Valedictory

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:54): I rise today in what is likely the penultimate day of the current sitting not just year but session to celebrate my valedictory era, my Independent era, and take up a challenge that was made to me by Monti on my staff this week. This MOI will be dedicated to my staff and thanking them. Part of the challenge was that I was asked to get as many Taylor Swift references in as I could. I am not going for quantity, I am going for quality. My staff have saved me from the fate of Ophelia and we swear allegiance to our hands, our teams and our vibes and I swear allegiance to them today and thank them: Monti, Tina, Keiran, Jamnes, Joanna and Michael.

Tina Woghiren is my office manager. She is office manager extraordinaire and has worked for, among others, Steve Georganas, the Hon. Frank Pangallo and I believe the Hon. John Darley, formerly. She is not a party person. She is a professional office manager and she is also the Hon. Connie Bonaros' sister. I want to thank Tina for her organisation, for her calmness and for her competence.

For each of my staff, I am going to dedicate a Taylor Swift lyric or song or era. So I asked advice of the Hon. Connie Bonaros because we are all a little afraid of Tina at the same time as being in awe of her and so her song is Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? We all are, Tina, we all are—but we also see you as our father figure, and you will protect our family.

The other part of that married couple, of course, is Jamnes Danenberg, the man with the dreads and the snood. He has been with me originally since 2010. He has come back to work in my office in recent times and I thank him for that. He has been, over his time in politics, an Animal Justice Party candidate. I first met him when he was active working on a hemp campaign back in 1995 and we were both activists on that in that year.

Jamnes has worked for various Greens MPs—not just myself but also Senator Lynn MacLaren and Alison Zamon in WA. His song, given his ability to talk underwater that led me with this voice to last week ask him, 'How do you keep talking and never lose your voice?'—and if there is a story to tell, James can take a long time to tell it—is All Too Well (10 minute version). That is because he will keep the old scarf or the snood and he does remind me of a time more innocent.

Monti, my parliamentary adviser, is the one who issued this challenge and he is a trained musical theatre performer who has somehow fallen into politics—and, my goodness, they are very good at politics, but also recently were a Tammyoke star when I found myself in a role of hosting the closing night of the Semaphore Music Festival with a Tammyoke event, which I have been asked to repeat in future years. I will be calling upon Monti, not just for Tammyoke, but thank Monti for their expertise, their insight, their political professionalism—and, Monti, you are the 'A-Team' from End Game.

Another part of the End Game A-Team is Joanna Wells, who did not want a Taylor Swift song assigned to her. She does not like the drama, but it likes her. We love you, Joanna, and we thank you for your expertise on climate, environment and water, your ability to take technical subjects and find practical paths through—and 'All's well that ends well to end up with you', Joanna Wells. I am so grateful that we have you in our office.

There are a few more. There is Keiran Snape, who, like a rainbow with all of the colours but especially purple, is one of a kind. Indeed, I promise you will never find another like Keiran Snape.

Michael Donato, my fellow Swiftie, is the last person I wish to pay tribute to—anything from New Romantics, 1989, Welcome to New York—'Everybody here was someone else before. And you can want who you want. Boys and boys and girls and girls.' Michael, you are the person who actually converted me into a Swiftie. I thank all of my team in particular. I have had the time of my life this year fighting dragons with you all. Long Live.