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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-02 Daily Xml
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WHITE, HON. P.L.

The Hon. P.L. WHITE (Taylor) (15:32): In March this year, I announced that, after 15 years as the member for Taylor, I would not be renominating and so will retire on 20 March with tomorrow being my last day in parliament. I will, of course, miss this place. I will miss the institution of parliament, working within these walls.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.L. WHITE: I will miss you too, but most of all I will miss the members, staff and characters in it. I have served in four parliaments, half in opposition and half in government. My first term was in a small opposition team of 11 members, with our party very definitely on the nose. The second term had the thrills and instability of a minority then Liberal government. In the third term I was a government minister and, in this term, a backbencher, with the time to focus and the accumulated skills to know how to best get things done. I could not have designed a better parliamentary experience and, indeed, my advice to those contemplating a political career is to start when your party is low and end when it is on a high, which I have done.

I entered parliament in 1994 in a by-election some months after Labor's trouncing in the State Bank election. Dean Brown was the premier at the time, and Alexander Downer was the opposition leader sparring with prime minister Paul Keating. We in the state Labor Party were at the lowest ebb of our political fortune and everyone was saying that it would take three terms for us to be within striking range of government.

Those were tough days but full of wonderful life lessons. It was a humbling time that made me a tougher, more determined politician than I otherwise would be. As my friend Lea Stevens knows, as she was in the health portfolio and I was in education, which were Labor's priorities at the time, we were a small team of only 11. Most us had never been in parliament before, let alone government, and so we did not have that experience and we were thrown in the deep end. And there began thousands of 'Labor Listens' meetings, rallies, forums, media stories and pieces of correspondence to build our credibility and develop new policies.

I have seen the reign of six Liberal leaders but served under only one Labor leader. In those early days what we did have was Mike Rann, and, while the media ridiculed and criticised, Mike expertly modelled for us the art of politics and the discipline it takes to succeed. We were not expected to come even close, but, with a 10 per cent swing, almost won that first election in 1997, and then made it in 2002.

I gave birth to one son in opposition (my clever sweet Thomas) and one in government whilst a minister (my beautiful Jamie). I have married, divorced and re-partnered with my darling Joe, and have added a stepdaughter to my life. I have had three stalkers, several death threats, but also the most generous plaudits and some of the warmest moments of my life.

I have been from the frustration of opposition to the joys of delivering as a government minister, and I have made many precious friends in my colleagues on both sides of the house. None of this would have been possible without my electors, whom I thank for returning me each election with an increased majority, but, more importantly, for keeping my feet on the ground. None of this would have started without the honour paid me, or the faith placed in me, by my party, the Australian Labor Party and, in particular, the right wing of it, Labor Unity.

There are many I must thank, not the least of whom are my personal staff (whom I will thank more personally than this), but I will mention just a couple: Mick Atkinson for the initial approach to run for parliament and Senator Don Farrell for his continuous and generous support of me. He has been a great role model of integrity in a tough business. To my political teacher, Mike Rann, who has modelled so well the art of imagining the best outcome, being hungry for your goals, and disciplined and focused in your endeavour, I thank him for the invaluable lessons and the opportunity to be part of the first Rann government.

It is often said that your best day in opposition is nowhere near as good as your worst day in government, and I think that is true. The privilege to serve as a government minister, as I have, and to represent one's region, one's state and one's country as I have in various fora is without parallel. I am proud of my political career and achievements, and I am proud that I have served as a Labor member. I thank my colleagues and my party for that opportunity and I wish all associated with the institution of our parliament and those members and staff who make up its character long, happy lives. Thank you.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: For the record, the member's contribution was noted with out-of-order applause not noted by the presiding officer at the time.

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