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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-12-01 Daily Xml
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RANN, HON. M.D.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (16:10): First, I would like to acknowledge that today is World AIDS Day, and it is very important that we acknowledge the work that needs to be done in that area. I would also like to acknowledge that today is the last day we will see the former premier, Mike Rann (the member for Ramsay), sitting in this chamber. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his support over the years.

First of all I knew him as a friend when he was working in the Department of Labour, in the Industrial Democracy Unit. When I first met him, he was fresh from New Zealand. In and around March 1997, he basically conned me into taking over as the Labor candidate for Hanson (now called Ashford) from Mark Butler.

As such a late starter in the election campaign of 1997, he did not think I would win the seat, but he really wanted somebody—particularly a woman—with, as he called it, good Labor credentials. As I said, he conned me into taking over that position as a candidate. Although I worked hard, I really do have to acknowledge the fact that Mark Butler had been an excellent candidate before me. He had worked hard.

With the help of many volunteers—particularly my family and friends—the then senator Nick Bolkus and my fellow Labor candidate, Pat Conlon, who was running for the seat of Elder, I won the seat. I particularly have to acknowledge Mike Rann's work, because not only did he talk me into being a candidate, he also spent a lot of time with me, making sure that the campaign was going well and doing a lot of work in the electorate of Hanson, as it was then.

I would also like to extend my best wishes to Kevin Foley. As a fellow kid growing up in Port Adelaide, I have always felt quite a strong connection to him. Despite the fact that Le Fevre was a boys' school, I also attended that school and did chemistry.

Mrs Redmond: I bet that was fun.

The Hon. S.W. KEY: It was, yes. I was very popular. There were only five young women at Le Fevre Boys Technical School. I came from Port Adelaide Girls Technical School; they did not offer chemistry at our school.

Mr Sibbons: Is that the reason you chose chemistry?

The Hon. S.W. KEY: No, I am very interested in chemistry. The other interest that I think Kevin and I share is the love of Port Power, although I must say that he is much more enthusiastic about it than I am. However, I certainly have an allegiance to Port Power as well.

Although Kevin and I did not agree on many political issues—and I certainly had an interesting time as the minister for social justice in the budget negotiations with him as treasurer—the thing I have always found about Kevin is that he is progressive. He has always given me support in the various private members' bills that I have had in this house and has said that, when it comes to the vote, he would vote for those bills. So, I must say that that means a lot to me because, as anyone in here knows, private members' bills are very difficult to actually get up, and to have that sort of support from Kevin is very much appreciated.

Mike Rann has done a number of things behind the scenes that people probably do not know about. I would like to give a couple of examples. One of them is his support for Three D Radio. There is an ongoing campaign that we need to maintain for that radio to continue as a community radio. I think part of the attraction, though, was that I very deliberately got him on to Three D Radio, probably nearly 15 years ago now, and made sure that he could play his music in an hour that was dedicated to Mike Rann and his music. I think he was hooked after that.

I must say I do share a number of Mike Rann's musical choices, but very few people have the same appreciation for the Cream or the Doors as Mike Rann does. I am probably selling him short, because he does have quite an extensive taste in music, which is probably unknown to most members in this place. He certainly helped that project, and most recently he has been at the backbone of the Kym Adey education program for women in Catherine House.

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