Motions

Pnevmatikos, Hon. I.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. K.J. Maher:

That this council acknowledges the meritorious service to the parliament of the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos since March 2018.

(Continued from 28 September 2023.)

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:47): I speak today not as a member of an opposing political party but as a colleague who recognises hard work, unshakeable principles and a will to serve the people of South Australia. It is an honour to pay tribute to the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, whose dedication and professional career have left a true impression upon this chamber.

The Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos has spent a professional lifetime working for the South Australian public, both through her prior career as a solicitor, as an advocate and finally as a member of the Legislative Council. She has consistently advocated for the values close to her heart, and while we may have found ourselves on opposite sides of the aisle, both physically and sometimes metaphorically, I must acknowledge the strength of her character and the sense of duty that Irene has demonstrated in every role she has undertaken.

I applaud the honourable member for her work on the Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Pilot Program and more recently for her advocacy for ensuring safety and fair remuneration for gig economy workers. I fully understand and appreciate the hours and hours that go into chairing the Legislative Review Committee. To do this whilst harbouring an illness is no easy feat. As mentioned, the honourable member and I did not always see eye to eye, but that is exactly why this parliament exists. We should be able to offer different points of view on issues; we represent different voices of the community, and those voices deserve to be heard in this place.

One of the core tenets of democracy is the respectful exchange of ideas. Irene has been a staunch advocate for this ideal, always engaging in debates fiercely but without resorting to personal attacks or divisive rhetoric. In an era where political discourse has become increasingly polarised, the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos has shown us that it is possible to maintain one's principles, whilst working towards compromise and common ground.

Throughout her tenure, the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos has never ceased in her advocacy, pushing for policies that she believes build a better future for workers, for migrants and for women. She chaired the select committee looking into wage theft, in particular assessing the impact of wage theft on workers' families, law-abiding businesses, the economy and the community. She also chaired the recent South Australian Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, a body aimed at eliminating the state's 7.4 per cent gender pay gap. These roles highlight her staunch advocacy on behalf of her constituents.

In addition to her remarkable career, the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos now faces a personal battle against cancer, a battle that requires the same strength, determination and resilience that she has shown throughout her career. Her courage in sharing this diagnosis with the public serves as an inspiration to all of us, reminding us that life's challenges can strike anyone at any time. As the honourable member moves from public office to take on this new profoundly personal challenge, let us take a moment to express our gratitude for her years of service.

We may have been political adversaries at moments, but today I stand in acknowledging the personal sacrifices the honourable member made for our state. On behalf of the opposition, I extend our warmest wishes to Irene and her family. A cancer diagnosis is always an incredible shock and absolutely, utterly distressing. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you to the honourable member for her service to South Australia and to this chamber since 2018. May her retirement be as rewarding as her career has been impactful.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:52): I rise today with some sadness to reflect on the contribution of the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos. It is a departure not of her own timing. Certainly, she has been a member of this place who has truly made her mark. Every time we lose a member, I reflect that it does change the dynamic in this place, but with the loss of Irene Pnevmatikos from this council it is a larger shift than we normally see.

I still well remember her first speech in this place, which, if I reflect, I did not think was as long as five years ago—it seems much shorter than that—but I remember being delighted about almost everything she had to say. Unlike the Hon. Nicola Centofanti, I thought, 'I have found somebody who is possibly more left wing and feminist than me in this place.' I remember pointing to her and saying, 'See, I'm not that left wing and feminist.' Anyway, more power to her.

I enjoyed being on the same side of many debates in this place as the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, because I have to say that I would not have liked to have been on the opposite side. I am pretty sure that cancer has a real battle coming its way if the way that Irene embraced her work life is anything to go by.

I was privileged to work with Irene on many issues, and the wage theft committee was one she chaired. We heard evidence from some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our state. The Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos championed those issues and she did so in a way that saw the Labor Party shift and strengthen its election, and now government, platform and our understanding as a parliament on these issues. I know that the legacy there will be that we all have real change around the way wage theft is, hopefully, eliminated in this state—hopefully, one day.

I particularly wanted to reflect—and it will come as no surprise to members of this place—on the pleasure I had working with the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos on issues of conscience. Irene certainly was very staunch in all of her beliefs, but on issues of conscience she was what we call in politics 'brave'.

I worked alongside Irene on the decriminalisation of sex work and the decriminalisation of abortion in this state. I could not help but note that she reflected upon those in her final words in this place. I know that she will be beside us in the streets and in the gallery as those issues continue to either need to be defended or progressed in terms of decriminalisation and the control of women's bodies that we see as a legacy of a patriarchal institution and society.

My favourite memory of Irene is one that I thought I would share with this place. It was after the decriminalisation of abortion legislation went through. At the time we had big letters that spelt decriminalise. Each of us held a letter: D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-S-E. Then, when we achieved it, another 'D' came out because we had had it decriminalised. As we did that, someone from the SA Abortion Action Coalition had quite beautifully organised a bit of music to celebrate the achievement. It was Lesley Gore's You Don't Own Me. We held our letters a little higher, and as I stood with Irene she sang very loudly and proudly, You Don't Own Me.

I know that it was in celebration of the great feminist achievement, the work of that health and human rights effort, but it was also a little reflective of Irene's attitude to the most tribal of political parties, the Labor Party, and the irony was certainly not lost on me. It was one of my favourite and most treasured memories of Irene. I think it sums her up, it sums up her particular impact, not just on this council but on me as a politician and a person.

I pay absolute tribute to Irene. I wish her and her family all the best in this battle. As I say, I think cancer should be scared because if you have Irene Pnevmatikos staring you down, I would be running, and let's hope that it does. It is a battle, however, that she has to put all of her time and effort into and put herself first for once, so I urge her to do that. I congratulate her on a fine contribution to the causes of her political party, of the progressive politics of this state, of feminist achievement. Indeed, the legacy that Irene carries with her will no doubt see us mention her many more times in this place.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:58): I also rise to put on record my appreciation of the work of our remarkable trailblazing and fearless colleague the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, who has really made a big contribution to politics in this state and a big contribution to this chamber.

Reflecting a little bit before speaking on this, I was reminded that I have known Irene for many years. I was a friend of her daughter, Demi, at university and so I first met Irene when I was in my 20s. Demi was always really rightly proud of her mother's achievements. I remember meeting her as a young person. She was someone who made a huge impression then.

I saw her many times over the years. Demi and I actually lived together in share housing and one of my funniest memories of Irene was that Demi and I used to run a competition over who had the best decorated bedroom in the share house. We decided that we would need to bring in an objective judge. Who best to choose than the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, who came in, took one look at the two rooms and said, 'Well, clearly Robert's is better.'

I did think it was an unfair contest for Demi to be facing off against a gay man like myself with amazing interior design skills, but it was Irene who called it and did it in 30 seconds. She is always straight to the point, and I have always appreciated that directness about Irene. She is someone who, in her political career, has demonstrated the capacity to cut through to an issue and to say what needs to be said, and to say it without the BS. I think that is something that we are really going to miss.

I might briefly reflect a little bit on Irene's career and her story. She is the daughter of working-class migrants who came to Australia seeking democracy and economic fairness. She was educated at Mitchell Park Primary, Para Hills West Primary, Salisbury East High School and the University of Adelaide. She has qualifications in a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.

She has spent her working life dedicated to advocating for people who are often denied political power. She was a caseworker for the Adelaide Women's Community Health Centre. She worked as a migrant workers' rights officer in the FMWU. She was a trade union training authority review officer for WorkCover. She was a conciliation and arbitration officer for the Workers Compensation Tribunal and a solicitor for Equity Partners. She was a community representative on the Australian federal government delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Irene is someone who has always believed that the luck of circumstances someone is born into should not be a barrier to access to education, health care and employment. Other members have remarked on Irene's significant contribution here in the parliament. She co-sponsored the free menstrual hygiene products pilot program. She has been an advocate for abortion law reform and the decriminalisation of sex work, and I know she worked very closely with my colleague the Hon. Tammy Franks, and has been chair of committees inquiring into wage theft and the gig economy. I think it is fair to say that Irene has been a powerhouse advocate for working people.

I will conclude with a story about Irene in the context of the recent anti-protest laws. I really admired the fact that she came out and stood with protestors on the steps of this parliament in the days before that vote, and also joined union leaders at the protest in Festival Plaza. When she was asked by journalists why she was there, she said, 'I've come to hear the views of the community,' and I think: good on her. Irene has always been someone who has been willing to stand up to power, to stand up to vested interests and fight for what is right, even if that has meant ruffling feathers in the Labor Party, and I respect her for that.

Might I say, as other members have done, my thoughts are with Irene in her health battle. I understand this will be a challenging time for her and her family but, as my colleague the Hon. Tammy Franks said, she is going to really take on this health battle, and if cancer thinks it is going to get the better of Irene Pnevmatikos, it has another think coming. I wish her all the best. We will miss her from this parliament, but we know that this will not be the end of Irene's activism. She will continue to be there, standing along with all of us, fighting for progressive values.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (16:03): I rise to reflect on our comrade's surprisingly brief time in this place. To know Irene was to think she was here a lot longer than five years, frankly. I have to say, I have been here for a surprising number of farewell speeches for people from this place and it is quite amazing, in reflecting on that, how many people have an Irene story. By that, I mean everybody who got to know Irene got to know her in a way that has left a mark on them.

In thinking about that, I think back to the first time that I really got to know Irene, which is when she was sitting next to me. She has always shared a bench next to me in this place. It was the first day that she came in and we did the usual thing where we sign in to the book. She was then brought over to her seat and she sat down. I sort of turned around and had a look around the pole as I have to, because these poles get in the way of being able to talk to people from time to time. I looked around at Irene and she said, 'Right, so what do I do now?' I said, 'Well, you sit here. We are going to do this question time thing.'

We got about three minutes in and she said, 'This is cow manure.' I said, 'What do you mean?' She said, 'Well, they're not answering the bloody question.' I said, 'That's not the point.' She said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'It's question time not answer time, Irene.' She frowned at me and I have come to realise that that frown was a mark of endearment not one of scorn because I thought the joke was funny.

That was not the end of the bench relationship that I had with Irene over the years. The reality is Irene always had a comment as the bill was going through or the debate was being had. She did not enjoy question time but she sure did enjoy commentary time. I cannot share many of those comments made by Irene, but I can tell you they were very funny, and a couple of them made it into my speeches with her okay. Irene may have been tough but God she was funny. That is not something you immediately get off Irene but I tell you, she had a great sense of humour and a cutting one too. I just wish she had used it more on interjections. It would have been a much more amusing question time.

I would say this as well about Irene the person: in so many ways, Irene represents what is so very great about this place, our parliament, our state, our country. As has been put by other members, Irene looks like so many other people. She is one of the people of South Australia and this nation. She is the daughter of migrants. She did do it tough to get to where she did in life and she worked hard. I think, in a totally bipartisan way, outside of the party, that is what this nation and this state would aspire to be, and in her time here and in what she brought here she achieved that.

It is so very much not just about the fact that Irene is about history, though. It would be easy to say that Irene stood for things, she stood for values, she stood up for things and traditions, and she did. The union movement is just one of her great loves in which she did that, and everything the union movement stands for. That stands out in so many of the things that have been read by so many other members here: the committees that she went on, the marginalised she stood up for, and the people who I think benefitted from her cutting wit and steadfast belief.

But the truth is also that Irene is another great innovation of, I would like to believe, the Labor Party but also Australia, and that is change, that is innovation—her capacity to look forward, to see the things that are confronting our society, our culture, who we are as it changes. That is, as has been put by the Hon. Mr Simms I think far better than me, difficult. It puts you on the frontline. It puts you in harm's way in so many ways. Irene, sometimes to the displeasure of her own party, was always keen to do that, always willing to do that because to her that is what this place was, that is what being here was.

To go back to her very first comment to me, 'What do I do now?' Well, she did it, didn't she? She stood up for the past, and she saw the things that were confronting us in the future, and you really cannot ask for too much more than that from a member of this place. I think that South Australia as a state got a bargain in the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos. The only problem is it was only for five years—too short a time.

I would say, in so many ways, she would hate it, but I have come to always try to read a poem for those I choose to speak on as they go. Irene's departure reminds me of Tennyson, in particular Ulysses—I know, Ulysses: the irony. Anyhow, she would hate Tennyson as well I think. Nonetheless, I am going to do it, and that is this:

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

That is Irene Pnevmatikos.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (16:10): It is with great pleasure that I speak to this motion today. We all know in this place that the office location is high stakes. There is hot demand for the office with the best location, the size, and of course having the right office neighbour. My first office in this place was not in a great location. For starters, it was on level 2—no offence to those opposite—but worse, it was behind the infamous rat screen, and my neighbour was someone who I had not worked with much prior to parliament; I was next to the one and only Irene.

I will be honest, I was not sure how this relationship would work out. My new neighbour was loud, had constant foot traffic and was insistent on her neighbours participating in a regular coffee break—Greek coffee, of course, made by Irene. But it turned out that Irene's loudness and love of bringing people together to participate in sharing her experiences and other experiences and challenges over brewed coffee is what made Irene the best neighbour to have, especially in my first few years.

After rereading her first speech, this quality of bringing people together to express their views and talk about issues and listen to arguments from others was not only commonplace but encouraged by her parents at their family table. It is clear that this quality of bringing people together, to give people space to express their values and their struggles, enabled Irene to move from the family debates around her kitchen table to the tables of many who needed a trusted person who would listen, who would hear them and who would fight for them.

Irene became a trusted voice for some of the most vulnerable in our community, from her role at the Adelaide women's community health centre, to the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union, to the Workers Compensation Tribunal. She sat behind these tables in this chamber and in parliament committee rooms to be a loud voice for workers and to fight for their rights for a safer work environment. She fought for change and for the rights of young women to have access to free pads and tampons in our schools. She took this fight time and time again into this chamber to give voice to the voiceless.

Irene, I know you will take on your next fight, as you have taken on the fight for others, loud and determined and with true Irene tenacity. As Irene mentioned in her first speech, having a voice is one thing but being heard is far more important. Irene, you were certainly heard. Thank you for always being you: the loud and passionate coffee barista who also had the best paperclip collection.

Thank you for staying true to the values you learnt around your family table: to bring people together, to listen and to hear from others. I could not have asked for a better first office neighbour. Thank you for leaving this place better than you found it. I look forward to working with Mira. Her speech today was incredible for her new role in this place.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.