Adjournment Debate

Valedictories

The SPEAKER: The Premier on indulgence.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens! The member for West Torrens is called to order. If the member for West Torrens wishes to address the Chair, I will hear him. I will hear him on whether I should grant indulgence, but I am minded to grant indulgence. I will hear the member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The indulgence is from the house. We do not grant leave for the Premier at all, under any circumstances, to make any remarks while he denies the Leader of the Opposition exactly the same courtesy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have heard the member for West Torrens. I intend to hear the Premier on indulgence.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (17:13): It has been an extraordinary year for the people of South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —as we have dealt with the second year of the coronavirus here in our state. I would like to start by thanking every single member of this place, every single person in South Australia, for their extraordinary efforts to keep South Australia safe and at the same time to keep our economy strong.

In particular, I would like to thank those people who have been on the frontline. Often, we hear about Professor Nicola Spurrier, the Chief Public Health Officer, or Dr Chris McGowan, the Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing, but below them are huge teams of people who make a contribution every single day. The people who are working at SA Pathology and in our private pathology labs here in South Australia, the Communicable Disease Control Branch, the people who do the contact tracing—they are the real heroes of the way we have dealt with the coronavirus here in South Australia, and I want to put on the record my grateful thanks to each and every one of those people in our state.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This is the end of our parliamentary year. It is also the end of the parliamentary term, the four years. It has been a period of time—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members, I draw your attention to standing order 142. The Premier is on his feet.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I would like to acknowledge all those people who have been working very hard—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in particular my colleagues within the South Australian cabinet, the members of the government and the members of every single electorate in this state. Many of them have had to deal with some pretty difficult issues, with people asking them questions, queries and concerns about how we deal with the coronavirus, and so I do thank every member of this parliament for the great work that they have put in. I would also like to acknowledge Rick Crump, who is the Clerk, and David Pegram, the Deputy Clerk here in this chamber—

The SPEAKER: Hear, hear!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and to their entire team for their work, the good functioning of this house. I would similarly like to place on the record my grateful thanks to the Clerk of the Legislative Council and the Black Rod, Chris Schwarz and Guy Dickson. Particularly I would like to put on the record my grateful thanks to David Woolman, who looks after the fabric of this fine institution, this fine building that we all come to call our workplace. It is always a privilege and a pleasure to come in here on a daily basis.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Playford is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is one of the most extraordinary workplaces in the state, and it is a huge responsibility to make sure that this building and the fabric of this building are maintained and enhanced.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Playford is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This year, of course, we have had an extraordinary upgrade to our facilities here with the new car park. It did take some time, but I am very grateful, and of course also the improvement in the amenity to the Balcony Room. I particularly acknowledge the work hanging some of the Aboriginal artworks there. I think I have been congratulated by many members of the public, who have thought that this is absolutely fantastic.

Can I thank Dr John Weste and everybody who works in the state parliamentary library for their work supporting members of parliament and also greeting members of the public who come into our parliament. Can I acknowledge and thank all of the catering team staff but in particular their leader, Creon Grantham, the members who work in the Blue Room, Karen, Nicky, Belinda and Casey, and in fact every single person who works in catering. It is always a great privilege and a pleasure to bring people, who might be people that we celebrate for their contributions in South Australia, in for a special acknowledgement within one of our facilities.

I would like to thank every other person who works within this parliament building: people who work in PNSG, people who work in the cleaning staff, the Procedure Office, the switchboard staff, the maintenance team, the very dedicated security team during this particularly tough time, and of course Ben down in the cellar, who seems to have expert knowledge on all wines ever produced in South Australia. I hope everybody is able to spend some time with their family this year before we return to parliament early next year.

Can I thank the people who work in my own team, whether that be ministerial team or in the electorate office. In particular, can I thank Ryley Eckert and, before her, Esther Tonkin for looking after my electorate office. It is an office that is often right in the firing line. They do an absolutely fantastic job.

Can I thank my staff in the Premier's office, led by Courtney Morcombe and Paul Armanas. Can I particularly draw the parliament's attention this year to the great work of the Richard Yeeles. He is my senior adviser. He has not been well over these past couple of years. He is a stoic performer.

Let me tell you, Richard has served the people of South Australia over a long period of time. I think he first started back in the 1960s at the ABC, but he has served subsequent governments here in South Australia, including being adviser to multiple premiers and leaders of the opposition. He had a great career in mining. He is my principal adviser. He has a great passion for Aboriginal South Australia. We wish him well with his health struggles at the moment and look forward to him returning to continue to support our government on the other side of this next election.

Can I particularly now turn my attention to the retiring members. The other day we heard from the member for Schubert on his retirement, and I made some remarks there. He has been an outstanding contributor both as a member of the house and as a cabinet minister. I think his career in cabinet was too short. I tried to convince him to continue to serve in this place because I thought he had a much greater ongoing contribution to make. He made a decision to spend more time with his family and look for alternative career opportunities. Can I say that he will be successful in any single profession that he turns his mind to and we wish him all the very best for the future.

I now turn my attention to the member for Flinders. The member for Flinders and I came into this parliament on exactly and precisely the same day. We campaigned together. He has the beautiful electorate of Flinders, one of my favourite electorates to visit. It is always a great pleasure to visit him in Port Lincoln or many of the other towns in his very vast electorate. He has excellent staff in Port Lincoln and excellent staff in the very small office in Ceduna—say hello to Di Smith for me. She does a great job. It is a vast electorate and it has been extraordinarily well served by the member for the past 12 years.

He comes from Edililie. He was a Nuffield scholar, one of the highest honours that we can bestow upon a South Australian citizen. He is an outstanding farmer. He is an outstanding businessman and he has been an outstanding member of this parliament. He has of course been our Chairman of Committees and our Deputy Speaker in South Australia. I think we can all appreciate the skill that he has applied to that.

He is passionate about Eyre Peninsula, in particular farming, not only farming but areas like aquaculture and tourism as well. He is always talking to me about opportunities. He sees the bigger picture. He has fought for infrastructure here in the South Australian parliament. I hope we have been able to deliver on that in our first four years in government and I hope we can continue to deliver for the people of Eyre Peninsula into the future.

Paul Keating said, 'If you want a friend in politics, buy a dog.' I have had a friend in politics. Peter Treloar has been my great friend in politics the entire way through. He is an outstanding man. I will always call him my friend. I wish him and his family well, in particular, Annette, his beautiful wife, and also his fantastic kids, Madeline, Henry, Max and Thomas. Port Lincoln is a long way away from Adelaide and he has spent a long time away from his family over the last 12 years and we wish him all the very best for the future.

I would also like to put on the record my grateful thanks to the Hon. Rob Ivan Lucas of the other place. He is also a man of great integrity, hard work and dedication. He was born in 1953.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Keep it classy, Labor; keep it classy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There are unparliamentary interjections to my left. I will monitor those interjections carefully. 'Grub' is unparliamentary. There is no point of order, so I will not rule on it, but I do emphasise that point.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I would like to make a reflection on the great contribution that the Hon. Rob Lucas has made to this parliament and to the people of South Australia over a long period of time. He has held a huge number of portfolios over decades. He is definitely the father of this parliament. He has served this parliament for almost 39 years. I think on every single day that he has been in this place he has made a contribution, putting the people of South Australia first.

This has been an extraordinary period, a second period as the state Treasurer, which is unusual, especially with a period of about 16 years in between. I think this is a very different period in that role than he had previously. I would say, though, that despite the extraordinary situation and the need for fiscal stimulus, the Hon. Rob Lucas has adapted to his new-found ability to spend money and he has done it extraordinarily well.

When he was the Treasurer last time, I think the budget was sitting at around $6 billion at that time and now it is up around $23 billion. When we came back to government, the South Australian budget was the lowest ranked in the nation. It was a disgrace.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: In fact, it was ranked below Tasmania.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members, come to order. The member for Lee is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We have now restored the confidence of those rating agencies—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —here in Australia, and that is because of the great work that has been done. Right alongside that excellent stimulus and support package that the Treasurer put in place, we have seen economic growth the likes of which we have not seen for a very, very long period of time in this place.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford, come to order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I will make just a couple of personal reflections because I know that many people have spoken about his parliamentary performance in the other place today. I did not get to see much of what went on up there—in fact, not everybody knows what does go on in the other place—but I spend a lot of time with him in my capacity as the Premier and his as the Treasurer. It is fair to say that when we came to government he was the only person in my cabinet who had any cabinet experience. He had a great depth of knowledge that he very openly and willingly shared with all members of the cabinet and, in fact—

The Hon. Z.L. Bettison interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Ramsay!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the broader Liberal team and the broader parliament here in South Australia. He is a hardworking, dedicated, highly intelligent contributor, he has a very strong faith and he also has been a great friend. We joke because we have caught up virtually every Sunday since I was elected as the leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party, which is almost nine years ago.

I quip that I had to give up God for Rob Lucas because he only wanted to meet on Sunday mornings. In his faith, he goes off to church on Saturday night, so it was of no consequence to him. It was a big consequence to me, and I have had to move to alternative arrangements. It has been a wonderful time when somebody who has made such a contribution to South Australia has thought selflessly about how he would mentor the next generation, and for that I am very grateful.

In conclusion, 2021 has been an extraordinarily tough time for this parliament, for members of this parliament and for our state, nation and the world. I think every South Australian can hold their head high for the way that South Australia has dealt with the coronavirus, the way that the people of South Australia have worked together with our health professionals and with South Australia Police in keeping our state safe. Our vaccination rates are world class in this state, as are our QR code check-in and our testing arrangements in South Australia. We would not be able to achieve what we have without the close working partnership that we have with the people of South Australia.

There are going to be some testing weeks ahead. We have lifted our state borders and there are now cases in our state, but we did this on the back of modelling and we did this with a full explanation to the people of South Australia. I believe we will come out of this on the other side much stronger. We will have opened our borders, and that will provide further economic stimulus to some sectors that are still doing it very tough. I wish all members are very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year. I hope people in this place get to spend some time reflecting on the year that was and the year ahead.

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens, on indulgence.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (17:27): Traditionally, the Leader of the Opposition would respond on indulgence. In the absence of our Leader of the Opposition and our deputy leader because of government regulations—they cannot be here—we asked the parliament to allow the opposition to have another question time and the government refused. The government now, also on indulgence, wanted to perform a tradition that they have deliberately denied the Leader of the Opposition. I have to say that I am pretty stunned that has occurred because the Leader of the Opposition, if he were here, would have been very gracious. He would have wished everyone a happy, healthy and safe Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Unfortunately, the member for Taylor is not here. He is also retiring and would have liked to have done a valedictory, but that also has been denied him and he is also unable to say his farewell to the parliament. It is also noted that his departure was not mentioned either.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Playford!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have to say that we are served exceptionally well in this parliament by the people who work for us to maintain our representative democracy. That starts with the Clerk and all his staff. They are exceptional devotees of the parliament. They do their job under very, very difficult circumstances. They do it in a high-pressure situation where there are a lot of political considerations, and they walk that fine line between serving the Speaker and the office and serving the parliament, and they have done that exceptionally well. For that we thank them. We thank them for their non-partisan advice, we thank them for their honest advice and we thank them for the work they do.

To Hansard, who often go unsung and unrewarded, thank you for making us sound eloquent and reasonable. Thank you for the work you do. They do an exceptional job. Without Hansard, the public would not know what occurs in the parliament, and of course the record is so very, very important.

To all the catering staff and all the staff who make the building function, thank you to all of them. I hope they have a very safe Christmas. They have had a very difficult time managing the public, managing us, during the global pandemic. It must have been very difficult work, and it can be very frustrating. We thank them.

We want to pay tribute to our leader and our deputy leader. They have been an exceptional team over the last four years. We have been extraordinarily lucky to have been led by people of integrity and intelligence like Peter Malinauskas and Susan Close.

An honourable member: And courage.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: And courage. They have done exceptionally well. We were elected, at the last election with only 19 seats, facing a long term in opposition, but we have made ourselves incredibly competitive, and that is entirely because of the leadership team we have led by Peter.

We have seen dramatic changes within the government, a majority government now down to 21 members. That is in no small part due to the unity, discipline and focus of this opposition, and we are very proud of the work the Leader of the Opposition and the deputy leader have done. We will unveil that work over the next five months to the people of South Australia and ask for their mandate at the next election.

To retiring members, I start with Jon Gee. We wish him and his family as good a Christmas as they can possibly have and a better new year. Our hearts and care and affection and love go out to Jon and his family. He is a remarkable man who has devoted his life to the union movement, devoted his life to the cause of Labor. He is someone who walks quietly but carries a big stick.

If you were in parliament, Jon Gee is not that person who makes the big speeches, but you walk into his electorate and everyone knows who he is. He works hard and he is always out there working for a community that needs good representation—and he has done it exceptionally well.

I also want to congratulate the retiring members in this place: the member for Schubert and the member for Flinders. I have spoken to the member for Flinders already so I will not embarrass him again. The member for Schubert we wish all the very best in whatever career path he chooses next.

We also note the departure of the Treasurer from a long career that began in 1982—I am sure he is looking forward to some time with family and grandchildren in whatever role he takes on—and, of course, the President of the Legislative Council, Mr Dawkins, who has done an exceptional job as President. He is someone who worked very hard in the area of suicide prevention, who was the Premier's suicide prevention advocate until that was taken away from him for some reason. He has served that chamber well.

To the people of South Australia and all those who have kept us safe, especially Commissioner Grant Stevens and Professor Nicola Spurrier, I would like to thank them for their labour and everyone who works with them for what they have done for the people of South Australia.

I also want to thank the crossbench: the member for Florey, the member for Frome, the member for Mount Gambier, the member for Waite and the member for Narungga. They are a crew of people who have been thrust together through different circumstances. It is a very, very difficult task to be the crossbench and hold the balance of power in this parliament, and I suspect they will be holding the balance of power after the election if a majority Labor government is not elected.

We enjoy working with them. They have nothing but the best interests of South Australia at heart. They are exceptional advocates for their causes, and I would like to personally thank them. I know the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition would like to thank them, especially the member for Frome and the member for Florey for their contributions to the parliament over the last four years. It has been exceptional, and they are great examples of what Independents can do in the parliament.

I wish the government members well over Christmas and the new year. I hope that they enjoy their five-month holiday and I look forward to seeing those who are returned after the election. To those who are not returned, I wish them all the very best for whatever career paths they take. I do congratulate the Deputy Premier on his appointment and then election to Deputy Premier. It is a great honour to be the Deputy Premier of this state. It is a great honour to serve in this parliament and I congratulate him and wish him and his family all the very best.

Importantly, I want to thank our Speaker. Our Speaker has served with distinction. He served an apprenticeship with one of the greats of the South Australian legal fraternity, if not the nation, former Chief Justice Doyle, and you can see it has worn off on him. He is a man of high integrity. He is a man who has served the people of South Australia and this chamber exceptionally well. The way he conducts himself is an example to us all. He is a fierce advocate for his community and his electorate. He is someone who has changed the way this chamber conducts itself for the better, and I thank him for that.

I thank him for the way he carries himself as Speaker. He has done the office a great deal of good, and for that, sir, we wish you a happy Christmas and safe new year. If the people of West Torrens allow, I look forward to serving with you again in the Fifty-Fifth Parliament when we return in whatever capacity you are, sir. I hope you continue as Speaker or perhaps even higher office.

It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition is not here to carry out these remarks. We would have liked him to be here, and that is the tradition and convention of our parliament. That seems to be continually trashed over and over again, and that is unfortunate because the only things that make this place work are the conventions and precedents of this parliament, and as they are wrecked and trashed we lose something of the past. That is a shame because there are many of us who have to be here longer to maintain those privileges and those traditions and those customs, so that is unfortunate.

So, to all, a very merry Christmas. To all, a very happy new year. I look forward to a contest of ideas. Congratulations to everyone who has served in this parliament. I think we have all done our communities proud and hopefully we can look to 2022 for a new bold vision for the future, which the Leader of the Opposition will outline for the people of South Australia, and that that bold vision for the future will carry this state into a more prosperous area of growth and confidence that the Leader of the Opposition will provide this state. Merry Christmas to all.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Deputy Premier, Minister for Energy and Mining) (17:38): I seek your indulgence to share a few words as well. This work that we do, particularly in this building, is very competitive by nature. We have a democratic system set up around us to manage that, but it is very competitive. Sometimes competition brings out the best in people, sometimes competition brings out the worst in people, but I know genuinely and deeply that all the MPs who serve in this place have an overwhelmingly higher number of good traits than bad. I put myself in that same category. We are all here working for what we believe in.

Today is a competitive day as well, and we all know that as we get closer and closer to elections the heat of that competition picks up. That is natural, that is normal, that is how it is. When we adjourn today, as is normal before elections with the same amount of time—in fact, less time this time around between now and the next election than in the last two terms of government finishing. In fact, this year we have had more sitting days than is normal at this stage in the cycle.

When we adjourn this time around, I wish all of my parliamentary colleagues who work in this chamber, and of course those from the other chamber, a safe, happy, healthy Christmas. Christmas can be challenging in many ways, and I wish the very best of that for everybody.

With regard to members who are retiring by choice, let me first turn to Jon Gee to share some thoughts. Jon is a quiet man and, in the few times that I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with him, he has been a very interesting, very engaging, very thoughtful person and I thank him for that.

It is appropriate for me to put on the record, too, that as Manager of Government Business in this house I did ask Jon Gee whether he would like to make a farewell speech, a valedictory speech, and he said no. He told me face to face that he did not want to do that, so he has not missed any opportunity to do that. I said to him that if he wanted to do so, if he changed his mind, to just let me know. He was very firm to me. He said, 'No, I actually do not want to do that.' So he has not missed that opportunity. Of course, I wish him and his family well under what is an especially difficult time for him.

The member for Schubert—a lot has been said about him, and I concur. That young man could have been, could still be, will still be pretty much whatever he wants to be, an incredibly capable person. No doubt—and these are my words, not his—while he is somewhat bruised by his recent time in this place, he has also grown and gained and will be far better off for the challenges that he has faced here. I wish him and his young family all the very best.

I have already spoken about Peter Treloar, a close friend of all of us, an absolutely outstanding person. We all wish him the very best.

The Hon. Rob Lucas in the other place is somebody I have learnt an enormous amount from. I dare say people on the other side of the house who may not even like the man hypothetically have actually also learnt a lot from him as well. He is a person you cannot help but learn from the more time you spend with him. I thank him and also his family who have been without him in some ways for nearly 40 years. I thank them also for his contribution to our state over a very long time.

Parliament is tough in many ways. All of us accept the fact that we have very unpredictable schedules. Even if you happen to be a single person living very close to Parliament House, it has an imposition on your life. If you move on to people who might live in the suburbs who have families and broader responsibilities, it gets tougher again. If you move on to country members—and the member for West Torrens was good enough to say in his comments about Peter Treloar the other day, acknowledging that you are away from home a long time. That is life, that is what we choose, no complaints whatsoever, but every single person who serves here surrenders, by their choice and by the choice of their electorates, a significant amount of themselves. I know that in this chamber we all do it for the right reasons.

When we work in this building we are supported extraordinarily well, and I have said this in a different context. I cannot think of another workplace people come into and they are looked after as incredibly well as we are by the other people who work here, and I know that members appreciate it. I know that members have friendships and relationships with different members as well.

One person might know a cleaner better and somebody else might know somebody in catering better, somebody else might know somebody in building services. It does not matter. We develop those friendly relationships. We are looked after remarkably. When I get in here sometimes extremely early in the morning, I see the cleaners doing their work. I have a short talk with them and some of them I have got to know by name and regular correspondence.

Perhaps the area we are all most familiar with is the catering area. We have the bar, which we know is actually more of a coffee shop. We could not be better looked after. Building services—things just happen in this amazing place—between the Speaker and the President on the other side and through the Clerk and the Black Rod working their way through the organisation. There is never, ever a time that I walk into this building and I do not think, 'Goodness, how lucky am I to work here?' As a good, long-term friend said to me late last week, 'It doesn't seem that long ago, Dan, since you were cooking hamburgers at Spud's Roadhouse at Pimba.'

Some people aspired to be here through most of their lives. They got here—fantastic, absolutely wonderful for them. Some people had other paths that got them here, and that is good too. We are incredibly fortunate, and we are incredibly fortunate for a range of reasons but especially because of the way we are looked after by staff in this building.

Lastly, we head to an election. I have mentioned the people who are retiring by choice. It is possible that some of us will not come back not by choice. I acknowledge that anybody who lives in an unsafe situation in their seat needs to recognise that. I put myself in that same category. The new Stuart is not a safe place for the current member for Stuart. It is also not a safe place for the current member for Frome, and we talk about that quite openly as friends and colleagues.

The hard, harsh reality is that a few of us will not return and that will not be by choice. I wish all those people—every single one of them, Liberal, Labor Independent—the very best for their futures. Whether it might be moving to retirement, whether it might be moving to other work, whatever they choose, everybody who has passed through this place I wish the very best for them.

Lastly, I thank my Liberal Party colleagues. We know each other well. We work closely. I am sure it is the same on the other side of the chamber. My Liberal Party colleagues have challenged me in many ways through this term and they have also honoured me in this term. We stick together through thick and thin. There is a hard core of us. The Premier leads us. We all do our very best. I thank my colleagues for their straightforward, open—not always agreement—engagement with me. I acknowledge Labor members, I acknowledge Independent members and I particularly thank my Liberal colleagues.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (17:47): Similarly, on indulgence I wish to make a few brief remarks and echo the sentiments the member for Stuart and the member for West Torrens have made about one member who has not previously been acknowledged before today and who is ending his tenure in this place, and that is the member for Taylor, Jon Gee. As the member for West Torrens said, he has had an extraordinary career in the labour movement and the union movement, particularly in the Holden's manufacturing operations here in South Australia.

You only needed to visit the shop floor with him and other workplace representatives back when he was still in the union to understand what a profound and transformational impact he had in the course of his career on the workers there and, in particular, the achievements of gaining extra entitlements, protections, for those workers. The parliamentary Labor Party will miss him, and I also know that the parliament will miss him as well.

I would like to reiterate the comments other members have made about the staff who support this building: principally, in here, Rick and David, and the house staff and also the Serjeant-at-Arms, Lauren, and her team. I would like to pay particular regard to David Woolman and the building attendants and the absolutely extraordinary job that he and his team have had before them in this term in trying to deliver an infrastructure project, where one end of it did not have a finite place to end for many years due to the ongoing uncertainty over the car park project.

I would like to thank one team member in particular who finished his employment this week, Keith Mellor, with whom those of us who have worked up on level 2 would be familiar. He is a wonderful man, except for the fact that he supports the Adelaide Crows. Friendship with Keith has been most enjoyable over the last two seasons, can I say, for that particular reason. Keith is not continuing his employment here because of the outsourcing of some of those arrangements here at parliament, which is regrettable, and there will also be significant changes for some of the remaining staff as well, but they do an absolutely outstanding job supporting us in this building.

Like the member for Stuart, anyone who comes into the building early is met with cheerfully by not only the security staff but also the cleaning staff and, in the current context, what a job they have ahead of them and what a job they have had in the last two years trying to keep this place not only clean but clean according to the ever-changing requirements of dealing with a global pandemic.

I would like to pay particular attention to the efforts of Hansard. I am really sorry for those times when my parliamentary colleagues have asked me to get through to a particular time of adjournment on whatever debate it might be, particularly in the first months of this session of parliament with the supply debate, which we were not expecting. I was told at 4 o'clock that I had to speak until the house rose and then I was told the house was rising at midnight. My apologies for that and other lengthy contributions.

I also want to say particular thanks to the library staff, headed by John Weste. It does not matter what group you bring into this parliament on a parliament tour, or even if you are bringing guests in for a meeting or for lunch or dinner, he will drop everything in order to show members of the community around his extraordinary and expanding collection. It is an absolute pleasure to hear how he engages with members of the community and brings those objects to life in the library.

Similarly to those on the other side of this chamber, I wish them well for the festive season, I hope they manage a decent break with their families and loved ones. The last two years have been particularly challenging. In the midst of a very challenging term, it has been extraordinary watching friends becoming enemies and enemies becoming friends in this place, and I know it has taken a toll on many people in this place.

Having some time to themselves before what will no doubt be a hectic election period will be most welcome. Of course, I also want to pay tribute not only to my electorate staff but also to all the other electorate staff who support members of parliament. When we have been stuck in here, they do the most incredible job making us look good out in our communities and attending to all the needs of people who approach our offices for help. To my staff and to all the other staff, thank you so much for everything that you do.

I want to pay particular regard to those members of our community who have gone above and beyond in the last two years. To those workers who have worked through regardless of restrictions in our community—retail workers, hospitality workers, those police keeping us safe and others in similar professions, and particularly those members of the business community who have, in many cases, had their livelihoods stripped away from them—can I say that we feel for you and the challenge that you continue to face due to the pandemic and the restrictions that have been in place.

My final words are for my opposite number in the other place, retiring member of parliament Rob Lucas. I have not been in parliament as long as Rob—who has? He came into this place at the age of 24 in 1982. In fact, some of us have not been alive as long as Rob Lucas has been in this place. He is a fairly warm and congenial man outside parliament, but I must say, my goodness, doesn't he play it hard inside parliament.

A lot of people lament how adversarial and gladiatorial state politics is now in South Australia, and I would point members to the Hon. Mr Lucas as one of the key reasons why that has occurred. Members, their staff, public servants—no-one has been spared personal and particularly invective remarks, press releases and smears from Rob Lucas.

Whatever you think of his contribution as a minister, whether it has been as education minister, whether it has been as Treasurer in the previous Liberal government with a series of privatisations and the impact that has had on households ever since, whatever you think he may have contributed as a Treasurer in this term, there is an extraordinary job to try to get politics back on track after the way in which he has taken great pleasure in conducting it.

I have known of members of the Public Service in the Department of Treasury and Finance who have left this state, let alone left the employment of the South Australian Public Service, in order to extricate themselves from any further political attacks, and that is most regrettable. Hopefully, this brings an end to not only his chapter as a parliamentarian but that sort of behaviour. With that, I will conclude my remarks.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (17:55): In an effort to bring some balance to the debate as both Mother of the House and a member of the crossbench, I appear to be well on the way to having the last word, so I shall do so. Apart from the member for Frome, the members of the crossbench have each made our way here by different and varying trips, none of them really as enjoyable perhaps as the member for Frome's conscious choice to be an Independent and a crossbencher. But here we all are, crossbenchers by choice, and the choice we have all made is to be true to ourselves and, in doing so, try not to give each other surprises on the floor of the house. I am not sure how successful we have been in that endeavour, but we have endeavoured to do that.

I know on behalf of the crossbench I would like to echo all the thanks that have been given here today, particularly to all the members of the staff of the parliament and also to the staff of all our offices. We are particularly reliant on them without a party machine behind us. I think each of us, as we have come to the crossbench, have realised just how much we probably take them for granted, as a party machine does do a great deal of work.

On that particular point, I would like to also acknowledge the contribution of the Treasurer, the Hon. Rob Lucas. I acknowledge him for making it possible to allow us to do our jobs by resourcing us to do so. It is not possible for us to examine all the legislation and do everything we need to do without the extra assistance we have been allocated, so we thank him for that.

Touching on the library, which is a really interesting point, I would like to congratulate them on making the public feel so welcome. To you, Speaker, I would like to wish you well with your bold agenda, even though you have had only a short time to attempt to realise it. I know you really want to open the house up to the public and make the public feel at home in this place, to make them feel they have a place here and to be owners of what happens here, which I think is really important.

In the past four years, we have had some interesting commemorative times, none more so, to my way of thinking, than the 125^th anniversary of women's suffrage or the quasquicentenary—and we have had such fun in helping Hansard learn how to spell that. Of course, we are going to be approaching the bicentenary of South Australia in the not too distant future, and it may take us some years to work out a really good agenda of things to do. I would like to think we would start that early, so perhaps, Mr Speaker, that is something you can turn your mind to, as well as perhaps the relaunch of Helen Jones's marvellous book In Her Own Name.

Before I finish off, there are just two things I would like to mention; one is to the Premier. While I acknowledge his remarkable transformation of the Balcony Room, I would like to remind him that my small painting has never been returned, that little Aboriginal flag that sat on the mantelpiece, so if someone could do some work and scurry around and find that, I would like it back in my pigeonhole at some point.

The other point I would raise is about the photographic recognition of numberplates as you enter into this building. For some reason, my numberplate, which is red and white, will not be recognised by the photographic equipment. As I have said many times to many people, if it is a legal numberplate, I expect you to go and organise someone to organise that equipment, because mine is not the only red and white numberplate in this state. I am sure many other people would want to come into this building, or perhaps the Casino next door, and not have trouble at the parking boom. With that, I thank all of you for your collegial support this term and look forward to being with you into the future.

Sitting extended beyond 18:00 on motion of Hon. D.C. van Holst Pellekaan.

The SPEAKER (18:00): Members, briefly and on my own indulgence, I might make some comments to the house. Can I amplify the genuine and heartfelt support for the work of the Clerks, their professionalism and dedication, their deep learning and the silos they maintain for the benefit of all of us are significant. We are deeply grateful not only for their professionalism but also for their assistance, of course, to the office of the Speaker.

To the house staff, an extraordinary group of people. It was well said by the Deputy Premier that in entering this building there is belief amongst all members that there will never be a deviation from the high standards. Of course, now seeing some of the machinery behind the facade, I am aware of your personal commitment not only to the workings of this house but also to democracy in our state.

To building services, to Hansard, to all the political staffers in this building who go about their work quietly and effectively, to the library staff, to all the journalists with whom I have dealt and with whom members have dealt, it is a very professional press corps in South Australia and, of course, they have been with all members on the extraordinary journey in responding to COVID and seeking to report openly, fairly and accurately to South Australians not only what has occurred in this place but they have also sought to try to support and provide information to South Australians about what might occur next in very difficult and changing circumstances.

To the Leader of Government Business and the Leader of Opposition Business, thank you for your support, advice, guidance and direction to me. It has been appreciated. You are both very tough competitors, but I know you both seek to be fair. In blistering some of the paint occasionally, the Speaker's hands are burnt, but nevertheless I seek to support you as well and also the government and the opposition in seeking to ensure that we do the best we can as a parliament.

To the Premier, thank you Premier for allowing me to serve as your Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention. It was a great honour and a privilege. It was, of course, a subject matter that was close to my heart. I carry in the quietness of my heart the passing of my godbrother and close friends. Many country members are deeply affected by suicide, as are many people across the state. I am very appreciative to the government and the opposition, who were able to see through our nation-leading suicide prevention bill in the life of this parliament. I know, too, that I speak and convey the thanks of the President of the other place, who wished to see that legislation resolved. It has been. That is an important step forward.

The opposition leader is not present here today, nor is the deputy opposition leader, and I thank them, too, for their professionalism and their support of me in this role. It is not always easy being Speaker and it is not always easy being Speaker seeking to effect change to that office. It is my sincere view, it is my firm view, that the Westminster model is the better model, but I appreciate that others have different views. Change is difficult. I appreciate that too.

I recognise the service of previous Speakers. Their professionalism and distinction are unquestioned. Their service was exemplary. I agreed to nominate only on the basis that there would be a change to our constitution after the house had effected that change. As I say, the service of previous Speakers is service that I emphasise. I note that a previous Speaker is in the house, now a minister of the Crown in view of circumstances that otherwise befell other members in the course of this parliament.

To retiring members, thank you sincerely for your exceptional service and commitment to the people of South Australia. This is not an easy role, but it is a vital one. It has not been easy, I am sure, for you to make a decision to leave this place. We are all here to thank you and I wish to amplify comments made in relation to those members.

To the President of the other place—a man of great honour and distinction, and a man, too, who has provided guidance to me before I entered parliament—thank you. To the crossbench, thank you, too, for your encouragement in ensuring that I would see that I could serve in this role. I was nominated, of course, by two members of the crossbench. That is an unusual thing in and of itself but, as I say, I was nominated only after changes to our constitution. It is my view that those changes need to be defended in the future. I believe this parliament will defend those changes. It is also my view that I am quite sure that the role of independent Speaker will continue.

Thank you, members, for hearing me out. It has been a pleasure to serve you. It has been a pleasure to serve the state.