen's office who brought to our attention the case of Dr Sabag, a Spanish doctor, after noisy demonstrations were held outside this Parliament. His patients were demonstrating against the Health Care Complaints Commission of New South Wales discriminating against their general practitioner, leading to his deregistration. Through the good work of a barrister friend, John Young, who was also an adviser to a former Federal Labor Attorney General, the decision in Dr Sabag's case was overturned. The committee, which was chaired by Jeff Hunter and assisted by its director, Kathleen Watson, recognised the gross deficiencies in the commission. The subsequent inquiry into the commission led to significant reforms.
The same John Young also introduced me to John Della Bosca many years before. Della Bosca was then Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party [ALP], and when I lobbied the Federal Labor Government for the settlement of Chinese students following the incident in Tiananmen Square the New South Wales ALP and unions provided enormous support for those students, who were at that time, very confused, very poor and spoke little English. Their settlement has helped our country enormously—just ask John Howard about natural gas or Ian Macdonald about mining—and not to forget that many of their children have embraced the Australian way of life and excelled in their Higher School Certificate examinations.
In early 2004 Si Bank, the President of the Pharmacy Guild, paid me a visit at my office in the Parliament. He informed me of the impending deregulation legislation to be introduced in the Parliament. Such legislation, if passed, would have allowed supermarket chains to take over family chemists, leading to the eventual disappearance of the friendly family chemists. I suggested to Si Bank that he lobby the Federal Government and simultaneously run a petition against the deregulation of pharmacies in New South Wales. It was to everyone's surprise that half a million signatures were collected over four weeks. This is a record, not only in the history of the New South Wales Parliament but also in all Parliaments throughout Australia. Subsequently, both Federal and State governments took the pragmatic approach and called off the deregulation of pharmacies.
Recently my researcher, John Murray, alerted me to the plight of the commercial fishermen and the presence of unacceptable levels of the highly toxic chemical dioxin in the waters of Sydney Harbour. While I believe we achieved some success for the fishermen, I believe more can be done for them, particularly regarding their future livelihood and long-term health care. Indeed, my heart goes out to the fishermen and their families. They are by and large an honourable and decent bunch of hardworking people, and I respect them a great deal.
If there is one project that gives me great pride, it is the setting up of the Youth Leadership Training Program. Out of a conversation with my adviser, John Murray, who has a passion for the future of our youth, came our decision to run the program in Parliament. After all, it is not too often that our future leaders can come and see, or indeed attend seminars, in this place. We should do our utmost to give everyone the opportunity to learn and engage in our democratic institutions.
Over the past few years we have provided a one-day training course to over 500 young people, covering issues in organisation, public speaking, leadership, democracy and the media. The biggest training day we held was in December 2005, with over 130 Muslim and Christian Arabic youth attending. It was held at a time of heightened tensions in our society. It proved to be a valuable exercise by bringing these young people and their various community leaders together. Apart from the teaching them leadership skills, we impressed upon them that they are all valuable members of our community—regardless of their colour or religious background! I thank my good friend Dr Fred Nasser, Bishop Darwish and Kayser Trad for bringing everyone together.
I am also proud that on that day, the Jubilee room and room 814-815 took on a new role as a prayer ground for young Muslim boys and girls as they periodically faced Mecca in their devotions. At the invitation of the Venerable Man Chien, we also held a seminar for the students of Indo-Chinese and Taiwanese background at the Buddhist Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong, which was attended by about 120 participants.
I have maintained from the beginning that our youth training program would not be used as a political training camp, and I am proud that we have succeeded in this. Guest speakers have included Benjamin Chow, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Multicultural Affairs Commission, who is a Liberal; the Mayor of Canterbury Council, Robert Furulo, who is an ALP member; Ms Sylvia Hale from the Greens; Angus Young, who is a lecturer from the University of Technology, Sydney, and many others.
Special appreciation must go, however, to Pamella Vernon, our key presenter at every training session, and a person who has had a profound influence on our youth. As a woman who grew up and had a terrible time in orphanages, Pamella was clearly aware of the importance of imparting skills to young people, and she excelled in her enthusiasm to do so.
My previous involvements in community work and government departments had provided me with an invaluable preparation to come to this House. I was, for eight years, a Commissioner for the Ethnic Affairs Commission of New South Wales, a position that I was recommended by Helen Sham-Ho and Jim Samios. I was also a member of the Medical Board of New South Wales, appointed by Ron Phillips, and the Founding Chairman of the Ethnic Schools Board of New South Wales, appointed by the Virginia Chadwick. In all sincerity, Virginia Chadwick was by far the best education Minister in recent times. She was intelligent, knowledgeable, considerate and hard working, and totally committed to, and passionate about, her portfolio. Despite her very busy schedule, she attended many activities and met thousands of ethnic schoolteachers.
In the earlier part of my term in this place I often sought the advice of John Jobling. His advice was always accurate and objective, and you could be assured that any inquiry was held in the strictest confidence and would not be used for political purposes. I am also indebted to Richard Jones. Apart from being a good friend and colleague, he would provide me with excellent answers to most of my questions—often mixed with good humour. It is of regret that he is no longer a member of this House. John Hannaford was another great Minister in the Greiner Government. I met him when he was the Attorney General. His sincerity, friendliness and intellectual excellence and oratory skills impressed me greatly.
I wish also to thank all the current members of the Opposition for their support, particularly Michael Gallacher and Duncan Gay. Michael is a person I have always felt free to approach whenever I have needed to discuss matters or to seek advice and support, while Duncan Gay must be one of the most down-to-earth people in this House—what you see is what you get. He is the perfect gentleman, even when we do not see eye to eye on certain issues. Despite our political differences, I am also pleased to have very cordial relations with many members of the Labor Party. Henry Tsang and I did not quite see eye to eye in our early days in this Parliament.
The Hon. Henry Tsang: Yes—and still don't occasionally.
The Hon. Dr PETER WONG: And still don't. I have come to realise that differences in views and opinions do not necessarily make me a better person, and I appreciate the advice he has given me in recent time. In fact, Henry and I have our cup of coffee together from time to time. So far, he has paid for all my coffees—I think because he is richer than I am!
I thank the Hon. Eddie Obeid, who for many years faithfully and loyally lobbied me to be nice to the former Premier. There is a marked philosophical difference between us, but he worked closely with the crossbench during his years as a Minister and proved to be very competent. In 1998, during the mad period of the "table cloth" ballot paper for the upper House, despite my total naivety in understanding preference deals, it was he who kept reminding me that political success needs to be translated into parliamentary representation, otherwise it is just hot air.
Representing the other end of the political spectrum of Labor party is the Hon. Ian Macdonald. I get along very well him despite the fact that from time to time we fought over issues. We vigorously fought about a GM-crop trial, leading to the final withdrawal of Bayer and Monsanto from New South Wales. This was achieved with the great help of many others, of course, including farmers at Young, not just by my efforts. As for our most recent battle, dioxin is the name, and hopefully he will continue to provide help to the Port Jackson fishermen and their families.
During the past eight years I have also received a lot of help and advice from Tony Kelly and his office. He is another true gentleman. In my eight years here I have never seen him raise his voice once. To Peter Primrose and Ian West, I thank you for keeping this House in proper order and for providing me with your invaluable advice and help. And not forgetting Tony Catanzariti. Even though I have known Tony for only a short time, we have become good friends. I was to visit him in Griffith, had it not been for the recall of the Parliament following the Cronulla riot. I still have my airline ticket!
To John Della Bosca, I thank you for all the advice you have given me. I do apologise for asking some very difficult and nasty questions during the past few weeks. I thank you for your patience and well-mannered nature in answering them. I can assure Della that I do have a sense of humour, but it is hard to reflect that when you are asking a serious question. I applaud the work of the President and thank her for her patience and advice. I do not believe I have ever been named in the House. I apologise for my occasional bad manner, which did not reflect well on this House. In doing so, I wish Meredith all the best as she too leaves this place. I want to particularly thank all her staff, and Jason in particular, for they have always expediently assisted us in many of our demanding requests.
I will particularly miss working with the crossbenchers. Without exception, I have high respect for each honourable member. My parliamentary record would testify that I often supported the Greens and Democrats on most environmental issues. Ian Cohen, I believe by public acclaim, must be one of the most honourable members in this House, and I admire the Greens members for their total commitment and loyalty to the party. I wish each of the crossbench members all the best in the upcoming election. I truly believe that all eleven crossbench members have been a positive voice for the citizens of this State.
Two months ago my speech would have included my best wishes to Arthur Chesterfield-Evans on his timely retirement. Lo and behold, thanks to the two major parties, I see a Christmas star leading him to a new salvation. Arthur, I hope your multifaceted, multi-edged, slow-releasing political Osmocote will continue to upset the government of day and the Opposition for the next eight years.
I have always had a high regard for Peter Breen, particularly for his well articulated English skills and his legal knowledge. On the occasional weekend I work in the Parliament. So does he. I cannot forget that one occasion when, in darkness as I opened the washroom door, there was this man standing in front of me in silence. It was the best test of my cardiac fitness and mental status.
The environment has always been a passionate issue, often involving scientific study and scientific evidence. It has always been pleasing to hear the arguments on each side, and I commend Jon Jenkins for bringing his balance to many debates. It was with sadness that I heard of Jon's illness, and I wish him the best in the future and a speedy recovery.
I would also like to thank a former honourable member, John Tingle. In fact, I was elected on the back of preferences from the Shooters Party and the Labor Party. To this day I do not know why John Tingle gave me his preferences. I can only assume that the honourable member directed those preferences in the spirit of democracy and because he wanted other minor party representation.
As for John Ryan, I wish you all the best. I think it is sad that you have not been preselected and therefore will not be back here again. The loss is not only the loss of this House; indeed, as other members said, it is a sad loss for the Liberal Party.
I must also pay tribute to Reverend Fred Nile. I do believe you are one of the best performers in this House and are sincere in your belief. I apologise if I have offended you in the past because of a lack of tolerance or ill manner on my part. There is nothing worse than self-righteousness, especially when articulated in public.
To Reverend Gordon Moyes, even though I only closely worked with him on one occasion, during the Juvenile Justice inquiry, he showed his excellent chairmanship ability, impartially and a broad range of knowledge far beyond many I have seen both inside and outside this Parliament. I wish him well and all the very best in the future.
In thanking the two reverends I am reminded of my own Christian community. I thank the Sydney Archdiocese for its support for the lay organisation I helped establish 24 years ago, the Chinese Catholic Community Incorporated. For the past 14 years I have conducted the choir at Sunday mass at St. Josephs Camperdown. Our members have always been a loving and caring community, and our current parish priest, Father John Speedmen, has been most helpful. On the medical side, thousands of my patients voted for me to become a member of this House. My patients frequently remind me that this was one of their worst decisions ever. They gained a politician but lost a family doctor. Hopefully I can repent my sins with actions in the future. I thank Dr Alvin Goh and our nursing sister, Ping Wang, who are currently leading China Vision, a free cataract surgery team in Guangdong.
I thank John Evans and his team on level 8 for many years of unbiased advice. I have no doubt I would have got myself into trouble on many occasions had I acted without his advice. I also wish John Evans all the best in his retirement. I particularly thank all the Legislative Council attendants—Ian, Maurice, Charles, Michael, Lucy, John and Erin—who do an extraordinary job. They have helped facilitate hundreds of delegations I have received in Parliament.
To all parliamentary workers—catering staff, security, building services, ITS, library, accounts and anyone else I have missed—I thank you for making me feel at home away from home for the last eight years. Of course I must thank Hansard for putting up with me all these years. I am aware of how difficult it has been to record my speeches. I know that the media in this place does not receive the recognition they deserve. However, on my major campaigns I have always found the media to be professional and diligent. I take this opportunity to give a special thanks to David Fisher, who was with the Daily Telegraph but is now editor of the Mackay Daily Mercury. His coverage of the Sydney Harbour dioxin scandal was exemplary. I wish him and his family the best of luck in Mackay.
I also take this opportunity to thank all the Asian press media for the extensive coverage they have provided me during my time in Parliament. Through my work in the Parliament people like Wilson Ng, Tommy Tong, Simon Ko, Roger Huang, Patrick Wong and Patrick Poon have provided me with great coverage. I now consider them as dear and personal friends. I thank my staffer, Mr Phil Tian, who has been with me for many years. He also happens to be a famous Chinese literature critic and playwright. For the past six years, with his help, I wrote a weekly column for many newspapers. I also thank Nicki Zhang, who comes in every Wednesday and helps out in the office. Before her were Alison Wang, Ling Kong, Amanda Hu and many others. I pay special tribute to Young Unity, in particular its President, Willis Phong, who has brought renewed energy and dedication to the party, and who, I have no doubt, will one day make a fine leader.
Last but not least, I thank my parliamentary researchers, John Murray and Robert Despotoski. Many fruitful discussions and arguments have kept me sharp and on my toes. Their healthy scepticism about politics is being reflected in the wider community: it now appears that one in four voters will not vote for the major parties. We have bonded well as a team and I am proud of them. Despite their considerable efforts, I can assure them once and for all that I have no intention of seeking another term in this Parliament. Time does not permit me to name all members of the Government and Opposition who will leave, but I appreciate their friendship and wish them and each of their families best wishes, continued success and longevity.
As I leave this place, I feel that I have kept my principles and integrity as a parliamentarian. I will walk out of this Parliament much wiser, but the same Peter Wong, and the same way I walked in. Hopefully, I will be more humble after learning so much from all of you. How much have I achieved? No, I have not changed the world. But as Mahatma Gandhi said, "There are many things we do in life that will not make much difference at all, but it is important that we do them." I thank God for His blessing for sending me to the Parliament of New South Wales. As this chapter of my of life closes, I pray that His blessings will be forever with you and your families.
The Hon. HENRY TSANG (Parliamentary Secretary) [8.44 p.m.]: I pay tribute to the Hon. Dr Peter Wong. It is quite true that Peter and I often do not see eye to eye. It is only on those occasions when he abuses former Premier Bob Carr and when I read articles about his attack on the Iemma Government. However, I recognise Peter Wong's stand on anti-racism and his support for multicultural Australia, which is appreciated by Australians of all backgrounds. We recognise that he is a good man: He is a good family man, a good husband, and a good son. Most of all, he is a good community leader through his work in the Australian Chinese Community Association and, of course, China Vision. It is not true that I am richer than he is. Yes, I can afford to buy the coffee, but I cannot afford a brand new Mercedes convertible, as he has. Enjoy your family and your car in your retirement. Good luck.
The Hon. Dr ARTHUR CHESTERFIELD-EVANS [8.46 p.m.]: My eight years in this Parliament have been an education. I came into this place as a tobacco campaigner with low expectations of the political system, and I think those expectations have largely been met. However, I have a better understanding than I had before and I will ask the brief indulgence of the House to express some of those conclusions. If honourable members wish to leave, I will not be at all offended. I recognise the lateness of the hour. Although I have not yet been preselected, I have some hope of winning my preselection.
I am proud of my committee work, especially with the mental health inquiry, the funeral inquiry, the Campbelltown inquiry, and the dental inquiry. Some of them have been very successful, although the frustration of the tobacco committee and the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has been extremely depressing. The committee system within this House is extremely important in its ability to embarrass the Government to vary its spending. I thank the staff of the committees of which I am a member—Simon Johnston, Stephen Frappell, Madeleine Foley, Julie Langsworth, Annie Marshall, Beverly Duffy, Les Gönye and Stephanie Hesford.
Jan Burnswoods was with me on a lot of committees, and she did a very good job. The course she steered was extremely astute. She set a fine line between the reality and what the Labor Party would accept. It was a difficult line to take. If any of her committees were too radical they would have been ignored. If they were too mild they would have been a long way from reality. She set that line and maintained it very well. Her infighting in committees is legendary in this House. She was extraordinarily loyal to the Labor Party, despite having to defend what some of us would think were frequently indefensible positions. I wish her well. I am sure the net result of her efforts is highly beneficial.
I have been a great admirer of John Evans since he rang me, before I entered this House, to facilitate my inauguration. I have always felt he was a champion of Parliament against the other forces in society that would move to undermine it. A short time ago I introduced a bill to bring electoral reform to New South Wales, and, of course, it was totally unsupported. It proposed a referendum that would reconstitute the present two Houses of Parliament into one Chamber, and elect 50 members from 10 State electorates.
The 50-member House would be elected by proportional representation, unlike the present system where the lower House delivers 100 per cent of the power for 43 per cent of the vote. I always felt that John Evans would have supported that plan, although, I must confess, I never asked his advice on it. I would not say for a moment that he gave an opinion on this subject. I recently attended a Vietnamese human rights day where I heard of the evils of a one-party State where a small clique runs the country. Here in Australia we have a two-parties State where two small cliques do the bidding of those with money. The two parties interchange every election or two and the Executive dictates what the Parliament does between elections. Sadly enough, Parliament plays a minimal part in what happens.
Government in Australia does not work. The Constitution was a compromise 100 years ago and is now hopelessly out of date. I do not believe that State Parliament works well on a global level. Global factors_such as too much technology, the mobility of capital and labour, and now services_mean that parliaments that deal with small areas face problems such as we do. The Executive wants the rubber stamp of the lower House and then in the upper House splits the crossbench. It gets it progressive legislation through with the assistance of the Greens and me, and the conservative legislation through with the assistance of the Christian Democratic Party. The Government pulls bills if they are going to be defeated, lest the upper House is seen to have any power. Even if the legislation goes through, the Government does not proclaim clauses that are inconvenient.
Sadly, the Opposition does not make the most of the upper House, perhaps because of the difference in culture between upper House and lower House members. Even at times a bill is introduced into this House, the Opposition does not consider crossbench amendments because they have made an agreement with the Government in the lower House. The fact that the Government and the Opposition hold the same position 90 per cent of the time considerably undermines the workings of Parliament. If that were not enough, the High Court decision in the WorkChoices case has made it very difficult for State parliaments to continue their work. It is more or less the situation now that the Federal Government can override the State whenever it likes. The Council of Australian Governments process means that much of our legislation is simply a rubber stamp of an outside agreement.
Although it is a sad state of affairs, we must continue. Our efforts in research and legislation echo elsewhere. I thank the Clerks for their assistance with procedural matters, the Parliamentary Library staff who research projects, and the catering and cleaning staff. The security staff have been most helpful to me when I have come to Parliament on weekends. I offer my best wishes to Eugene on his recovery. I thank Isaac, who looks after the gymnasium and squash courts so diligently. Council attendants Ian, Lucy, Erin, John, Mike and Charles do a sterling job and have the place running smoothly. I was very disappointed at the treatment of the staff of Parliament House, which was brought on by the Treasurer's mean-spirited budget cuts. His actions resulted in many good people leaving the employ of the Parliament. It is important that what we do we do well.
I thank my office staff for their very hard work. They have done a sterling job. People ask me how did I get such good staff. I give the simple answer that I advertise and select the best people. Other members are not so lucky and do not have that luxury. I thank Guy Ellicott and Paul Corben for their good work. I just walk into the Chamber and use their research. They make me look better than I am. I have also been lucky to have very good volunteers and students from political internship programs, most recently James Dickinson who originally studied at Oxford and Daniel Freidman from Columbia University in the United States of America, who did the wonderful research on the voting patterns of major parties.
I want to say a fond farewell to members who are in the Chamber for the last time. In particular, John Ryan stands out for his tireless work in his portfolio and his credibility with the disability sector, people who have been badly wronged by poor regulation in the building industry, the Building Action Review Group and the homeless. It is frankly a disgrace that he was not preselected. If his party thinks that it can replace him and his credibility with those sectors, they are sadly mistaken. They have knifed a very good man and they will have a lot of work to do to gain that credibility again. Pat Forsythe was similarly poorly treated. She had a great deal of credibility with those sectors. If liberalism—although I think it is conservatism—is to have a human face, it needs people such as John Ryan and Pat Forsythe. Their removal will adversely affect the Liberal's fortunes in future polls.
I commend Meredith Burgmann for her good work. She has been very fair and I have always admired her intellect. The thing I really admire about her in a strange sort of way is that when the Special Branch files were released she had a 56-page file whereas my file had only three pages. In a sense, that established her credibility with me and I could not compete. Peter Wong has done fine work in Parliament. I admired the eye operations work he did in China and his work on eliminating MSG. I am sure he was right, but his fighting on that particular issue was a most interesting campaign. I wish David Oldfield well in his new career, although I am not sure what that will be. I also want to say goodbye to Jon Jenkins and hope that he goes well on the hard road he has to hoe. It is a road we will all walk down, but it is better to walk down it later than have to face it in the short term. I think I have covered all the members who are leaving or intend to leave.
I believe that I will be back. The polls are up. One must always look at the doughnut and not at the hole. The Parliament, for all its faults that I have outlined, still spends $43 billion and the redirection of this money is done through the committees. They are one of the few levers available to upper House members. I believe the job is still worth doing. The Australian Democrats' values must be upheld and the party must be rebuilt. At times we have to step down from lofty rhetoric and cultivate our own gardens. Certainly that challenge lies before me between now and the election. The problems of the world must be tackled and I will work here and in the broader context with the good people who try to serve their State and mankind. There are certainly people like that here. It has been good to work among you and hopefully I can continue to do so.
The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [8.57 p.m.]: I thank all the staff of the Parliament from the Clerks, to Hansard, to Building Services. The work of all the staff is of equal value. They all make sure that this place operates effectively and efficiently. I thank you, Madam President, for the advice you have given me since I have been in the position of Chairman of Committees. I wish you well in your post-parliamentary life. I would also like to thank and acknowledge the Hon. Jan Burnswoods for the work she does in here both for the party, the Standing Committee on Social Issues and other committees. Given that Jan and I did not have a track record of working harmoniously in the Australian Labor Party, people are continually surprised that we have been able to work harmoniously in this place for the betterment of the Government and good social policy.
I acknowledge the members of the House who are retiring—the Hon. John Ryan; the Hon. Peter Breen, whose speeches I have always enjoyed; the Hon. Jon Jenkins, who was here only for a short while; and the Hon. Dr Peter Wong. Since virtually I came here he and I have been saying we must go for yum cha one day. We still have not managed it. Perhaps we can do so before March. I also acknowledge the Hon. David Oldfield, who has made some interesting contributions in the House. I wish everyone a very safe and happy Christmas. For those retiring, I wish that you have long, healthy and happy retirements and time to spend with your families. I hope that I see all the people who think they are returning back here next year. To those who think they are returning and do not make it, I wish you well.
The PRESIDENT: I also wish the House the best for the holiday season. I would like to thank most of the members for being reasonable most of the time. Those who have not been reasonable know who they are, so I will not name them! I would just like to mention two items of unfinished business that are personally important to me but have not been dealt with. The first is to do with this House acknowledging Aboriginal ownership of country. As members know, at the beginning of every week since I became President in 1999, I have acknowledged that we are meeting on Eora land. The other place recently included in its standing orders an acknowledgment of country, which is:
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands we represent and thank them for their custodianship of country.
I very much urge members of the new Parliament to include those words in their formal business. The second piece of unfinished business is a piece of legislation that I have been urging within the community and within my political party for a very long time—that is, that legislation be enacted to ban any political party from receiving donations from developers. It is an issue that the public feels very strongly about and it is an issue that I feel very strongly about. I have moved the "No Developer Donations" motion at my own party's conference over many years. While I do not believe that individual planning Ministers or shadow planning Ministers have in fact been corrupted by the process, it is quite clear that the potential is there, and justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. I understand that there is a need for this legislation to be enacted at the Federal level, but certainly a start could be made at the State level.
On a happier note, I would like to thank all the wonderful staff of this Parliament who work so hard, often under difficult circumstances. I thank my staff: Lesley Gruit, Zoe Backes, Helen Randerson, Jason Stewart, Sid Oliver and, particularly, my chief of staff, Yvette Andrews, who has dealt brilliantly with every difficult and bizarre event that has come her way in the past 12 years. They will be in the book! I have just been sent a note from Yvette telling me that, in the spirit of tonight's speeches, I have to quote someone. She suggests either Karl Marx or Paul Roos. So here goes:
For everyone who's waited 72 years for the Swans to win the Premiership … here it is—
Go the Swannies!
I wish all members well for the future, particularly those who are leaving this Chamber.
Motion agreed to.