Member for Morialta, Expression of Gratitude

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta) (15:34): I am pleased today to have an opportunity to express my gratitude to some people who have been very kind to me over the last six or seven weeks since I made an announcement about my future, that I was not going to be continuing in the parliament post the election. It was very humbling, in fact, to have heard from a range of people around the community: in education, in my electorate in particular, people throughout the South  Australian community, and even one or two kind souls from within the parliament from outside the Liberal Party. I want to say thank you to them because it is an extraordinary time when anybody makes the decision to move on from their career, whether in politics or other ranges of endeavours. I appreciate them.

I am in a uniquely privileged position, as we all are in being members of parliament representing our communities. Stepping down at the next election does not mean I have less energy or hunger to serve my constituents over the coming year, but potentially it might reflect the fact that I anticipate having a bit less energy and hunger for the political battle post March next year.

I think one recognises that if you do not have any more of that hunger to pursue objectives then perhaps one's time in politics needs to come to an end because it is an endeavour that creates challenges in a personal life and for one's family in particular and to ask one's family to bear that challenge going forward when you do not have the hunger, the energy or the passion in the same way I think would be unreasonable.

I believe that we have to come into this place with a fierce purpose to fight for one's convictions, to try to achieve things for your area and indeed to make our state stronger. I still have those convictions and I still have the same values, but I feel that, with the energy I have put into this role over 15 years, I am looking forward to exploring other opportunities to serve.

To the people who have contributed to my electorate office and the work we have done in Morialta through education, policy, training and arts most recently, I really want to thank you for that and assure you that I will continue to pursue those causes until March next year.

With that, I am sure I will have more to say later in the year. I had a number of people contact me in late December when I was dealing with a couple of health challenges and, I will be honest, I have not written back to all of them individually at this stage. Some of them may be getting the Hansard of this speech as a very special personal thank you. They know who they are. They know that this speech is just for them.