House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Adjournment Debate Adjournment Debate Valedictories VALEDICTORIES The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly Croydon Attorney-General Minister for Justice Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Veterans' Affairs The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (17:11): I move: That the house do now adjourn. I rise to thank the many employees who make the dispatch of business in this house possible. I thank the cleaners and the building staff, who keep this house as an ornament to the state of South Australia. Their cleaning and arrangement of the entire house, not just the chamber, make it something of which the public of South Australia are proud when they visit the parliament. I thank the caretakers for looking after the building around the clock. The member for Stuart would know that at one time, owing to the misbehaviour of certain members of the public, the exterior of this house was not a good place to be. Owing to changes introduced by the member for Stuart, we can now come to and from the house unmolested, and the caretakers keep us safe around the clock. I thank the cooks, the waiters and waitresses, who provide delicious fare each day the house sits. I thank the Clerk, the Serjeant-at-Arms and the other table staff for their profound knowledge of the procedure and history of the house and for their unfailing courtesy, patience and good advice. The Hon. G.M. Gunn interjecting: The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Forbearance, as the member for Stuart says, as they are sometimes harassed by angry members who dispute a ruling or procedural step. All is explained in time. I thank the Bills and Papers Office for the most efficient running of the house and, you, Mr Speaker—O wise and impartial! I know that the opposition will join in that accolade. I thank the library staff who, in their corner of the building, have accumulated such valuable information and such magnificent works of literature and wisdom. It is remarkable the research they can do for members if only they are asked. They well deserve the members who are aficionados of the library: the member for Stuart is one and Hon. Bernie Finnigan, in another place, is another. I know that, in response to requests from the Hon. Bernie Finnigan, outstanding new periodicals have been brought into the reading room. The Hon. G.M. Gunn House of Assembly The Hon. G.M. Gunn: And kept some useful papers. The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: And kept some useful papers. I thank the finance manager for balancing the budget of the parliament. Ms Chapman interjecting: The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: The member for Bragg says that they would not know whether the budget was balanced. Perhaps if her parliamentary Liberal Party colleagues had confidence in her to serve on the Joint Parliamentary Service Committee, she might find out. Another conscientious branch of the parliament is parliamentary counsel. The lucidity of their legislation is second to none. I invite members to compare our bills and acts with those of other jurisdictions: parliamentary counsel can hold its head high. I also congratulate parliamentary counsel for its patience and equanimity in coping with a welter of government legislation yet still finding time to try to translate the sometimes inchoate purposes of private members into private members' bills. I thank the police security staff who keep us safe. I thank the education officer for promoting the virtues of parliamentary democracy to students all over the state. I thank the attendants catering to all our reasonable needs in the chamber. I thank our drivers (those of us who have them) for their good humour, their great sense of direction and their discretion. Mr Piccolo interjecting: The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: The member for Light thanks his train driver. I hope he waves every evening as he passes the first carriage on the Gawler Central platform. I thank our ministerial and electorate staff who try to keep us out of trouble. I thank the Hansard staff for turning our utterances into English and providing our sentences with a subject and a predicate. I read an article today which said that the President-elect of the United States of America, Mr Barack Obama, is finding difficulty in connecting with some Americans because of his insistence on having a subject and a predicate in each sentence and, indeed, speaking in sentences. He has been criticised for the same by none other than the Governor of Alaska. The Hon. G.M. Gunn House of Assembly The Hon. G.M. Gunn: A person of great talent. The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Yes; indeed. I thank the opposition for their cooperation in the dispatch of business. It is a little known fact that, with the vast majority of business before the house, the opposition cooperates with the government in shepherding bills through both houses and across to the vice-regal representative, and I thank them for providing that much underrated service. One would think, from reading the newspapers or watching television or listening to talkback radio stations, that this house was a scene of perpetual conflict between the government and the opposition. In fact, there is enormous cooperation. So I wish everyone a penitential advent from Sunday onwards and I hope that they comply with the wish of Holy Mother Church that on and from the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, for 12 days they eat, drink and make merry.