Adjournment Debate

VALEDICTORIES

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (16:41): We are almost at the close of another extremely busy, and what has been a very fruitful, parliamentary year. I would like to, once again, pay tribute to the hard work and diligence of all parliamentary members and staff. Debate, as we know, can be passionate and extremely energetic and the hours can be extremely long. However, as always, members and staff continue to make great contributions.

This year has seen a very full schedule and many accomplishments. You have good reason to feel very tired not only because of the hour we sat until this morning but I am pleased to say that 81 government bills have been passed during this year, plus five private members' bills and many more—I could not calculate how many—have been debated, considered and rejected. Although many were rejected, rejecting a bill is just as important as accepting one. All those debates were extremely constructive and important as well. We have agreed to 47 government and private members' motions and, of course, hundreds of questions, many of which have been answered—and the rest are on their way.

As representatives of the public of South Australia we are obviously charged with managing legislation and amendments and ensuring that many voices and opinions—in fact, all voices and opinions—are heard, discussed, considered and debated. Members on the floor of the chamber owe a great deal to the very hard work and excellent parliamentary team efforts.

The good humour and clear guidance through the labyrinth of standing orders from yourself, Mr President, the Clerk and the Black Rod have provided enormous assistance to members and made our job much easier, not to mention constitutional. The whips, the table staff, the messengers, and Hansard staff all undertake their roles with great efficiency and diligence and have provided us with tremendous support in our role as legislators. They always correct my grammar, which I am very pleased about, so thank you Hansard. The good humoured and very prompt service from our chamber attendants is always greatly appreciated. They are always there to assist us, even with the occasional spill, like Terry Stephens had today, and the mopping up of water accidents. They are always extremely helpful and attentive to all our needs, and we appreciate that very much.

Parliamentary counsel have played their usual very important and vital role supporting our work here in the Legislative Council. Their technical expertise is phenomenal, as is their efficiency—the demands are always enormous on them—their impartiality, their professionalism: work that is invaluable to us in our role as legislators. They are great people, a delight to work with, and are always able to see the humorous side of things, even under duress.

We could not mark the end of the year without special mention of the catering staff, who manage to provide us with remarkably nutritional and wonderful food, of which we avail ourselves in the Blue Room, at parliamentary events and functions and, of course, in the dining room as well. To the office staff, library staff, building staff and everyone who works in this place, a big thank you for your support and all your efforts.

On behalf of all ministers, I acknowledge and thank their hardworking staff and their advisers, who spend extraordinary long hours here by our sides, sometimes sitting and waiting for events to unfold, mostly without complaint, but their unrelenting support and assistance is extremely invaluable. We benefit daily from their good work, along with that of agency officers and other ministerial staffers.

This year we farewell the Hon. Carmel Zollo, who will be retiring. I thank you, Carmel, for your valuable contribution and service to the people of this state. I have very much enjoyed working with you and have appreciated all your support and all your efforts over the years. I do not know whether many of you know, but Carmel has a fabulous palate, so I enjoy her view on wines as well.

Thank you to my own staff, whose persistent hard work, commitment and humour—although they have a crazy sense of humour—certainly sees me through good times and bad times. They are like a little ray of sunshine: even on my worst day they give an enormous amount of effort and assistance to the work that I do, and are a great pleasure to work with. They are like a little ray of sunshine. They rise to the challenge of supporting me every day without complaint—well, almost without complaint—nothing that a chocolate cake doesn't fix.

Finally, thank you and congratulations to my parliamentary colleagues for another year of discussion, debate and consideration, and sometimes discord, but we are always able to move on. Although we do not always see agreement on everything, what we do all have in common is a desire to serve the South Australian community.

Our fate now rests with the people of South Australia, and I am certainly hoping to see myself and my colleagues who are not retiring back sitting on this side of the chamber next year. I very much hope to see the opposition sitting across from us as well. I will be very pleased to see them back on their side of the chamber.

Although we all have an extremely busy time between now and the early part of next year—we will all be very busy, and there is not going to be much rest for us—I hope that members will be able to enjoy some rest time, some down time, and enjoy their family and friends over the Christmas and new year period. So, on behalf of all the honourable members in the government, I wish everyone all the best for a safe and enjoyable festive season.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (16:50): I rise to make some remarks and endorse the comments made by the minister in this, our final motion—apart from the bill that we will come back to shortly.

I would like to put on record some thanks to all members of the Legislative Council: the Liberal team, the crossbenchers and the Labor team. We all work together, and we have our differences as the minister has said, but by and large we try to put them to one side and legislate in the best interests of South Australia. I know that sometimes it is a bit trying and that we frustrate each other, but I think in the end it is a pretty good spirit that we all work in here.

I would also like to thank and congratulate Carmel Zollo and wish her all the best for the next phase of her life post parliament with her husband, Lou, and their family and grandchildren. I was thinking back today, and I think that, apart from one select committee and a brief period on Budget and Finance Committee—

The Hon. Carmel Zollo: And wind farms.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —that's right, and wind farms for a brief period—during the 11¾ years I have been here we really have not worked together over a long period of time on any committees. However, a number of my colleagues have spoken fondly of the work you have done and how you have always been a stickler for the rules, and they have respected that. On behalf of the party, we wish you all the very best in the next phase of your life.

The Hon. Ann Bressington is ill at the moment, but I would like to place the Liberal Party's thanks on the record. Ann has always been a fighter for what she believes in, and we never took her vote for granted. We were grateful to have her support when she saw fit to support us, and I do wish her all the best for whatever the next phase of her life holds, too.

I would like to thank you, Mr President, for the way in which you have discharged your duties. I think that by and large most of us have seen it to be a pretty fair and reasonable discharge of those duties. I also add that I think that most of us are a little disappointed that this year we will not be having a President's Dinner. However, I have spoken to the Clerk, and I thought it might be appropriate to say at this time that I canvassed a few people last night, and the Clerk may well send around an email and we might have a Christmas lunch for all the members and staff.

At some point, the Clerk will advise everyone about that and, if you can make it, I think that would be good; if you can't, you can't. I just think it is appropriate. The President's Dinner is enjoyed by those of us who attend, and I think it is a wonderful way of having some social interaction and fellowship with the staff and our other members. We are not having it this year, but there will probably be a lunch sometime between now and Christmas. There is no requirement for people to come, but it might just be a way to finish the year.

I would also like to thank the Clerk and her team, the Black Rod and the rest of the team for their work and service to us all. They do a great job. The secretaries of committees and the other support here when we are trying to deal with the legislation are a very important part of the team. I thank parliamentary counsel; in fact, right now they are still briefing the minister—they never stop. I do appreciate the work they do for us, especially in opposition. Of course, the government has all their ministerial staff and departmental staff, but in opposition the parliamentary counsel are a great help to us. They come and brief us and explain the legislation and the amendments that have been drafted. So, I do thank Richard and his team for their support.

Of course, to the Hansard staff sitting up there today doing the great work that they do, we certainly appreciate that. I think they turn bumbling words from me and some of my colleagues into what makes good reading, and they make it look like it is a sensible speech when maybe it was not delivered as well as it could have been. The catering staff do a great job. Without the food, the catering and the support, this place would not run as efficiently.

An honourable member: You wouldn't run.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: And maybe I do enjoy the catering here. They do a great job. The minister commented on the quality of the food and the varied menus, and they do a great job, so I really do support them.

The parliamentary network support people: for some of us they are an invaluable resource to sort out issues with iPhones, iPads and the like that will not sync and our calendars are not up to date. I certainly thank them. The building attendants: I come in here quite often late at night and early in the morning, and the guys come and fix the blinking lights and the things that do not work. We do really appreciate them.

All of our own staff, certainly from the Liberal perspective, the team in the Legislative Council; and my own staff of Hendrik, Cecilia, Hannah and Rowan do a great job to support me.

I would also like to thank the other members—the Greens, the crossbenchers, Hon. John Darley's staff, the Hon. Kelly Vincent's staff, Family First and the Labor staff. Again, I think the staff adopt a similar view to ours; that is, while we might have different political views, when it comes to working together, whether on legislation or providing information and supporting each other, they do that very well. I would like to thank them for that as well. Of course I thank the House of Assembly members. I thank them for their—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Don't go too far.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Minister Hunter does not want me to go too far but, reluctantly, I do want to thank them for their support, Of course, as members would know, we occupy the top floor, and they were a great support to us. All their staff and the leader's staff who work on the top floor for us certainly are worthy of some recognition at this time, so I put on the record my thanks on behalf of the team here for their support.

As the minister said, our fate is somewhat in the hands of the people. I think the election is 107 days away today. We are not quite sure what is going to happen. We all have a view of what we would like to see happen, but some of us will be happy and some of us will not be happy at the end of it all. Some of us here today, who knows, might not be here next year if things do not go the way we plan.

With those few words, I would like to wish all members a merry Christmas on behalf of the Liberal Party, Carmel Zollo all the best for the next phase of her life and, of course, Ann Bressington for whatever her—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: Point of order: the Hon. Carmel Zollo.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The Hon. Carmel Zollo and, of course, the Hon. Ann Bressington, for what the future may hold for her. I hope that members have a happy and enjoyable Christmas and a prosperous new year, and I look forward to seeing all of those who come back next year—maybe from a different perspective. I will be looking east rather than west. Anyway, have a merry Christmas.

The Hon. M. PARNELL (16:58): On behalf of the Greens, I echo the sentiments of both the Leader of the Government and the Leader of the Opposition, and I would like to add my thanks and best wishes to all those who have made our life here easier and enabled us to be productive in our work.

I would like to wish seasons greetings to and thank the table and chamber staff, the administrative staff of the Legislative Council, and the various committees on which we serve. The people at the parliamentary research library: I am sure that if any of us at some unearthly hour decided we wanted to know how many feathers there were on a quail the answer would be provided very quickly. That is the level of service they have provided.

I thank the catering staff who feed and water us, and the building attendants and the security guards who help keep us safe. Thank you to the people at Hansard, who make us sound sensible even when we are not; parliamentary counsel, who do such a great job drafting our bills and our amendments; and the people at the Parliamentary Network Support Group (PNSG), who make sure that when our staff add appointments to our diaries they appear on our mobile telephones, which is a service we would not have imagined 10 years ago. I also thank all the other honourable members, their staff and their families.

I would particularly like to put on the record my thanks to the Green team up on the second floor of Parliament House—my staff and the staff of the Hon. Tammy Franks. Cate Mussared has been with me from day one and there is also my newest staff member, Sam Taylor, and trainee Jemma Silvester. In Tammy's office, we have Jamnes Danenberg, Yesha Joshi and Sam Miles. They are the people who help Tammy and I do our work.

I would also like to give a special cheerio to Craig Wilkins, who worked with me for 7½ years of my eight-year term. He has moved on to greener pastures. I thought there were no greener pastures than working for me, but apparently there are. I know he will do great things in the conservation sector, where he is now placed.

As the Hon. David Ridgway said, many of us are having our first job interviews in eight years. An election panel is being compiled—1.1 million South Australians—and we are at their mercy. All things going well, I look forward to coming back. My expectation is that I will be in the same seat. I do have aspirations for some of the more parallel rows of chairs, but the curvy benches will do for now.

I also pass my best wishes on to the Hon. Carmel Zollo. It has been a pleasure working with you over the last eight years. I also wish the Hon. Ann Bressington the best for what her future holds. With those brief words, the Greens are looking forward to the summer break. We do not expect to have any break. We will be working hard, talking to South Australians, finding out what they care about and as I say, there is that job interview on 15 March that we are all looking forward to.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (17:01): Just briefly, or as briefly as I can put it, I would like to put on the record my thanks on behalf of Dignity for Disability for all those who have worked with us throughout the year. I start by congratulating the Hon. Mrs Zollo on her retirement. As your Labor colleague Steph Key often says, 'Happy trails!' Steph is well renowned for signing her emails with that little saying, and I always think it is a nice way to wish someone well.

I obviously begin by thanking my incredible staff. The honourable minister calls hers rays of sunshine, but I do not think there is a sun big enough to encompass the brightness that my staff give off: Anna, Dave, Cathi and Lesley (our trainee, who is a new addition to the team but who has already put in the hard yakka and I think is already quite well versed in my manifesto and my world view, which is an amazing achievement in the short time she has been with us), my previous trainee, Nicole, our casual staff, Kristi and Amy (I hope I am not forgetting anyone), for not just their amazing hard work and the long hours that they put in, but their tolerance of me in all my varying moods that we can sometimes experience in this place.

Of course, I thank all the supporters of Dignity for Disability throughout the year. It is a good time for me to reflect on this, because it has actually just occurred to me that I am halfway through my term, which is terrifying—and not just terrifying to me, if the look on the Hon. Mr Hunter's face is anything to go by. My 20s are fast slipping away, but do not feel sad, because I was just about to say that I could not actually think of a better way to be spending them.

I would like to thank all those who have supported us throughout the year and for the last four years, not just in introducing and debating legislation, but actually stopping the passing of legislation and policies that could have an adverse impact, particularly on people with disabilities. It is a hard slog, but one that I feel very privileged to be a part of. Again, I could not imagine a better place to be at this point in my life, and probably at many other points also.

Having said that, I put on the record my additional thanks to the amazing chamber staff, Todd and Mario, who are constantly picking up things that I drop and putting up with me in all of my moods; you, of course, Mr President; and Hansard. I do not know how they have not retired or gone on WorkCover yet, but it is just four more years, we are halfway there, hang in there, thank you very much. Thanks to Guy and Leslie, particularly Guy, who has the great misfortune of sitting closest to the door that I use to exit the chamber, so again, he has become my involuntary confidante as I often storm out of this place in a mood or am musing some issue that we are debating. He is often party to my thoughts on certain issues, so thank you for your patience, Guy; and, of course, our Clerk and Black Rod for their hard work.

At this point I would like to put on the record my thanks to party president, Rick Neagle, and in particular our candidates in the next election. They are an amazing bunch of people. I look forward to returning to this place next year. As honourable members have pointed out it is certainly not much of a break that we will be getting. We will certainly be consulting widely, hearing about the issues that are important to South Australians, and addressing those during the break and in the election campaign, but I do want to say that I look forward to returning to this place, and hopefully with a teammate so that we can expand the scope of our work even more.

With those brief words, I put on the record my thanks to everyone who has been involved in supporting me in any way throughout the year, whether it is feeding and watering me or generally supporting and putting up with me. I wish you all a merry Christmas and again thank you for your support and participation.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (17:06): I rise very briefly on behalf of Family First to place my thanks on the record for what has been a most enjoyable eight-year term that I have enjoyed in this place. I would like to start by thanking all of the staff previous members have thanked. Rather than go through all of them—there are quite a lot—perhaps if I can give a general thank you to all of them. They know who they are. Sincerely, without your hard work this place does not function and it is greatly appreciated.

I am incredibly grateful to my staff and the staff in the Family First offices. Like the Hon. Mr Parnell, some of those staff have been with me since I was elected eight years ago and they have been truly loyal servants of our party and of me personally and I am very grateful.

I would like to single out a couple of staff members from the government side as well who have been very good to me as a member and good to our party in terms of keeping us informed. I think they do go above and beyond the call of duty at times. The ministerial advisers work incredibly hard. I think they are called ministerial liaison officers. I think that is the right title. Obviously, because of the bills I handle, I have dealt a lot, in particular, with the Attorney-General's staff and I have found them to be excellent. That is Kim, for people who know Kim. I think she might even be over there somewhere, and also Liam as well, who are outstanding. I have enjoyed working with them, in particular, from the government side as well as a number of others but, again, there is not time to go through them all.

Today marks eight years in terms of my sitting life in this parliament since I was elected. It is the absolute last sitting day of that eight years, of course, and I am not alone there obviously. For the Hon. Mr Parnell and other members in this place it is also their last sitting day for eight years as it is mine. When I first joined this place, as members know, I was in a pretty good spot career-wise and doing reasonably well and people said to me, 'Why do you want to be a politician? You are going to reduce your pay substantially and you are going to have to mix with politicians all the time and that does not sound very attractive,' so I was told. I can say quite honestly that, at the end of eight years, I do not have that view. Yes, I did take a fair whack in the pay area and that is probably not the best part of it, but I have found the members of this place, in this chamber, to be a decent lot, to be a good-humoured lot by and large, and to be a group of people who by and large I have enjoyed working with.

We do not obviously see eye to eye on everything, that is the nature of democracy and we never will on some things, but I have been heartened, I guess is the word, by the fact that we can always agree to disagree in a decent way on almost every occasion, despite the fact that obviously tempers will fray from time to time. I think that is one thing that we, as MPs, should remember. Society probably does not hold us in the highest of lights or the highest regard perhaps is the way of putting it, but I think we can be a little hard on ourselves sometimes. I think what we do in here is noble work, good work and obviously very important work, and it is easy to forget that sometimes.

It is clear that some of us will not be here after the next election. I certainly hope to be here. If I do, that will be the start of what would be a 16-year term, which seems like a long time, but the truth is that some of us will not be here after the election. We have that very big job interview, as the Hon. Mr Parnell described it, coming up soon.

I would particularly like to pay tribute to someone who definitely will not be here and that is the Hon. Carmel Zollo, who I think has been an outstanding member, during my eight years. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her and, frankly, the place could do with more of her. On behalf of Family First, Carmel, we wish you all the very best and wish you well in the next phase of your life, your career, your journey, if you like.

Also, the Hon. Ann Bressington. I have had a lot to do with Ann over the years, obviously she was elected on the day I was elected. It was somewhat of a surprise. I do not think anyone expected the Hon. Ann Bressington to be elected. She is a passionate person who expresses her views strongly. You always know where you stand with her and I have always respected that about her. I wish her well in the next part of her journey as well.

With that, I would like to wish everyone a warm and happy Christmas. May they enjoy a blessed Christmas, if I can put it that way, and I hope to see you in March.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (17:11): I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has been involved in this 53^rd parliament. As usual, the Clerk, Black Rod and their assistants have done a tremendous job at keeping this council in order and running seamlessly. I also express my thanks to the chamber staff, the messengers who look after us on long lonely sitting nights and Hansard, who make us sound far more articulate than we really are.

Thank you to the catering staff, who tolerate all the demands of my two vegetarian staff, and to the library staff for meeting our requests, usually at very short notice. Thank you also to the committee staff, who work silently but strongly in the background. I do not envy them their job in having to placate members who come together, often with different views and motives, whilst dealing with members of the public, who are often emotionally involved in the subject of inquiry.

I would also like to give a very big thank you to parliamentary counsel, who do a tremendous job of interpreting the scant and vague instructions that are often provided to them at the last minute and yet always manage to produce quality legislation. I know the last few weeks have been particularly trying, but as usual Richard Dennis's team of staff have stepped up to the plate. We would be truly lost without you.

I hope I have not forgotten anyone. Apologies to those I may have missed, but I think everyone working in this place knows how appreciative we are of all their contributions. I wish everyone a good break over the festive season, and to those who are running in the election next year I wish you the best of luck. Whilst it has been challenging at times, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed working with all honourable members on the vast array of very important issues we have covered this season.

To Carmel Zollo, I wish you a very happy retirement with husband Lou. Lou and I worked together over 20 years ago with the late Roy Abbott, as minister of lands, and we enjoyed plenty of good times and good yarns, particularly about the Coongie Lakes. To the President, I would sincerely like to thank you for all the support you have given me and my staff and I look forward to being with you next year. I, for one, am looking forward to spending a bit more time at home with my family over the Christmas break, although I do not know if the same can be said for my wife.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I'll send her a card.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: Thanks, Robert. In all seriousness, I look forward to re-energising and recharging my batteries in anticipation of the long few months ahead. I would like to give special thanks to my staff (one of them is still with me), Connie Bonaros and Jenny Low. They stuck with me right through the long evening last night. I must admit that, back in about 2008, when we went through to 5 o'clock in the morning they pulled the plug at about 12 o'clock. With that, I wish you all a very happy and merry Christmas.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mrs Zollo.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (17:15): It's lovely to hear those 'Hear, hears'. It appears to me that as members in this place we have the opportunity to have some kind words spoken about us twice: when we retire and when unfortunately we die! I hope to get a decent gap between these two significant occasions in one's existence.

It is very difficult to do justice to the last 16 years, but perhaps it is best summed up by saying that it has been an interesting life. I was the last elected in 1997 and the first elected in 2006. Firstly, as a backbencher for four years, there was a lot of quick learning in relation to parliamentary, legislative and party procedure and establishing areas of interest to name a few. I will place on the record that the Hon. John Dawkins and I were the only two members elected in that year, in 1997, from memory.

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to be a whip, parliamentary secretary and a minister for four years, and then to the backbench again and a great deal of committee work—standing committees and, being in the Legislative Council, many a select committee. Being a minister brings responsibility and taking responsibility for others, as well as enormous rewards, because collectively and individually one can make a real difference. All my portfolios ultimately had a safer community outcome, and I hope my term as a minister has meant a safer society for South Australia.

In my biography, a mention is made of my ethnic heritage. Whilst my preselection was not predicated on my ethnicity, which is as it should be, given that it is some 50 years or so after the main migration story from Italy after World War II, I am nonetheless proud of my birthright and my beautiful parents, Tonino and Maria Russo, who made it all possible.

My story is not really so different from that of so many thousands of young children who accompanied their parents on their migration story or who were born post their parents' migration. Australia's and South Australia's success story is due, I believe, in large part to so many migrants it has welcomed. If I have accomplished a few firsts, my family, including my husband, Lou, have made it all possible. One, of course, makes many friends and acquaintances in 16-odd years, and I will take many happy memories with me.

I think that it is time to thank a few people. To my beautiful family, particularly my husband, Lou, and my children and their families, I thank them for all their understanding and support, my many colleagues, former and present, as well as my staff, my many thanks. My many thanks particularly to you, Mr President, and the Leader of the Government in this chamber.

Thank you also to the people in this place who assist us in the chamber and administratively: the Clerk, Jan Davis; the Deputy Clerk, the Usher of the Black Rod, Chris Schwarz; and the rest of the team—Guy Dickson, Anthony Beasley, Leslie Guy, Margaret Hodgins. Of course, we also have the Hansard team, the catering team, the attendants who are always here for us—Todd Mesecke, Mario Visentin, Antoni Rejman, Karen Vander Veeken—the library staff, the finance staff, parliamentary counsel, our building attendants, PNSG—so many that I am certain that I have probably forgotten someone.

I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their best wishes to me, both on the record and personally. To all those who are facing election, my best wishes at a personal level, even if I cannot offer you all my best wishes at the political level; that I can offer to some.

Can I end by saying that it is a privilege to serve the people of South Australia and our parliament, and I thank all of those who had faith in me by supporting my preselection and their subsequent support since. My best wishes to everybody for the Christmas season, and I wish you all a happy new year—and a very interesting election.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (17:19): I rise to support the motion, and I particularly want to make some remarks about the Hon. Carmel Zollo. As the honourable member said, she and I were both elected on the same day, 11 October 1997. There was another newbie elected at that election, and that was one Hon. Nick Xenophon.

The Hon. Carmel Zollo: Oh my goodness; I'm going to have to get up and make a personal explanation.

The PRESIDENT: No, you won't.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: I do not believe so, but it is probably relevant that he is mentioned, because in all the talk we have had in recent days about possible thresholds and other forms of election, the Hon. Mr Xenophon was elected to this place with a very low primary vote. That is why the Hon. Carmel Zollo was elected at the 11^th spot. What the Hon. Carmel Zollo did not tell us is that she could have come to this place sometime earlier, I believe, when she was preselected in a higher spot but chose, when there was a vacancy, not to come. I think it was the Hon. Paolo Nocella who was here for a while—

The Hon. Carmel Zollo: Yes, I think so.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: The Hon. Carmel Zollo and I shared something in common, although we had never met before we came here. We had both worked for federal members of parliament in about the same era. We shared four years on the Statutory Authorities Review Committee and, I think, about three years as whips. Carmel was the first of the four government whips I have had the pleasure of working with—

The Hon. Carmel Zollo: The best one.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Well, the best-looking one! We also spent time on the Joint Parliamentary Service Committee together. I heard a member yesterday talking about the Occupational Health, Safety and Rehabilitation Committee being one of the few non-remunerated committees that works really hard; well, I think that Carmel and I could say that the Joint Parliamentary Service Committee is one of those.

It is sad, in a way, to see Carmel go, because I know those 16 years have gone very quickly. In that time both Carmel and I have evolved from being parents to being grandparents, and we have both enjoyed passing on those stories. I pass on my every best wish to the Hon. Carmel Zollo, to Lou and to the family, and wish a merry Christmas to everybody here.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (17:22): I join in thanking the staff of this parliament for all their hard work. I will not go through them, many people have already. I also thank you, Mr President, for your tolerance of me in this role. I would like to thank all honourable members; I appreciate their very good-humoured approach and their cooperation in helping me get legislation through this place. I also thank my leader for training me up, and allowing me to take the training wheels off and helping me to do some of the easier bills that she has handed over in the last few months. I have been very grateful for her confidence.

I also want to say a few words about the Hon. Carmel Zollo, of course, my friend and colleague. Carmel is a legend in the Labor Party. She has been an inestimable advocate for the people of South Australia since her election to this place in 1997. I believe she has served with distinction and professionalism. As Carmel said in her maiden speech, she migrated to Australia as a child, like so many other Australians, with nothing more than the clothes on their back, a few notes of currency and an invitation from the federal government. Carmel was the first Italian woman to serve in this place, and her election to this chamber was an example of the success that has been the Australian multicultural experiment.

As I said, in her maiden speech Carmel mentioned something of her background, and she spoke about this strange place she arrived in as a young child, not knowing the language, being treated differently at school, and experiencing an entirely new culture. However, I think those experiences served her well in forming her character. It has given her confidence, strength and determination, which has been very useful to her in her career, certainly in this place.

It is no secret that Carmel and I sometimes disagree on some key issues that have been played out in this place, some of the key debates over the last few years. We happily recognise those differences, but we know that those things are minor compared to the raft of policies and perspectives that we share and which unite us in the great Labor traditions.

Her commitment to social justice, her recognition of the dignity of work and the importance of trade unions to pursue the interests of working people, her commitment to the richness that multiculturalism brings to our society, the inevitability of this nation of ours becoming a republic, and a strong desire to see that every child in this state of ours, no matter where they live or how much money their parents have, will have every opportunity to improve themselves and advance—these are all things that Carmel and I, and members on this side, strongly believe in.

Throughout her years in this place, Carmel has served as an opposition MP, a government backbencher, a whip, a minister of the cabinet and, once again now, a government backbencher. In all these roles, Carmel has applied herself with the passion of her commitment to Labor values. Never once did she forget where she came from. I, for one, will miss her and her comradeship and her company in this place.

Carmel, it remains for me to sing you a little song—well, I will not be singing it, it is more speaking it:

Volare, oh, oh

Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh

Let's fly way up to the clouds

Away from the maddening crowds

Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind

Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find.

Nel blu, dipinto di blu. Felice di stare lassu.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Stephens, you won't be singing either!

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (17:25): Well, how do you follow that, Mr President, I ask you? I would like to just quickly pass on my best wishes to all members and staff for the festive season, after a solid four-year term. I would like to place on the record my best wishes to the Hon. Ann Bressington who, I suspect, will not be coming back to this place. I wish her all the very best for the future.

Of course, to the Hon. Carmel Zollo—Carmel, to you and Lou, all the very best for the next stage of your life. The last time I spoke to Lou I think he was saying to me, 'Won't it be great that Carmel will finally share some of those home duties with me—some cooking, some cleaning.' He has been carrying an enormous burden.

The Hon. Carmel Zollo: I've told him he's looking forward to my retirement.

The PRESIDENT: You told him!

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Mr President, some protection, please. He has been carrying an enormous burden at home, he told me, and it will be nice now that the Hon. Carmel Zollo might be able to go home just to help out a little. He has been treating her like the princess she is for so long and it would be nice for the Hon. Carmel Zollo to take time to reciprocate. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (17:27): I will be very quick. I have to make an apology, and thank everyone for putting up with me.

The PRESIDENT: It's seconded!

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I want to put on the public record first of all my appreciation to all the staff—I am not going to name them. We are helped enormously by incredibly professional staff who are really dedicated to their task and I want to say thank you to them. To all of my colleagues, I say it has been an interesting four-year period. It goes quickly in this place. A lot of the work is very serious, and we all put in a lot of time and focus on what we were doing. We also get a rare opportunity to socialise right across the political rainbow, and those things are to be cherished.

As we head into the election, to those who are up for election, I know that unless you are No. 1 or No. 2 on a ticket, or you happen to be in a blue ribbon seat, the truth is that everyone heading to the election is on edge; it is a nervous and stressful time for them and their families. I encourage those who are up. This is the first time I have ever been involved in an election, and my responsibility is to help Dennis Hood get back in. I am actually not personally involved in the specifics of having to be elected. It is a strange thing when you have spent a lot of your time in a marginal seat where it is—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: If he doesn't come back, you'll be leader.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Yes, I hope that—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Look at the smile on his face now.

The PRESIDENT: He's blushing again.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Think of the pay rise.

The PRESIDENT: The Brokey First Party.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I hope everyone gets a chance to recharge their batteries in those few weeks over Christmas and new year and to spend some time with their family. Finally, I wish you all an enjoyable Christmas and a safe and happy new year. It could be a totally different make-up in here after the next election, and we will have to learn to work with each other differently, but it may not be—who knows?

To Carmel Zollo, I have been privileged to watch Carmel throughout her career here since she came in. She has always been a refreshing, genuine and reliable person to talk to or negotiate with. She has been committed to this state, and she can go out holding her head very high, particularly in the area of emergency services. I have also had the opportunity of that huge privilege—and it is a privilege to represent emergency services. I know that Carmel was highly respected by all and sundry. In fact, I can honestly say that in the time that she was minister I never heard one bad word about her from anyone in those services, which shows how good she was at her job and her commitment. So, all the best to you and your family, Carmel. We will see you all in May.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (17:30): First, I acknowledge the parliamentary staff for their great effort in keeping us going, and I assure you that that must be very difficult for them at times. I particularly want to thank the Hon. Carmel Zollo. Carmel, you have been a great help to me as a very new member in this place: your help, assistance and advice have been greatly appreciated. I cannot imagine doing over 16 years in this place—I certainly do not think I will get to that point—but you have been a great help to me, and sincerely I thank you for your efforts in that regard. You are a true lady, and I wish you and your husband all the best in your retirement. To all other members, I wish you a happy and safe festive season and, hopefully, we will see you all back after March.

The PRESIDENT (17:31): First, I acknowledge the work and dedication of Jan Davis, Clerk of the Legislative Council, and her team: Chris Schwarz, gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (well, it used to be that until I got this job), Leslie Guy, Guy Dickson, Anthony Beasley and Margaret Hodgins, all our attendants—Todd Mesecke, Karen Vander Veeken, Mario Visentin and Antoni Rejman—all your hard work, support and sense of humour are greatly appreciated.

I also thank the library staff, Hansard, parliamentary counsel, building attendants, PNSG, the catering staff and the security staff—you truly keep the place running and safe, and I appreciate your efforts. I also acknowledge the outstanding service of our whips, the Hon. Mr Dawkins and the Hon. Mr Maher, and their staff for helping to organise the council's business.

I thank all honourable members of the Legislative Council and their staff, especially my staff, for their support throughout the year and their hard work, and I wish you all a safe and happy festive season. I look forward to seeing you all back in good health and good spirits after the election—which means I am still in this spot. I wish the Hon. Ann Bressington all the best for the future.

Finally, to you, the Hon. Carmel Zollo, the Hon. Carmel was whip when I first came to this place, which was a truly frightening experience. I could never get a pair—still can't. Then she became a parliamentary secretary and then minister, and we were most supportive that she became the first woman minister with Italian heritage. I can tell you that, with my own Italian heritage, the Italian community was most proud of the Hon. Carmel Zollo and what she had achieved. I wish you, your family and Lou a long, happy, fun-filled, healthy and peaceful retirement.