Adjournment Debate

VALEDICTORIES

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (17:59): First of all I thank the Premier for his very kind words—thank you. I am going to take the opportunity in the final words that I am going to say in this place to thank people that I should have thanked a while ago, and I ask you to forgive me if I get a bit teary.

The Hon. L.R. Breuer: Don't cry!

Mrs GERAGHTY: Don't cry, that's right. First of all I want to put on the record my sincere thanks and appreciation to my staff who have been as much a part of my family as my children—my natural family—during what was a really difficult time just prior to and after the last election. Sadly, it was just a week before the last election when we found out that my husband, Bob, was seriously ill, and he then sadly passed away sometime afterwards. I have to say my staff were absolute stalwarts, and they cared for us and took on many roles, well above what you would expect staff members to do.

Here in my whip office, Carol Putland and Wendy Gee kept the office in really good order while I was trying to manage my own feelings, as the member for West Torrens has said, and it has been very hard to say to them that I am incredibly appreciative. Our deputy whip, Alan Sibbons, the member for Mitchell, I have to say was exceptionally highly regarded by Bob—he was incredibly fond of Alan and they worked together in the past. He did a magnificent job carrying on and making sure that all the things that were meant to happen in here happened when I just simply could not be here. I think we are all very grateful to him. I also want to thank Steph Key, who I know during that time gave Alan lots of good advice and assistance and still continues to give me good advice as well, and she is always willing to lend a hand, so thank you Steph; I really appreciate that.

My electorate office could not function without loyal and dedicated staff, and I am very fortunate that I have staff who care about our community as much as I do and love the work that we do within the electorate. To Gerry Kandelaars, who is now a member of the Legislative Council, and he was a magnificent support in my office; and to Suzan Kellett who works in my office, I place on the record my sincere thanks. Like Carol and Wendy they too kept on working to ensure that my constituents were well served during that difficult time, and because we are a very close-knit group they had to deal with the loss of Bob as well.

I also need to thank Glenys Kandelaars, who came into the office after Gerry left. As I said, we do like to keep our family close, and she has been a valuable and committed member of my staff, and I am really lucky that she changed jobs to come on board and join our office family. I also want to thank our very much-loved friends Robyn and Bob Donnelly.

Bob Donnelly took over the role of secretary of the CEPU after Bob died and, sadly, they are now dealing with their own difficulties. When we needed them they were just there constantly, coming in and out of the house, making sure that I was still functioning reasonably well. Robyn used to come in with loads of food and sausage rolls, and I really appreciate everything that they did, and we most sincerely hope that Bob manages well.

To Bob's workmates in the CEPU, the AMWU and the FSU, and to my dear friend, Lyn Breuer, I thank all those people for the assistance they gave. Lyn would be on the phone to me at night very late; we had many late phone calls. I am sure we just walked around with bags under our eyes.

To my colleagues in this place and on the other side as well, I thank those colleagues for all the support and help that they gave and the good wishes. It was really appreciated and I think that I probably forgot to say those things. I think that during difficult times you know who your friends are and how dear they are to you and I would like to share that with you to say thank you.

I want to say to my son Anthony, and his son, my grandson Mitchell, thank you as well, because I cannot find the words to express to them how grateful I am that they have taken on so many different roles over this last term in parliament. They just stepped into a different role which I think is difficult for children and grandchildren to do, but they were magnificent. To my son Jason, and my daughter-in-law Karen, I particularly want to thank them for giving us our last grandson, Ned (Nathan Ermut Donnac Geraghty). He is starting school next year. He was the light of Bob's life and when Bob was really ill his little antics brightened up his day and made him feel amazing, so that was a great present that they gave us.

I want to say to my other grandsons, Vinnie and Lukas, that they are very much loved and we thank them for being part of our family. To our niece Toni, who is a special lady, I want to thank her for her generosity in standing in on the home front, sometimes quite often during this last term, and I think that is a testament to what is her lovely and bubbly nature.

Of course, without my Bob's support over the years I actually would not have been able to dash around my community in the way that I did, doing all the things that I wanted to do and without his patient listening skills, sound advice and support—perhaps I did not always take his advice and I have to confess sometimes I regretted that—I do not think I would have lasted for nearly 20 years in this place. It would have been lovely if he was here today, but that just is not the case.

As the member for Kaurna, John Hill, said, without supportive family, members of parliament could not take on all the roles that we do. We are not just a member of parliament; we are so many other things within the community. It is just amazing the roles that we take on. I am really blessed that I have had the support of my family—probably, like all families, long-suffering—but it is wonderful that they are always there to help us. I think they will be exceptionally grateful that I am retiring because they will no longer to have to go out and put up election posters.

Members interjecting:

Mrs GERAGHTY: Well, they had to be asked. I think they got sick of the ladders and the brooms pushing them up and checking them and that, but yes, we can ask them again. Just a moment ago I had a text from my eldest son, Anthony, saying that he was a bit late going home to feed my dogs and I said to him, 'This is my last day in parliament today,' because I have not discussed that with him and he said to me, 'I bet the dogs will be pleased,' and I think he is right.

To all the staff in this place, and there really are too many to mention, and people would have done a much better job than I, I want to thank them for all the work that they do for all of us. I know we all appreciate their efforts.

I would like to mention John Moylan and Joy Cole, who were here I am pretty sure when I came in, who provided us with a most professional service and were always helpful and accommodating. I know there are other members in here who hold them in really high regard. I think it is with great sadness we can say that we do miss them, but I would like to thank them. I am sorry they are not here and we cannot do it personally, but I am sure we would like to wish them the best and happiness always for the future. In my first speech in this house I said:

From the day the by-election was called until this time I feel that I have not stopped running, learning, meeting people, attending to issues and getting results. I explained to the electors of Torrens during my campaign that I was seeking their endorsement for three reasons: first, because of my long-standing commitment to the people of the north-eastern suburbs; secondly, because of my belief in South Australia; and, thirdly, my hope that through my ideas, energy and skills I can contribute to this Parliament in building a better future for workers and their families and, indeed, all South Australians.

I believe and I hope that the people of Torrens feel I have actually lived up to that. I have certainly tried to. Here I am about to retire (well, March; it is still a way to go) and I still feel I am constantly running, but I have made so many friends in the electorate and it has been an absolute pleasure to have served these wonderful people. I have always said that I have the best electorate in the state. I have always said that because it is true. The electorate is full of delightful charming people, many of whom share their time with community organisations so that we can support and help each other and make our community the great place that it is to live in.

Working in a community constantly brings one into our school communities and I have been so fortunate that I have wonderful schools in my electorate. I have fantastic principals, teachers and staff and, of course, the parents and friends who come into our school communities as volunteers who go well beyond their normal role to provide opportunities for our children. I can honestly say that I have loved every moment I have spent working with my school communities. Some of the highlights of my days have been the interactions with students. Children tell you the truth. I might say that I have had some interesting and challenging conversations with sometimes quite small children and I have not won the discussions.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling interjecting:

Mrs GERAGHTY: I don't win much in here either. Members have many experiences and one that I am really proud of and one that always sticks in my mind was when I went to French Polynesia to protest over the French nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in 1995. It was an amazing experience. I am not someone who is necessarily frightened by events but I have to say that encountering the French Foreign Legion was the most frightening experience that I have encountered and one I will never forget. Some of them were very young men, but they were terrifying to look at. I have never seen a human being look so coldly at another human being, while holding these great big machine guns. So, I have to say that I looked at them and took off.

It is with some sadness that I say goodbye to so many people as their local member, but I know that for me this is the right time to do that. One must always have a fire in the belly to do this work and you have to be able to give 120 per cent. While I still have a great passion my fire has dwindled in the last term and I think that if I do not feel I can give that 120 per cent then it is time to let someone else take over the role. I am hoping that Dana Wortley will be elected in my place, because I know she has the passion and the commitment to give to the electorate of Torrens that will ensure my constituents are well served and listened to, because that is really important to me.

To my parliamentary colleagues in this chamber and in the other place, who over the years become friends—and we have had some great times, I think—I would like to say thank you. Thank you for some of the most interesting conversations we have had. I won't repeat them, but it has been a most interesting time.

To those who are retiring, like me, I hope it brings you an opportunity to sleep in late for a change and some time to smell the roses. Every room in my house has a clock, and the first thing I plan to do after 15 March is stop clock watching. I am going to donate clocks to others and I plan to spend more of my time with my family and actually get to know them a bit better than I might do now. I am going to spend a lot of time with my two beautiful dogs, who no doubt will enjoy having me around, because I am really a big softy and they con me into giving them food all the time. No wonder they are as big as they are now.

Finally, I have been incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity to represent a community in this place. I can only say it has been a great pleasure and an honour. I have also been fortunate to serve in a Labor government that I truly believe has been innovative and proactive and has done many things to improve and create opportunities that benefit all South Australians. This journey of nearly 20 years has been interesting, challenging, rewarding and sometimes difficult, but it has been worth every moment.

I have worked with some amazing, talented and interesting people—interesting is the key word—and I have learned a great deal. I don't think that's too bad for a coalminer's daughter. I will miss you all, but I hope to be able to catch up with you from time to time—on Thursdays we are planning to do that. For my very last words—apart from saying merry Christmas to you all—if I may use the term of the Speaker, the Terminator signs off.