Adjournment Debate

Valedictories

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (16:42): Mr President, this is the motion where we say nice things about each other at the end of the session and nice things about you as well. In speaking to this particular motion, as I said, we are seeking whether we can get quick advice in relation to the Retail and Commercial Leases (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill to see whether we can process that; if not, we will adjourn it off. All the other orders of the day, government business, will be adjourned until the next day of sitting, whenever that might be.

Mr President, in speaking to the traditional adjournment motion, can I on behalf of government members thank you for your presidency during this session. Whilst I speak on behalf of government members, others will speak on behalf of members in their group as well, but certainly from the government's viewpoint we thank you for your presidency, trying to keep us unruly lot in order, particularly during question time. It is sometimes a challenge, but we respect the way you have gone about it and respect the fact that you have undertaken the task with relish. From the government members' viewpoint, we thank you for that role.

Can I thank all the other honourable members in the chamber. During this session we have generally, with the exception of the last two weeks, endeavoured to keep family friendly hours, to use that particular phrase. We have always acknowledged that the last two weeks of the session can sometimes be un-family friendly, and we certainly saw that in the last week or so of the sittings in terms of the lateness of the hour. Nevertheless, we were well educated and illuminated into the early hours of the morning by some lengthy contributions on some important issues. The end of the session also becomes more fractious as opposed to the start of any session.

On behalf of government members in the chamber, we thank the Leader of the Opposition for his cooperation. We thank the Opposition Whip for the work that he and his staff have done with the Government Whip in terms of acceptable whipping practices in this chamber. If I can term it this way using a colloquial expression, the sins of another chamber have not always been visited upon us, and we have respected traditions and conventions in terms of sensible pairing arrangements in this particular chamber.

We have had some novel absences, which government members have respected, and we respect the fact that, on occasion, opposition members but also crossbench members have assisted major party members in terms of pairing arrangements, as indeed we have with them on occasion in terms of crossbench members not being available and major party members pairing with them when it was appropriate as well. That is one of the strengths of the chamber and long may it continue in terms of a sensible working relationship in the operation of the chamber.

I thank the crossbench members. We do not always agree on issues, as has been evidenced particularly in the last few weeks of the session. From the government's viewpoint, or from the opposition's viewpoint or from the crossbenchers' viewpoint, you win some and you lose some but in essence that is the way politics in the chamber works.

Certainly from my viewpoint, I indicate that I do not bear grudges or take things personally. My long history in this chamber in politics indicates that you continue to talk and work with people. You accept the fact that you differ and perhaps differ strongly on some issues, but you should not let that prevent you from continuing to work together with colleagues where you can find common ground, and should not let the differences that you have had prevent you from seeking agreement on other issues on other occasions when the opportunity presents.

As the Leader of the Government speaking personally but on behalf of my colleagues, I give an indication that the differences we might share on a particular bill will not colour the government's or my attitude to trying to work with crossbench members on any range of other issues where we might be able to reach common ground in terms of those issues.

I thank in particular the crossbench members' staff. Working for a crossbench member can be an unforgiving task. The Hon. Ms Bonaros has worn both hats over the years so she better understands it perhaps than many of us. Being a staff member of a crossbench member is particularly challenging. It can be tiring, aggravating and annoying on occasion in terms of the hours that have to be kept and the short deadlines that are sometimes required. I thank those staff members for not only the work they do for the crossbench members but also in terms of trying to keep in touch with my office, as the Leader of the Government, and my staff members who try to work with the crossbench members.

I think we are getting better in terms of working together with other members of the chamber. The weekly planning session at 4.30pm on a Monday has been a very important development in terms of trying to work together. Certainly we are always open to suggestions. If my staff can work more effectively with opposition staff and crossbench members' staff in managing the program, we seek to be accommodating as much as we can, but sometimes from the government's viewpoint it is like herding cats.

We have a number of ministers, officers and staff, all with competing priorities. We do our very best to ensure or to insist that ministerial staff use their best endeavours to brief crossbench members on government bills and amendments, but we do not always meet the high standards we would like to set for ourselves for that. We might apologise, but we will strive to do better in the future. In that respect, I thank Luigi Mesisca in my office, and the other staff members who do a lot of hard work in terms of trying to liaise with other staff in other offices as well.

I want to thank the Government Whip, the Hon. Mr Stephens, and his hardworking staff. At short notice, he is asked to try to assist the smooth operations of the chamber. I thank him not only for his hard work but for his friendship as well and long may that continue. In my case, at least, it will continue for two more years, but in his case it will be many more years—that is not the friendship but working together.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Exactly. I thank the Clerk and all the table staff. Again, I apologise on behalf of the government for the long hours that you had to work. In the past, we have sometimes had a mid-evening break or something, but when we had some members going full bore we did not want to give them an opportunity to go off and have a rest and a break themselves, so my apologies to the staff because you had to work long hours into the early hours of the morning. That is not only the table staff but also the attendants and other staff. Some are getting grey hair and some are losing their hair through the long hours that they work assisting us. We always appreciate the work that Mario and his team do on our behalf. On behalf of the members, we thank you for all the hard work that you do.

Collectively, I thank all the other staff in Parliament House: the Hansard staff, the caretakers, PNSG and all the other staff who ensure the smooth operations of the parliament generally, but in particular the Legislative Council. Much of the work you do is unseen, but it is not unappreciated. On behalf of government members, I want to thank you.

In particular, given the late hours, we should thank the catering staff because for however long we stay here, they stay here for that long plus 30 minutes at the end of it, which must be especially tiring for them with those early hours of the morning sittings that we had. On behalf of government members, I again thank everyone who is involved in the operations of the parliament.

I wish all other members and staff the very best for the Christmas season, for the time that they might spend with their family, friends and others. We look forward to coming together again early next year when the parliament reconvenes early in February.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (16:52): I rise to support the motion of the Hon. Rob Lucas and concur with all the remarks that he made in the chamber, which is a rare thing.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: First time.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It is possibly the first time, the Hon. Mr Hunter says. It is certainly an unusual circumstance. I note that it is not often the case that we agree, but certainly today is that situation on this motion.

Firstly, I would like to start by thanking you, Mr President, for the fair and impartial way in which you have presided over us, stopping us when asking questions in question time that you thought were too much and occasionally bringing ministers back on track, some more than others, of course. I was trying to find the right words to describe your bearing in this chamber, Mr President, so I looked in the thesaurus for the word 'presidential'. It came up with:

Dignified, authoritative, judicious, diplomatic, powerful, awe-inspiring, self-assured, commanding and regal.

I think they are all worthy descriptions and I am sure the chamber would agree. All on this side of the chamber thank you for how you have conducted yourself and how you have allowed us to conduct ourselves in this chamber.

I would like to thank Mr Chris Schwarz, the Clerk, for providing frank and fearless advice to all members of this place who come and seek his counsel. Such attributes are not always as common as perhaps they once were and I trust that we value them as they should be valued.

To Mr Guy Dickson, the Usher of the Black Rod and Deputy Clerk, thank you for your service to this place throughout the year and the continued support you provide in the running of this chamber. I can certainly speak for all members on this side of the council when I say that we truly do appreciate it.

The same can be said for Leslie, Emma and Anthony, who again are vital in the day-to-day running of this place, and we are truly grateful for all your contributions. Thank you for the way in which you support the committee system, with all its peculiarities, and ensure it operates effectively. I think your patience and support for all members throughout the processes of this place are quite exceptional.

To Kate and Todd, for everything that you do to keep this place ticking along, thank you. There are so many tasks that take place out of sight of most that fall on your shoulders, and probably often go unappreciated. To Mario and his team, Karen and Charles, for making sure that we have everything we need in front of us at all times, thank you. I note that, in recent weeks in particular, the chamber has been sitting into the early hours of the morning. This, as the Hon. Rob Lucas mentioned, means that all staff are here until all hours. I am sure I speak for everyone in this place when I say that we truly do appreciate your efforts and, in the case of Mario and his staff, your good humour—very difficult, I am sure.

To all Hansard staff; you have an incredibly difficult job to do. I can only imagine how difficult it is to get everything down that everyone says, particularly the frequent interjections and responses. You all do a magnificent job and we thank you as well. To the catering staff who keep us all very well fed, thank you. Thank you, Creon, for all your support to this place throughout the year, thanks to all staff in the Blue Room, the dining room, the members' bar and everyone who assists with functions.

This place would not run without the support and assistance of so many people, including all the cleaning staff, building services staff, attendants and switchboard staff. We must also remember the Parliamentary Network Support Group. We certainly could not operate with you, too, so thank you. Also, thank you to Dr John Weste and the library staff for the assistance you provide to all members of this place throughout the year.

To the Leader of the Government (Hon. Rob Lucas), who, I think it is fair to say, has had a bit of a hard year and might find that he is not on the Christmas card lists of some old mates, we wish you a very merry Christmas.

I would like to particularly thank members on this side of the council. I thank you all for the contributions you have made this year. I think you have made this parliament a much better place with your presence. I also acknowledge the whips on both sides, and also the staff of the crossbench. They undertake a high workload and do not have all of the opportunities to have different roles. They must take on many all at once, so I think that should be acknowledged.

I would like to thank the crossbench and, indeed, all members of this chamber. Contrary to how it sometimes appears, I think we probably agree far more often than we disagree. Of course, when we do disagree, we disagree quite passionately. Thank you to everyone for respecting everyone else's views and opinions. Thank you for the contributions you have made to this place, and for doing so in a good humoured, respectful and considered manner.

I think it is important to note that we have passed more legislation in this place than we have rejected. Over Christmas, I am looking forward to spending my time in the South-East, and I know all in this place will continue to work hard in our electorate, which of course covers 47 times the area and 47 times the number of voters than those in the other place.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Hopefully I have not forgotten anyone, but if I have, please accept the opposition's very best wishes and appreciation. In conclusion, the opposition would like to wish all members and staff a happy Christmas season. Whatever it is that you do, we hope that you do it with your nearest and dearest. I hope that you can cherish this time and recharge your batteries.

Christmas is a wonderful time to get together and to enjoy the friendship of family and friends. I do hope that all members get to enjoy that over the Christmas and new year period, and that we come back in February to work together collectively and constructively for another year. I commend the motion to the council.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (16:58): This is that time of year when we associate ourselves unreservedly with the comments that have been made by others, and in particular the Treasurer and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. In years gone by, I have stood up at this time of year and have unfortunately left a few people out; so, like Santa, I have made a list and I have checked it twice.

I will start by thanking you, Mr President, for your wise guidance. I was disappointed to lose you as a bench colleague, but my loss was the entire council's gain. We all share from your wisdom and guidance, so thank you. The Parliament Research Library staff have again provided us with excellent service. I try not to abuse the wonderful privilege we have by not asking too many frivolous questions, but the questions I do ask are always returned within the time frame and with useful information, much of which has ended up on Hansard.

And going to Hansard, thank you for your help. You make our contributions appear much more coherent than they were when we heard them in the flesh. I personally appreciate the quiet knock on the door and, 'Mr Parnell, did you really mean to say that Tasmania was bigger than New South Wales?' Often when we are comparing things, we get them around the wrong way; that is one of the most common errors that Hansard staff are called on to correct, so thank you. A lot of what is said in this place would not make sense if you just read it, so thank you for the corrections.

I would like to thank the Legislative Council staff, including Chris, our Clerk, and Guy, the Usher of the Black Rod. Leslie, Anthony, Emma, Mario, Todd, Karen, Charles and Kate, thank you for everything you do. A special acknowledgement to Mario this year, who was doing a parliamentary tour when some people decided that they were not going to budge from the House of Assembly chamber. They were going to do a sit-down protest. With his usual calm manner, he reminded them that they would miss seeing the Legislative Council and that it was not to be missed. Anyway, in the end I think security took over and Mario did his job in his calm, unflappable fashion, as always.

I would also like to thank those members who we rarely name: the staff of the other place. They assist, obviously, with some of the joint operations of this parliament. I would like to thank the committee staff, and the Legislative Council staff obviously serve on committees but there are some dedicated staff as well. The two that I spend most of my time with are Joanne Fleer and Merry Brown, who look after the environment committee. I thank them for their diligence to their task.

The Parliamentary Network Support Group has been mentioned. They are efficient and they are competent, and that is not something that can be said for every IT support group. I appreciate them for not always asking me if I have tried turning it off and on again, although sometimes that is the answer. From having a spouse who once worked in the Senate and who tore her hair out on a regular basis, I know about the inadequacy of network support services offered in the federal parliament.

The catering staff have been mentioned. We do not see the cooks that often, but we enjoy their work and I thank them, as well as those who are involved in catering for events and committee hearings, who look after the dining rooms, the members' room and the Blue Room. I will particularly give a shout out to Karen and JP in the Blue Room, who gently steer me away from the less healthy options at lunchtime. It is not unusual for me to enter the Blue Room looking to buy a muffin and exiting with an apple. I thank them for helping me to look after my health at afternoon tea time.

The building attendants, Craig and his crew, do an excellent job. They fix things at short notice when they need fixing, so thank you to them. The security staff do not often get a mention, but I would like to thank them for the professional but very friendly service that they provide, keeping us safe. They are rarely called on to respond to incidents. I mentioned one earlier that was all very peaceful and another one I recall when, Mr President, you suggested that some members of the gallery might want to leave. I have it on good authority that one of the security staff—I do not know which one—managed to mount the marble staircase six steps at a time, and that is probably a record, I would have thought. They were up there very quickly, so I thank them for their service.

Of course, I also thank all my other colleagues, the other members of the Legislative Council and your staff. It has been, as always, a pleasure working with you. Sometimes the pleasure is greater than others, but at the end of the day, as I say to people who are often more tribal in their politics than we are: it is actually quite a respectful place and if people did not get along the work would not get done, so thank you to you all for what you have done.

I would particularly like to thank my colleague the Hon. Tammy Franks. We are a smallish team—a party of two in a parliament of 69—but we work together well. I continue to enjoy that relationship, which is professional and constructive, and we advance what we call the Green agenda in this parliament.

Finally, I would like to thank my staff: Cate Mussared, my chief of staff; Emily Bird, my office manager; and Ebony, our trainee. In my office, they have maintained the highest standard of research and constituent engagement and there is not much that gets past them. In regard to KPIs for responding to correspondence, whilst they might slip a little bit towards the end of the year, they are always on the ball. All of us would be familiar with the situation at a social event where someone comes up and says, 'I wrote to you,' and my question is often, 'Did you get a reply?' and the answer is nearly always, 'Yes, and it was a considered reply.' I thank my staff for managing that and for helping with the considerable legislative workload.

With those brief words, I, too, look forward to next year. By all accounts, the government will be taking the whiteboard eraser to the Notice Paper and starting again. I think the fresh start will be good for us. It will be good to have a rest over the summer break and come back reinvigorated to do what we are all here to do; that is, to serve the people of this state.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (17:04): Mr President, I start by thanking you genuinely for your role in this place, for keeping us all in line. I forgive you for your reprimands levelled at me, particularly in recent weeks. I have to say that I do not envy your role, but I think we can all agree that you have carried it out in a statesmanlike manner, so thank you.

Flamboyant (tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence and stylishness) and effervescent (vivacious and enthusiastic): such adjectives sum up to a T our legal adviser and my dear, loving friend Pat. She is talented beyond belief and emotional beyond belief, and what you see is what you get with Pat. What we see we love and are going to miss dearly when she leaves us at the end of the week to continue her journey, again, in federal politics.

Pat has been lured by the apparent bright lights of Canberra, at my expense. She is doing so for much more money and much less work—and much less me, I should say. She assures me that our relationship will only grow stronger as a result, and I will reflect on that as I cry into my champagne on Friday evening. Can I say to our Clerk, for one, that I am sure this may be a momentous moment for you, as your inbox suddenly becomes somewhat lighter as a result.

Adrienne, the ying to Pat's yang, is our super smart, super quick, super efficient, super woman legislative adviser. She has only been with us for 12 months but is already an invaluable member of our staff. We are extremely grateful for the contribution she makes to our office. To Damon, who has only just started with our office, good luck. To Taryn, our new office manager, welcome. It is only day two but, boy, is she already setting some new benchmarks for us. Again, all I can wish her is good luck.

To Tina, my wonderful, loving, loyal sister, of all things, and personal PA—not paid for by the public purse, I should add—there is nothing I throw at her that she cannot do. She makes my life in this place as a wife, a mother, a member, a boss and everything else in between so much easier. She is the only member of our staff I can bark at (and I bark a lot), but that is only because she is my sister. I am extremely grateful to her.

To Sean, who loves when I am having a bad day because apparently I am a lot more effective in my duties—that is certainly one way of looking at it. I know he is not trained as a psychologist or as a counsellor, even though that features predominantly in his role when it comes to dealing with my chaotic and frenetic ways. I know that Sean did not sign up for the extracurricular responsibilities that come with working with me but, seriously, I do not know if I would actually be able to do this job without him by my side, so thank you a million times.

Of course, there are lots of other people in this place I would like to take a moment to thank, but I will start with my esteemed colleague the Hon. Frank Pangallo. Thank you, yet again, for your ongoing support and commitment to the cause that is SA-Best. Yes, we have had our fair share of disagreements and robust discussions—and they are very robust—but it is always because we care about our state, our constituents and the people of South Australia. Since being elected to this place, he has shown how passionate, determined and committed he is and how much he cares for this great state. He shows no signs of abating, and I am sure everyone can agree with that.

I would also like to join in the thanks that have been extended to our Clerk, to our Black Rod, to Anthony and to the wonder women in the team, Leslie, Emma and Kate. I want to say one last thing about Pat in relation to the role that the Clerk's office undertakes. I mentioned before that I am not sure what the Clerk will do with all the hours that he finds in his day now that Pat is leaving, but she has assured me that her legacy will be maintained in that respect. In fact, I can say to all honourable members: when you finally have access to a downloadable version of the parliamentary calendar that feeds straight into your diary, you will have Pat and her dogged persistence to thank for that.

To our messengers—Todd; I think the Hon. Kyam Maher referred to him as 'super Mario' last year; Karen; and Charles—who make it possible for us to keep our heads above water in this place and also assist us in sneaking the odd couch into our office from time to time upon request, thank you does not even come close, I do not think, for everything that you do for us.

To our building attendants, but especially my mate Craig, who helps me with all manner of things well outside the scope of his job description—there is a theme happening here—you are a legend. To PNSG, I am slowly remembering my password; thank you for all the resets. To all our security personnel, especially James and Anna, thanks for letting me into the building each and every day before I even contemplate rummaging through my handbag for my pass, and especially for the little chats that we have each morning and each evening.

Now to a very important issue: our catering team, especially the one and only Nicky and Karen, Anthony, Basil and Sharon, who know just how I like my coffee. I ask them please not to share my secret recipe, which only they know. No words, I think, can describe JP's generosity, as is highlighted by his efforts to help our sax-playing friend who frequents Parliament House.

To Ben, who knows better than anyone how to keep me sane (with a visit to the cellar), thank you, and to Kylie—I still have a job, thank you—and to all the other members of the catering team, whom I cannot name right now. I think it is important that we acknowledge what an amazing team they all are. They feed us, but they provide so much more than just a meal when we need it.

Can I say, specifically in relation to Nicky and Karen, I wanted dearly to outdo Premier Marshall's message of thanks in another place, but I have to admit he set the bar pretty high this year. There are many things I could say that would most certainly be deemed unparliamentary, and I will not do that. When I laugh inappropriately in this chamber, I can assure you all it is because of Nicky and Karen. When I receive inappropriate messages on my phone, I, like the Premier, can assure you that it is almost always from Nicky, and when I gesture to the cameras discreetly—I think Paul from the tech team knows just what I am talking about—it is always in response to those messages. There is no question that the only two people who truly know what goes on in these corridors are Nicky and Karen, and they keep their secrets very well guarded.

Nicky, in particular, let me finish with this: thank you sincerely for the contraband unauthorised salad bowls. I am not sure whether anyone else has had access to those salad bowls, but they are a mean salad. Creon and James, I ask you to take note that we all love a special Nicky salad bowl. It is certainly my office's go-to lunch and dinner. You are all amazing, and you make working here so much easier, especially during late nights and very difficult debates.

To the Hansard team, sorry for last week, again. I do not know how on earth you decipher the red squiggles on the pages that I give you with such accuracy, but I am grateful. Thank you also to the wonderful library team led by John Weste. I am just sorry that we have recently lost Peta, who has finished in her role in the library. We are already feeling her absence and miss her dearly. Of course, I thank our committee secretariats. I have said it before, and I will say it again: our offices do run on the smell of an oily rag. Our staff are seriously overworked and, in my view, underpaid. All the support our library team and committee secretariats provide to them and to me is greatly appreciated.

On that note and in the spirit of Christmas, Treasurer, this might be an opportune time to try to negotiate with you over some additional staff resources to lighten that load, especially in light of your acknowledgement a few moments ago of their hard work. Lastly, parliamentary counsel, led by Amy Travis, I am sorry for the mountain of work we load you with at ridiculously short notice but with exceptionally high expectations. I think we are all indebted to you for your hard work, your ridiculously quick turnarounds and your sound advice.

Mr President, I reckon that covers it. These individuals are the people who make an otherwise difficult day a manageable one. One thing is for sure: none of us would be in a position to carry out our work effectively and productively without them, but of course especially without Nicky. To all my colleagues in this place, I agree, sometimes we do not agree on every issue. We often wear our hearts on our sleeves. We get emotional, we get fiery, but I think we are all here for the same reason. I for one thoroughly enjoy it when we work together and get results that benefit our state. With those words, I wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy festivus, happy whatever it is you believe in and, above all, stay safe.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (17:16): Can I start by indicating my support for the motion of the Leader of the Government, seconded by the Acting Leader of the Opposition. Can I also endorse the sentiments and comments and the thanks expressed by the Leader of the Government, the Acting Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Greens and the leader of SA-Best. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to my staff Jenny, Dejana and Anthony. I wish everyone who works in this place a very happy Christmas and I look forward to resuming in February next year for more of the same.

The PRESIDENT (17:17): I would like to thank all the members for their support and forbearance, in particular the whip officers and their staff. I thank the Clerk and the Usher of the Black Rod and all our Legislative Council staff as well as the broader parliamentary staff. I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas.