Members

Weatherill, Hon. J.W., Retirement

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:15): I seek indulgence to make some remarks on the retirement of the member for Cheltenham.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: On indulgence, you have the call.

Dr CLOSE: I found it a bit difficult to contemplate talking about the member for Cheltenham leaving parliament. I have known for a few days that it would happen today. I have known for a long time that the premier would leave one day, yet I found it difficult to marshal my thoughts to talk about his departure. Having known him for the best part of 25 years as a friend, but more so for those 25 years having experienced his political leadership within the Labor Party and the faction to which we both belong and then his leadership of the state, it is difficult for me to contemplate a political environment in which the member for Cheltenham is not, in some way, a major feature.

Since the election, he has been very demure in many ways on the backbench and yet ever present to offer advice when sought, offer feedback when sought and help each one of us who is interested in his opinion to become better at this profession of politics, which must surely be one of the most difficult professions in which to perform to universal support and acclaim.

In reflecting on the member for Cheltenham and his time in the two governments that he was part of—the single Labor government—he has achieved so much in so many different portfolios, as was mentioned earlier. As my leader said earlier, it is much easier and shorter to list the portfolios which he was not involved in than to list those in which he was, but I would like to select two ministerial portfolios he held and the experience of his premiership to honour and note today.

He was one of my predecessors in the portfolio of education, and I think he was the clearest voice for the importance of early childhood that this state may have seen within government. He more clearly understood and saw the importance of the early years in an educational context than I think any other education leader before or since. He recognised that, if early childhood was truly to be seen as the beginning of education and not as child care or babysitting, it needed to be prioritised within the education department and, more than that, it needed serious funding.

The initiative that started with him of children's centres, where community childcare centres, playgroups, occasional care, allied health and preschools could all be brought together in a single location with the appointment of someone who would be connected to the community and be able to bring in the community to make that institution stronger, was something that the then minister for education, the member for Cheltenham, gave this state. We have since built some 47 of them. I suspect that there will be more in the future because every child benefits from a high-quality experience of early childhood education at home and in a setting that is more formally educational.

The children who particularly benefit are those who are disadvantaged in their family backgrounds and/or have disabilities that may emerge when they are a young person that need to be recognised by people who are qualified to do something to support the development of the child in a way that helps them to start school healthy and strong.

The premier was also the environment minister. As such, he was one of the ministers for whom I worked when I was in the environment department. He was involved in a number of different issues, but the one that I most associate with him—although he was not unique as a minister in having a part to play—is the issue of marine parks. He came in after having had Gail Gago, who was from the other place, be a very strong leader in developing the legislative framework for marine parks. Before that was John Hill, and before that Iain Evans in the Liberal government had had the same ideas and views that there should be marine parks.

The member for Cheltenham inherited the marine parks project at a particularly delicate time. We heard him speak earlier about his very sincere views on the importance of democracy, not simply in electing people to this chamber and then letting them go but also in listening to what people have to say and doing them the honour and the courtesy of explaining clearly the consequences of the decisions that are being made. While the member for Cheltenham was the minister for the environment, the consultation process that was undertaken around marine parks was second to none. From my experience as a public servant at the time, it was a mark of the value that the member for Cheltenham had for the voice of the people—a considered voice and an informed voice.

Then, of course, he became premier. In my opinion, he was an extraordinary premier. There are so many areas in which he took an interest. Once I joined cabinet, I was also able to see his extraordinary depth in so many issues, yet he had incredible breadth to cover all our issues. He will always be remembered for energy policy. He is an absolute national and world leader in understanding the importance of renewable energy and that we are going through a significant transformation that has to happen and that is not negotiable or avoidable—that we must increasingly decarbonise our economy, which means increasingly decarbonising our energy system.

When attacked politically, when faced with the extraordinary circumstances resulting from the storm that knocked over those pylons, he doubled-down. He did not look for a way out. He did not look for a populist or simplistic way of approaching or appeasing people who were upset. He knew that there was a principle that needed to be prosecuted, and in so doing he again did the service to the South Australian people of knowing that they would understand if things were accurately explained.

Of course, the role that the premier of the time had in our economic policy was particularly crucial. We saw, as has been canvassed many times in this chamber today, an extraordinary sequence of economic pressures and economic challenges befalling this state. The closure of Holden was a particularly painful one because it was so avoidable. It was chosen by the federal government of the day. I will never forget the treasurer, Joe Hockey, taunting the company that has been the employer of generations of South Australians—taunting and challenging them to leave, and they left.

What did we do in response? The global financial crisis still had a lasting impact, and there was the closure of Holden. Olympic Dam was no longer on the table for expansion, and we had a federal government that thought that maybe submarines should be built off the shelf in Japan, rather than being built by South Australian workers. Again, what we saw was the member for Cheltenham's dedication to the service of this state, and his preparedness to stand up and explain exactly why we needed to fight.

It would not have mattered if it had been a Labor or a conservative Coalition government in Canberra, all the member for Cheltenham wanted to do was to preserve as many jobs in this state and to have the strongest possible economic security for generations to come. His mantra was always that jobs came first. They were the top priority. I think that the reasonable economic circumstances in which we find ourselves, certainly on the indicator of unemployment, are due in no small part to the strength of his conviction and his capacity and skill to prosecute a fight.

Let me turn briefly to the member for Cheltenham as a human being. Many people have talked today about his extraordinary combination of decency and toughness, his combination of politeness, yet the capacity to be as steely as any politician any of us have met. It is a remarkable combination, and it is why he has been so successful. To be intelligent and decent and tough is not easy. He has maintained a personality that people are engaged by, that people like, yet was strong enough to lead this state in difficult economic times and to have the unfailing support of every member of the caucus.

Never once did the member for Cheltenham, as he has said, have to look over his shoulder, and he was right not to. Every one of us was behind him, supporting him and grateful for his leadership. I was recently at an event in the member for Cheltenham's electorate, as was the premier. We were opening the St Clair Recreation Centre. The education department had previously put some money in, so I was fortunate to be invited for that reason. It was astounding, because after a while, and it was almost tiresome, whenever the member for Cheltenham's name was mentioned there was this great roar from the crowd—screaming, clapping. I loved it, but I was a little jealous that it was my neighbouring electorate that was showing such huge love for their local member.

That, I think, is representative of so many people in South Australia. No politician is without their detractors, no politician can escape some criticism in the course of public life, but I am so thrilled that my friend, the former premier and the member for Cheltenham, is able to leave politics well respected, well liked and with a genuine and well-earned sense of satisfaction that he has given all he can give to South Australia and that South Australia is the better for his choosing to do that.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (16:27): I place on record my appreciation for what the member for Cheltenham has contributed during his time in this place and also to the state of South Australia.

By any measure his career achievements are extraordinary. As a local MP he is well loved, he is trusted and he is approachable to his constituents. As one of the three members of parliament who share roughly the same constituency of the north-western suburbs, I think it is the measure of the member for Cheltenham that his local publican has his mobile number. He knows he can call it for advice, for assistance or even for a beer, and it shows that he is the sort of person who, despite being a member of parliament and a minister for 16 years and a premier for many years as well, can still have that intimate relationship with his constituents.

His parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the chamber, I believe, know him to be thoughtful, fair-minded and far more interested in the issue at hand than the politics of the moment or the theatrics of the moment. When he became premier, he deliberately sought to set a tone of respect in the debates that would occur in here, and particularly so during perhaps the most vehemently argued and theatrical of times in this place—during question time. During his time as premier, he largely succeeded in doing so.

His caucus colleagues would know him in the early days of his time in caucus as considered, respectful and consultative. Likewise, the stakeholders, the interest groups and the agencies with whom he dealt or for whom he was responsible would view him in the same way. In cabinet, as a colleague to other ministers he was collegial, measured and always willing to take on a task or issue for the greater good of either the cabinet or the state.

I came to know the member for Cheltenham mostly in his role as premier. I worked for him for some time in the premier's office when he took on the additional role of treasurer of the state. That is, in itself, another example of the sort of dedication and commitment the member for Cheltenham had to making sure that the then government of the day would put in whatever resources and do whatever it took to try to improve that particular area of government administration.

As was mentioned earlier in this place, I think it was the worst possible time to take on the role of treasurer. While the global financial crisis is now regarded as having begun in September 2008, South Australia's economy continued to enjoy a period of growth and strength right up to and including 2010. It was only after that time that economic conditions in South Australia started to follow the trend that had already been experienced by the Eastern States, in particular, and experience lower growth and significantly contracting state finances.

As a premier and as a treasurer—and I can say this as somebody who has worked reasonably closely with a couple of state premiers—it was remarkable to see how the member for Cheltenham approached this unenviable task in the most calm and unflappable manner I have seen from any politician undertaking any role. It did not matter what the challenge of the day was, and it did not matter how intense or difficult the media or even the parliament were being. The same calm, approachable demeanour could be relied on from the member for Cheltenham day in and day out.

You also have to remember the other major issue that was swirling around the government, particularly in 2013 and in the lead-up to the 2014 state election, and it is ironic that it should have been the case—that is, the issue of child protection. The member for Cheltenham took it upon himself to convince the government back then, as minister for families and communities, to uncover the full extent of child abuse that had occurred in state institutions for decades and decades.

In doing that, not only did the state have exposed to it the dreadful underbelly of the treatment of people who were in state care, but for the first time we also lifted the community's gaze so they could recognise this sort of behaviour in the community. For the first time, people could recognise, understand and report when they saw this sort of dreadful behaviour happening. It is ironic that, as the minister who took on the terrible task of educating the community about this, uncovering the extent of the abuse and trying to put in place measures to stop it from happening again, as premier he would be at the very pointy end of the political issues that came about as a result.

Even in the middle of that maelstrom leading up to the 2014 election, as we have heard from other members, including the Leader of the Opposition, there was that indefatigable commitment to delivering on the government's agenda to improving what we could across government and, in the context of the 2014 election, treading the path that was available to the Labor Party to be re-elected. I am sure there were times when, out of all of us, whether already in caucus or seeking to be in caucus, the member for Cheltenham was the only one who had any confidence that we could form government after the 2014 election.

It was not until after the election that I came to understand how the member for Cheltenham could have adopted and maintained that mindset through that most difficult year, 2013, leading up to the 2014 election. Firstly, he was blessed with terrific staff—and I do not mean me; I am principally referring to his chief of staff, Simon Blewett, and his principal media adviser, Bronwyn Hurrell, as well as many other advisers. I will not say they were equally unflappable, because no-one is as unflappable as the member for Cheltenham, but they were equally committed to working in a calm and collegial manner to make sure we did all that we could.

After the 2014 election, I came to learn about his unfaltering commitment to succeed. This commitment has been reflected on by the member for Port Adelaide and by the Leader of the Opposition (member for Croydon). When you distil it, it is remarkable to think it is possible, as a member of parliament, as a politician and as a political leader, to start with one very clear decision from the outset: to choose to succeed. All your other decisions and influences can be framed through that perspective.

I had never heard anyone else articulate it quite like that, but when you assess the record of the member for Cheltenham in the leadership positions he occupied as minister, premier or even as local member, you can readily understand how he was regularly able to deliver beyond anyone's wildest expectations. I think that is a remarkable legacy of political leadership to leave for us all, regardless of our political persuasions.

On a personal note, the member for Cheltenham was extremely generous to me, not just in giving me opportunities to work for him but also in giving me opportunities after the 2014 election. Sometimes those opportunities were difficult, but they often knocked me into shape, which I found extremely beneficial. It is very rare to find a leader who can place such faith and confidence in another politician without necessarily looking over their shoulder. The member for Cheltenham did not just do that for me; he did that for basically all the cabinet.

These are remarkable traits for a member of parliament to possess. I can honestly say that it has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to serve alongside the member for Cheltenham. We will miss him greatly but understand that he will no doubt go on to more enjoyable and slightly more relaxing pursuits in the future and spend a lot more well-deserved time with his family.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield) (16:38): I thought on this occasion I would break the rule I have tried to enforce upon myself in this parliament, which is to be mute, to say a few brief words about my colleague the member for Cheltenham. One way or another, the member for Cheltenham's life and mine have bumped into each other for many years.

When he was a young man, I saw him as a person who could possibly play at Wimbledon. He was a very avid and successful tennis player. At that stage, he was the young man you would see at the Simmons' house occupying the grass tennis court and inviting all to come forth to see how they would go—they were usually cleaned up. He was obviously an active member of the Labor Party from an early age, as was I.

He was also a student at Henley High School, which is the alma mater to a number of us in this room. The member for Chaffey is another terrific product of this fine institution, as was indeed the former member for Colton, I think the former member for Mitchell and if I am not mistaken another—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: He was a former member for Bright, yes.

Mr Duluk: The school has a lot to answer for.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It does.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Enfield, I am reluctant to do this, but I am going to have to interrupt you mid-flow, I understand that. We can come back to you, but we need to deal with a message from the Legislative Council—

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Yes, of course. I was just getting to the good bit anyway.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: —and go into committee. Bear with us. We have a message.