Adjournment Debate

Parnell, Hon. M.C., Retirement

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (17:38): I seek the house's indulgence to make a brief statement.

Leave granted.

Dr CLOSE: I rise to speak briefly about the Hon. Mark Parnell whose last sitting day in parliament is today. Having known Mark before either of us were in parliament, I wanted to mark this occasion and speak to his very great qualities.

Mark is one of the finest examples of what one would hope all parliamentarians were. In both conduct and motivation, he is one of the most decent and honourable men I suspect this parliament has ever seen. In his motivations, he has been utterly committed to the preservation, protection and restoration of our natural environment, as one would expect from someone who has represented the Greens.

However, he has also seriously taken to heart the importance of community voice, the importance of democracy, the importance of making sure that where possible people are able to make decisions about their local environment and their local circumstances. He has a very fine legal mind and has utter respect for the law: what it can do, what it cannot do and what it ought to do. I think everyone in this house and in the other place would agree that his conduct has at all times been one of decency, one of compassion and one of reasonableness.

When one is a member of a minor party, as they are called, I imagine it is often quite disheartening when the two major parties decide that they are not going to agree on a particular issue before the parliament that the minor party wishes to promote. Yet, despite I think often having to deal with disappointments, the Hon. Mark Parnell has at all times understood the pragmatic and reasonable circumstances in which we all operate and has continued to forge and maintain strong relationships across all sides of parliament.

My own history of knowing Mark, as I alluded to earlier, extends to well before either of us were in parliament, in that we are both part of the environment movement in South Australia; Mark much more significantly and importantly than me. I became aware of him when I was a fairly young activist in the environment movement when he worked in the Environmental Defenders Office, and then when I became involved in the Conservation Council through being on the board he was one of the people who was clearly—although not much older than me—already one of the elders, one of the wise people.

Crucially, for our own relationship, we came to know each other far better when I was the president of the Wilderness Society in the late 1990s. We had a vacancy that I believe, if I have my dates right, was subsequently filled by the person who became my partner and the father of my children, so it was important that Mark not stay in that job so that that could happen, but for a crucial period when we had a gap between long-term campaigners we needed someone to fill a few months and Mark came and worked for the Wilderness Society. It was there that I had the pleasure and honour of working closely with him on his true passion, which was trying to argue for law reform in order to preserve the environment.

Mark has been motivated I think above all else—above the environment, above the community and above his love for the law—by his love for his fellow humans and, in particular, of course his dear wife Penny, who is an extraordinary woman in her own right, and his children. Of course, we mark the great tragedy that has sat with Mark for the last several years, and with Penny and the rest of the family. We acknowledge the dignity with which they all went through that experience.

I asked three people I know well through the environment movement, who knew Mark as well, if they would briefly give me the comments they would like to be read into Hansard about him. The first is from Craig Wilkins, who is now in the very important role of running the Conservation Council of South Australia, the peak body. He said:

Mark is one of those all too rare individuals who are just the same in private as public. He is decent, loyal, caring, hardworking and smart.

Although he failed in his mission to single-handedly turn Morris dancing and the playing of the diatonic button accordion into major South Australian pastimes, over 15 years he has brought to the SA parliament a rich vein of social and environmental advocacy, exemplary knowledge of planning law, deep respect for democracy and a willingness to collaborate for the greater good.

Peter Owen, who is one of the later successors to the role in the Wilderness Society to which I referred, said:

A mentor, a light on the hill, a stalwart and an advocate for South Australia's environment for a generation. Thank you.

Finally, we come to Michelle Grady, who, when I first met her, I think was running the Conservation Council, the role that Craig now holds, but is now in a very significant role as the national director of The Pew Charitable Trusts (Australia) and is based in WA. Despite the challenge of the time zone, she was able to find some time to write this. She said:

The loss of Mark Parnell from [South Australia's] Parliament will be keenly felt. With so many hats on over the decades—most notably his bicycle helmet!—Mark has used his incredibly sharp and fast mind to interpret the law, explain it in easy usable ways and has combined it with a deep and genuine respect for community needs and the power of people to make a difference. Mark has been both the brains trust for what [South Australia's] wonderful environment needs and has led the charge in so many campaigns. Mark has been the go-to person for advice, empowerment and encouragement for so many—no-one leaves his presence without a full kit bag of ideas and plans, and a renewed enthusiasm for making a difference. Mark has made his mark on so many places, laws, hearts and souls. We will watch with great anticipation for what comes next!

In closing, I say that this is not a farewell, though it is from this place of work. This is gratitude to Mark Parnell and looking forward to continuing to hear his wisdom and his insights and learning a little from his energy and persistence. Thank you, Mark Parnell, for all your service.

At 17:46 the house adjourned until Tuesday 4 May 2021 at 11:00.