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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
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Members

Evans, Hon. I.F.

The SPEAKER: On indulgence, we shall hear from whoever wishes to speak about the member for Davenport, such as the member for Davenport.

Members interjecting: Hear, hear!

The SPEAKER: Hear, hear!

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (17:50): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the government and the house for the opportunity to give a valedictory speech and say goodbye to this grand old lady we call the House of Assembly. I promise the house I will not speak for five hours and 28 minutes, which is the record I hold in this place, much to Michael Wright's regret.

The day before I announced I was leaving the parliament after 21 years I took my daughter Allison to lunch at Parlamento's to tell her that I was making the announcement the next day. It was the first she had heard of it. She instantly burst into tears, as did I. There we were, head on each other's shoulders, crying our eyes out; it was a moment that confirmed to me that I had made the right decision. This was one of life's beautiful moments, which I will treasure.

I can still remember the opening lines of my preselection speech: 'Family man, business man, team man, Liberal', four reasons to preselect Iain Evans as the candidate, and they are four areas I wish to comment on today. As we in this place know, politics is hard on members of parliament's families. A minister's family has it even tougher, a party leader's family has it tougher again, and the family of a leader who is removed by his party has it tougher again.

I have been very lucky that I have spent 30 years with one of life's beautiful people in Fiona. Fiona has been a wonderful support to me over my political career, not only in that but through our business and through my senior roles in Apex and other community activities. More importantly, her compassion and care, her warmth and strength, intelligence and determination, her love and understanding, have been a wonderful example and role model for our children. Although we had four children under eight when I entered politics, and were running a business employing 30 at the time, with four retail shops, Fiona went back to complete some courses, including a university degree in accountancy. She works full time and is now halfway through a CPA. I am so proud of Fiona's achievements in her own right. The best thing a man can do for his children is love their mother, and that I do indeed.

I have said in other forums that I was like a footballer who played one season too many—and that may have contributed to the grumpiness that the member for Schubert referred to in a light-hearted manner in his contribution—and I apologise to my family for not retiring at the 2010 election. Our children—Staten, Alexander, Fraser and Allison—have been a great support, particularly during campaigns, but I am sure they will not miss the letter boxing, the enveloping, the folding, the putting up of signs, and the fundraising.

You never know why someone votes for you, as my eldest son Staten found out a few elections ago when, on election night, he was chatting up a young lady from Flagstaff Hill in the Davenport electorate. This young woman proudly stated that she had voted for the only woman on the ballot paper, 'Lain' Evans. When Staten confessed that 'Lain' Evans was indeed his father Iain Evans, it killed off what could have been a beautiful relationship. Staten has always been there without complaint, he would always ring on the difficult days, he has actually learnt to like listening to the ABC, and I certainly appreciate his support. I remember him doing so much letterboxing on one occasion that his underarms, through running, were red raw.

Alexander, our second son, is a very laid-back young man with a great sense of humour. He had great joy in teasing me in the most recent campaign that he and all his mates were voting Labor because the young uni student that Labor had picked as its candidate was 'hot'. He told me throughout the whole campaign that I was going to lose because I was going to lose the 'dirty old man vote' and the 'red-blooded male vote', but I am not sure that our state director actually ever polled those particular constituencies. Alexander was very disappointed when he found out that he did not live in Davenport and could not vote for the hot candidate, so he voted for the member for Heysen instead.

Fraser gave us a good laugh in 1997, when he was quite young, and when the Democrats caused a threat, of course, when he was travelling down in the car with my father-in-law and mother-in-law. We were talking about how dad might lose that night and how the Democrats had put a lot of pressure on. Fraser piped up from the back seat and said, 'Don't worry about that, grandpa. We're gonna beat those demacrackers.' Later, at morning talk, when I was being sworn in as the minister, he proudly told the whole school that I was going that day to Government House to swear at the Governor.

Allison, my daughter, can take or leave politics, she would have you believe, but she actually has a good interest in public affairs, being a journalist, and it looks like she might study economics next year. Allison fell more in love with politics when she came with me to the races and, after losing the first six, backed the winners and the last three and went home with an extra $100. All of a sudden, this politics was not such a bad thing. Thanks, kids, for all the love and support; I really appreciate it.

In a sense, I am the son closing the family business. Between my father and I, we have been in parliament for 46 consecutive years, dad being elected in 1968 as the member for Onkaparinga, in Fisher and then Davenport. The 46 years represent 25 per cent of the state's history. It is a record that Stan and I and our family are very proud of, and I wish to make some comments in regard to those years.

As a result of dad's involvement, I have been involved in every campaign federal and state for those 46 years—federal campaigns under leaders Gorton, McMahon, Snedden, Fraser, Howard, Peacock, Howard, Hewson and Abbott, and state campaigns under Hall, Eastick, Tonkin, Olsen, Brown, Olsen, Kerin, Redmond and Marshall. I have lived through the, 'We want more water', the Whitlam dismissal, the Liberal Party split, the formation of the Liberal Movement, the State Bank campaign, the privatisation campaign in 1989, the GST election, and the WorkChoices election. I remember going to function in Mount Barker when prime minister Gorton arrived, and we had 10,000 people at a Liberal Party function on the Mount Barker oval—just a few more than the member for Kavel has in this branch now.

While I have enjoyed politics, it is time for me to have another conversation in my life. My father came to this place by defeating the sitting member H.H. Shannon, then education minister in the Playford government. As president of the local branch, it fell to Stan to ask Shannon, then 70 years old, to step down as six other people in the branch (not Stan) wanted to contest the seat but would not challenge Shannon.

Shannon mistakenly refused to go and said to dad, 'Stan, I'm not stepping down, so you just don't have a candidate.' Dad replied, 'Well, you do now: it's me.' I would like to have been a fly on the wall when dad went home to tell mum—who was raising five well-behaved children under the age of 14 at the time, who was running the family business, who was running the football club canteen. I am sure she was thrilled at the proposal that she would now have to run a state election campaign for dad.

Dad went to work, signed up 1,600 members at two shillings each, and won the preselection and, indeed, the seat. The papers reported, 'Man of the street defeats the minister.' My role as a nine year old was to stand on the Scott Creek booth from eight in the morning to eight at night for the 72 voters who attended that day. I regret to report that my first attempt at campaigning was not good: there was a swing against the Liberal Party in that booth. I put it down to the school shorts.

Dad went on to serve 25 years in this place. He was the longest serving whip of any parliament in Australia. He successfully moved a motion, which was passed by the parliament, calling on the government to establish the first ombudsman in Australia—a position, sadly, wrongly attributed to Dunstan by some.

Perhaps one of his proudest moments was when Steele Hall, the premier, and Rob Millhouse, the attorney-general, called a meeting at Belair to form a branch of the Liberal Movement. Hall and Millhouse were excited. They rolled up to Belair and the hall was packed. Little did they know that Stan had stacked the front of the hall. Halfway through the meeting the chants started: 'Let's hear Stan. Let's hear Stan.' Stan spoke against the formation of the branch of the Liberal Movement and won the debate. The branch never formed. He was the only Liberal MP holding a metropolitan seat who did not join the Liberal Movement. Dad was proud that having left school at 14 he out debated people who would hold the positions of Premier and Attorney-General within the state.

My father was street-smart and canny in some things he did. He was the undersecretary to Steele Hall. He was receiving lots of letters from someone called Yelnats Snave about issues in his electorate and the Adelaide Hills. It was not until, I think, Peter Middleton, the Premier's press secretary, worked out that Yelnats Snave is Stanley Evans spelt backwards and someone (Stan, I think) might have been writing letters trying to get answers that he wanted, because he was actually receiving the letters, that that process was ultimately stopped.

Dad was also good at rounding up the numbers for whatever battle was happening within the party, preselections or delegate entitlements. I remember one particular battle where a farmer cousin Fred arrived right on the death knock when they locked the doors. He stood in front of the whole college, which had been subtly worked with the numbers over a period of months, leant back, scratched his backside and said, 'Crikey, uncle Stan, if grandma was here we could have a family reunion!' At that point, I think everyone knew the numbers were done.

Supporting Stan and Fiona and I over a 46-year journey has been my mother, one of life's great ladies. It is hard to put into words the contribution to family, politics, the Liberal Party and community over that 46 years. Perhaps the fact she was awarded an OAM has said it all. It was mum's strength, love and forgiveness that carried dad on his difficult days. When dad stood as an Independent he was home only five days in a year for dinner—they were the kids' birthdays. Mum just kept carrying the load. Observing this, dad dare not lose, and in defeating Dean Brown became the only MP in Australian history to have beaten two sitting MPs, Shannon and Brown. It is fair to say that Stan was great campaigner.

As an example of mum's commitment, she twice cooked a three-course meal for over 440 guests as fundraisers for our campaign. Thanks, mum and dad, for always being there and for the advice; though, I have to say, Stan, I will not miss you selling raffle tickets down the street. Dad would sell raffle tickets, come back to my office, flick through the raffle books and say, 'I spoke to Mrs Jones. Problem with the footpath. I said you'd ring her,' 'Bill Smith's got a problem with the road; I said you would write to council.' He would sell 200 tickets and my office would get 20 jobs. I will certainly not miss that.

To my siblings—Yvonne, Daphne, David and Andrew—and their partners and their families, thanks for supporting Fiona and me. All of them too have been in politics for 46 years, with a father and a brother involved. I know it impacts your lives and your friendships. I just want you to know that we appreciate your support and love. To Fiona's family, Brian and Shirley, and Brian's late wife, June, to Sally, Donny, Tim, Shane and Sam, Peter, Andrew and Andrea and their families, thanks for being such great support.

Prior to entering politics, Fiona and I, with my brothers David and Andrew, ran our own building, plumbing and retail business. I entered politics to advocate for small business as the backbone of the state economy, and that is why over the past 28 years I have argued strongly on behalf of the small business sector. I am returning to the private sector as the CEO of a start-up export company, and I really do look forward to going back to my small business roots.

I was proud to have been elected leader and deputy leader of my party without ever challenging the incumbent. To have been elected only the 13th leader of the party in its 100-year history is an honour of which I am proud. I would have loved the opportunity to take the party to an election, but as luck would have it that did not work out.

Teamwork in politics is important. If you do not have teamwork, you usually end up spending longer in opposition than you really want. Politics does not have to be that hard. For instance, when asked days before the election if you rule out a challenge to the leader, the answer to that question is 'yes'. When you look someone in the eye and shake their hand and guarantee your support for years, honour the deal.

When you meet colleagues to discuss challenging the leader and agree that no-one has the numbers to defeat the leader, and also agree that no-one should challenge the leader, as an unsuccessful challenge would be a disaster and set Labor up for a long time in government, do not challenge the leader the next day and then withdraw four days later. If you want to see the impact of that, look at the 2005 challenge and the 2006 election result.

When you are 59-41 ahead in the polls 15 months out from the election, do not challenge the leader. Most people who read political polls think that 59-41 is a winning position. If you do challenge the leader, do not do it while he is at the funeral of one of your colleagues interstate.

I entered parliament as a Liberal, not only because I was brought up in a Liberal household but because of my life experience. I was kicked off a building site for not belonging to a union. Ron Owens from the builders' labourers union had that pleasure. I could not get my uni exams because I did not belong to the students' union. Land that had been in my family for 130 years was compulsorily acquired. Labor announced a development freeze halving the value of our property in the Adelaide Hills. My business suffered 21 per cent interest rates under Keating as treasurer and the State Bank collapsed. I am a Liberal because I believe in individual freedom, free enterprise, surplus budgets, lower taxes and, through efficient government, providing services to those in need. It is these values that I have held for 21 years.

I laughed during the week when an online comment responding to an article about my retirement said that I was a typical Liberal from a wealthy, privileged background. My father did not finish second year at high school and left school at 14. Prior to politics he was a stonemason, contractor, primary producer and garbage collector. When a Labor MP interjected that Stan was a garbage collector, Stan quickly responded, 'Better the collector than the garbage.' My mother was the intellect of the two. She actually did complete second year at school and went on to be a dressmaker.

In a wealth sense, I did not come from a privileged background. I was only the second leader of the party to be publicly educated, being educated at Heathfield Primary School and Heathfield High School. However, I was privileged to be born into a family with a different form of wealth, and that was in the form of community service. I grew up in a family where community service is just what we did. It was not just my parents' community service, which I have spoken of previously, but other members of my family as well. My sister Yvonne has been recognised for her long service to SAPSASA and her involvement in basketball and netball; my brother David was national and state president of the Vauxhall Owners Car Club and was heavily involved in Apex and football; my sister Daphne was involved with the Ravens and Garville netball clubs, Netball SA and heavily involved in the Liberal Party; and my brother Andrew, who has been a councillor and deputy mayor, was also heavily involved in Apex. Fiona herself has been involved in Apex and school and various kindy committees.

It was during the time when Andrew was the deputy mayor that he was knee-high in a sewerage pit. There were rumours that Alexander Downer was going to retire. The Australian newspaper rang Andrew and asked, 'Is it true that you're going to stand for Mayo?' Andrew, in typical tradesman's fashion, said, 'Look, mate, I'm standing waist high in a sewerage pit and I'm not standing for Mayo for two reasons. Firstly, I'm a plumber; why would I take a pay cut? Secondly, I can go home tonight and wash all the shit off, and in politics you can't do that.'

I love being involved in my local community. When preselected I was on 36 local committees. I was lucky enough to at the time be elected to positions of state president and national president of Apex, the youngest person ever to hold those positions. I have a strong sense of duty. I entered politics because I do see it as the highest form of community service. It is through politics and policy reform that you can make people's lives better. You can provide them with more opportunities in life and build better communities. That is why I have been very privileged to have served in this place. It has given me a chance to serve, to help others and, I would like to think, improve the state.

In my view, politics is a noble profession. MPs set their own standard of conduct and I believe that you can have integrity in politics. In politics there has to be a relationship between the two sides. I thank the Labor MPs with whom I have dealt over the many years for their trust in my word. When we agreed on positions they were matters of mutual interest—as we call them. I particularly refer to former treasurer Foley, Treasurer Koutsantonis, Deputy Premier Rau, the Premier and the member for Playford. I have dealt with them on many issues.

I have a quick story about Kevin Foley. Three weeks out from the 2010 election I got a phone call from an old cricket friend of mine who was a grandfather. His granddaughter had lost one eye to cancer and was about to lose the other eye to cancer. This was right in the middle of the election campaign. He had rung me up to see if we could get $45,000 in funding from the government to fly this young girl to the USA to get the procedure done to save her eye as it was the only place in the world the procedure was done. He was asking me to ring the treasurer in the middle of the campaign to see if the government would hand over $45,000, so I undertook to do it.

I rang Kevin and said, 'Look, Kevin, these are the circumstances.' Kevin, to his credit, said, 'Meet me in the State Admin Centre at 2 o'clock.' So, in the middle of the campaign there is Kevin, this family and me meeting about this young girl. Kevin, to his credit, had various specialists from the health sector there and we had her doctor. He agreed to spend the $45,000 to send this girl to America on the basis that an Australian doctor went with them so that they could learn the procedure and bring the procedure back to Australia. As luck would have it, the young girl's condition was too far gone for that procedure to be of any use, but it was just an example where a trusting relationship between the two sides can benefit everyone involved.

It is these values of family man, businessman, team man and a Liberal, founded on a foundation stone of community service that has moulded Iain Evans into the member for Davenport. I was privileged to be a minister for five years. I thank John Olsen for the opportunity he gave me, and I thank Nick Minchin, Vicki Thomson and John Olsen for their friendship and advice.

I am very proud of my achievements. I have put out a press release. I will not go through everything that I was proud of, but I did have a wry smile on my face over the last period when the debate was around the desal plant, the emergency services levy, and marine parks—all issues that were started by me, and proudly so.

The banning of mining in the Gammon Ranges was a particularly proud moment, but there are also two others. The issue of Growdens where I fought for seven years to win $13½ million to be returned to 400 families that had been ripped off by an investment scheme was a great achievement, and I am proud of my involvement in the Easling matter, which I know caused some difficulty for the government. The reason I took up the Easling matter was quite simple: in my view it was the right thing to do regardless of the difficulty of the circumstances around it.

Finally, can I thank all the staff who make this place work: Hansard, the library, the catering staff, security, chamber staff and everyone else involved in the parliament. I have really appreciated the professional way all of the staff in the parliament make it work and thanks for putting up with me over 21 years.

Hansard will be pleased to know that I have been reading Hansard since I was nine years old. When your pocket money depends on your father keeping his job you take an interest in what he does, so while others were reading Batman comics, I was reading Hansard which may, I guess, contribute to my interest in politics.

I would also like to thank parliamentary counsel, particularly Richard Dennis, Aimee Travers, Mark Herbst and others, who have taken my ideas and made them into bills. I did a lot of legislative work, and parliamentary counsel tell me I hold the record for the largest number of private members' bills passed in the parliament.

To my drivers, Paul Adey and Warren Bartsch, two nicer guys you will never meet. I thank them for their support, but also for making sure they never beat any of my children at noughts and crosses.

I thank the leader's staff, in particular 'Treasury Tim' as we called him. Tim Melrose did an outstanding job over many years and, in particular, was of great assistance to me as shadow treasurer.

I thank all my ministerial and electorate staff over the years: Janita Giles, Karen Petney, Rebecca Murray, Kate Melrose, Rachel Lawson, Jess Keen, Kate Holmes, Louise Bajada, Nicki Willing, Heather Cowden Tonkes, Rebecca Rosser, Steph Greene, Chris Coxon, Trevor Cooke and Craig Bildstein.

In particular I want to pay tribute to Sarah Taylor and Charlotte Edmunds. These two young women were with me during the period of shadow treasury leading up to the 2014 election. We had 10 portfolios. As shadow minister you get nothing. You get the title and the work, but you do not get a stamp or an envelope or any extra resource, and for these two young women to carry 10 portfolios in the policy sense, the costing sense, and all the research work was just an outstanding effort and I cannot thank Sarah and Charlotte enough. They are a great credit to the Liberal Party. Thanks, Sarah and Charlotte.

I take this opportunity to thank the people of Davenport for showing faith in Fiona and me by re-electing us six times. We really enjoyed working with all the community groups and value and appreciate the friendships we made over the last 21 years. It was a privilege and honour to represent them.

I thank the Liberal Party for giving me the opportunity, all the headquarters staff and the state directors over the years. I pay special thanks to the Davenport branch and its members for their unconditional loyalty and support; in particular Pam Lehmann who started as a volunteer with my father in 1970 and is still there helping me today.

I want to thank all my colleagues I have worked with over the 21 years, in particular the Hons Rob Lucas, David Ridgway and Terry Stephens, and the members for Kavel, Heysen and MacKillop who have all been good friends and supporters over the years. Special thanks to Rob Lucas for his advice and support. It has been great working with him for the full 21 years of the time I have been here. To the member for MacKillop, I want to pay tribute to him for acting with honour in circumstances which he and I know. Mitch, I will always remember it. Thanks.

To the leader, Steven Marshall, I wish you and the team all the best. With hard work, discipline and unity, you are in reach of something very special and I sincerely hope, Steven, that you are the next premier of the state. I thank all the members for their comments in this debate. It has been an honour. It has been a privilege. Thank you and goodbye.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (18:16): I rise to pay tribute to the member for Davenport for his 21 years of meritorious service. I begin with the observation that I once made to Kevin Foley, which was that once you start talking about yourself in the third person, it is time to go, and I can make this pledge: you will never hear Jay Weatherill talking about himself in the third person.

Can I also say, I was pleased to actually hear at least some evidence of who we have to blame for the member for Davenport. I always believed that the member for Davenport was likely to have been bitten by a trade unionist. That is the only explanation for the way in which he has turned out, and it is Ron Owens from the BLF who is responsible for producing the member for Davenport.

On a serious note, the member for Davenport has been, I think, routinely regarded by those of us on this side of the house as the most dangerous opponent. I say that with respect, because of the careful way in which he constructs his interrogation of ministers on this side of the house. That is a mark of respect, because of the care and preparation in relation to the way in which he carries out his work.

I have always been fascinated, actually, by the member for Davenport in many ways. First, I can recall his prescience when John Howard introduced the WorkChoices legislation and he predicted that this would be a disaster that would actually rebound on him. I believed the same thing and, on this, we had a meeting of minds. What the former prime minister, in fact, did was allowed a case to be taken to the High Court—because it was always going to be challenged—which would provide, if you like, a constitutional guidebook for the next Labor government to completely reform the industrial relations system, and so they did, as predicted by the member for Davenport.

He does understand the long-term position and that is one of the reasons that he has had such a long and successful career. I have also been fascinated by how the member for Davenport has managed to engage in this extraordinary balancing act, coming from the right wing of the Liberal Party but managing to hold a seat in what is one of the most progressive areas of the state—the Adelaide Hills. I know this from close observation because my in-laws live in the seat of Davenport, in Blackwood.

Mr Williams: They vote for him!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, I hope not because Tuesday night dinners are going to be a much more rancorous affair if they have, but I do know that they have an incredibly high regard for him as a local member. They are probably tempted to vote for him but, hopefully, have resisted the temptation.

Also, the positions the member has adopted, where he has always paid careful regard to the lifestyle questions, the issues about the care and protection of the environment (I am not suggesting that these are not genuinely held), tend to fit with the complexion of the electorate, but perhaps not with the complexion of the Adelaide Hills. It is fascinating: the Adelaide Hills controlled by the right, whereas they are in a sense populated by a lot of greenies who float between the Liberal Party and the Greens. That is just an observation.

I pay credit to a range of attributes the member for Davenport has, without necessarily endorsing the merits of this. I do notice that the member for Davenport has always been a fierce advocate on behalf of people he feels have been falsely accused. Reasonable people can differ about whether the accusations are false or accurate, but he has taken it seriously on behalf of his constituents (for a number of them he has made regular and persistent representations on their behalf to me), and I am sure his constituents have appreciated the persistence with which he pursued those representations.

I also pay tribute to the way in which he conducts himself in relation to his dealings with other members of parliament, in particular the question of keeping his word and of keeping confidences. These are important matters for the successful functioning of a parliament. They are quite important for the way in which ministers and members of parliament are able to interact and achieve things.

If everything is going to be brought in here to question time and paraded in front of the cameras, it rather changes the nature of the relationship between an MP and a minister. The member for Davenport understood that. If he thought he had an issue that would be advantageous to be raised here, of course he would prosecute it, but from time to time he also understood that some things were better dealt with in private for the mutual benefit of his constituent and the interests of the government in being able to provide a sensible solution.

I want to make an observation about one element of that, where there was great cooperation with the member for Enfield, and that is in the question of the reform of the electoral system, in particular public funding. It is interesting that the former premier would not go near public funding; he thought it was the third rail of South Australian politics—touch it and you would be electrocuted. Interestingly, the world has moved so far on, and the concerns about the negative influence of corporate donations has become so profound.

We thought that this was something we had to achieve in a bipartisan way. It occurred to me, after testing the waters in this matter, that this was something that was popular. When we actually announced public financing of elections, instead of getting this cascade of abuse (which we fully expected) it was actually welcomed and people were saying, 'When are you going to do it?' Such was the concern about the integrity of the political system.

You only have to look at New South Wales to see how worrying these things are. But the member for Davenport piloted through those reforms, and I make this prediction: these reforms, requiring as they do the centralisation of finances for the Liberal Party (which I know is a challenge because of the nature of the way in which the Liberal Party is constructed, which is a series of fiefdoms that have their own pots of money), will be the best thing that ever happened to the Liberal Party.

They will provide for the centralisation of finances, which will ultimately force you to centralise your political authority, and you will stop making stupid preselection decisions, like some of the ones you have taken, with all due respect. So, in the long term this will be in your interests and you will look back at the member for Davenport and thank him for that. It will not be good for us, but it will be good for you.

In relation to another matter, the proper entitlement for members of parliament, for too long we have all accepted the common view that we are not worth a cracker, and if we keep buying into that it will be a race to the bottom. If we do not value ourselves, nobody else will. The member for Davenport understood that and the rest have us should begin to understand that as well. I am sad we were not able to conclude some of the things that we have been talking about but I think in the future we need to realise that there is an important relationship between the proper remuneration of MPs, the standard of MPs we get in here and, also, the regard in which we are held in the community.

The truth is that politics can be a brutal and lacerating process. I know the member for Davenport was given the briefest of periods in the leadership role, which came as a surprise, but we on this side of the house do not know all the internal machinations that occur within politics: we can only observe from a distance.

But it is proper, I think, on these occasions for many to make, I think, positive observations of those we find opposite and to celebrate those contributions that are important and good, and that is the spirit in which I have addressed my remarks today. I pay credit to your 21 years of meritorious service.

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (18:25): Today, of course, is the end of an era and, of course, that era is the Evans era here in the South Australian Parliament. We have already heard 46 years of continuous service to the people of South Australia and the South Australian parliament, representing a quarter of the life of this parliament. What an outstanding service it has been.

Iain Evans was born in Adelaide and educated at Heathfield Primary School and Heathfield High School. He then went on to the South Australian Institute of Technology where he completed his bachelor studies. He was first elected to the South Australian parliament as the member for Davenport in December 1993.

From that point on, he held a number positions of very high office in a range of portfolios, including as minister for sport and recreation; police, correctional services and emergency services; racing; industry and trade; and environment and heritage; and he was Australia's very first minister for volunteers. Of course, he served as a member of the Executive Council for South Australia from 1998 to 2002 and he also served as the leader of our parliamentary party, the highest honour that can be bestowed upon somebody in our parliamentary party on this side of the house.

Iain Evans loved the electorate of Davenport and he was very comfortable in a range of activities in the electorate of Davenport. He was very comfortable on the cricket field and on the footy field but, I think, where he was extraordinarily comfortable was right here in this house. When we saw him performing in this house, it was a sight to behold.

When Iain Evans gave a grieve after question time, everybody would stay, especially Daniel Wills who loved to report on it in The Advertiser the very next day, and it was a great bit of theatre. But, more than the theatre of oratory in this house, he had that eagle eye for legislation, for holding the government to account and advancing his own agenda in terms of public policy in this place.

I believe that we are all a product of our parents. I see, as I am getting older, I am becoming more and more like my parents and I am fearing more and more for my children. But I would like to reflect today on Iain Evans, because I think Iain Evans is a product of his parents. I think there is no doubt he has the political acumen and the cunning of his father and I think it is without doubt that he has that great generosity of spirit, community service, selflessness and family orientation of his mother. I think they are the two great contributions that make up Iain Evans' personality.

The good thing about this theory of mine is that his four children, who are here with us today—Staten, Alexander, Fraser and Allison—will also be very lucky recipients because their parents have got wonderful traits and, if they inherit those wonderful traits, and I am sure they will, they will go on to be extraordinarily successful people.

Very few people understand the pressures of leading a parliamentary party. Even fewer understand the pressures of leading the Liberal parliamentary party. It is an honour but it does come with huge responsibilities and it is certainly no bed of roses. Two people here today understand that very well. My good friend the member for Heysen has been a strong supporter of mine and, most importantly, I reflect today on the contribution that Iain Evans has made to my time as the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party.

As I quipped to a Davenport SEC meeting the other day, 'I gave up God for Iain Evans.' I probably blasphemously said that it was a good exchange. I will not reflect on that at the moment, but Iain has always been available to me as the leader. I think there was an eight-month period where we met every single Sunday morning because he realised that I was a new leader and he wanted to make his impression and offer me every level of support that he possibly could. He did not covet the leadership of the Liberal Party. He made that abundantly clear right from day one, but what he did was to offer to serve the party and to mentor me, and for that I will always be very grateful.

Politics is a funny game. Everybody is an expert. John Cahill once said to me that being a football coach and a political leader are pretty similar because everybody thinks that they are an expert and everybody knows what people should be doing differently. Politics is, as I said, a very tough game. Everybody is an expert and everybody has their opinions and sometimes those opinions are right and sometimes they are just quite simply made up.

When I came into this place there were plenty of people offering me advice on all sorts of people in this chamber. People were offering me advice on Iain Evans—most of them very good; some people had some concerns but I am very grateful that I made up my own mind about Iain Evans. What I found in Iain Evans was a man who was a product of his parents. He had excellent political acumen but he also had wonderful integrity and was hardworking. He loves his electorate. He loves politics. He loves the Liberal Party. He loves the Liberal philosophy, and I have loved working with Iain Evans.

He is 55 years of age and, as has been reflected on by other people earlier today, very few people who leave politics go out of this place on a high. Many people go out bitter and broken. Many people go out not of their own accord—they are banished. You see a lot of ex-politicians who are carrying a lot of baggage for the rest of their lives. I think that is not true of Iain Evans. Iain Evans has never looked better. I think there has been a big weight lifted from his shoulders and probably an even greater weight lifted from other parts of his frame.

I think he is really looking forward to the challenge which is ahead. He will do a great job because he is a quality person and he has a huge amount to offer the private sector here in South Australia. He is not going to retire; he is not going off to do the gardening. He is going off to make a further contribution. After a 21-year contribution in this house he is now going off to make a further contribution to the people of South Australia, and we certainly wish him all the very best in that endeavour.

Iain, when you leave this building for the last time tonight as the member for Davenport—because, of course, Mr Speaker, you will remember that he retires as of 12 midnight tonight—

The SPEAKER: It is 10pm.

Mr MARSHALL: I had better speed this final valedictory speech up, sir. Iain, when you do leave this parliament building tonight and you look over your shoulder at the great edifice which is the South Australian parliament, I hope you have many happy memories that are permanently etched, because we certainly have many fantastic memories of your contribution in this place. I hope that you reflect on your many fantastic achievements in this place and also the many great friendships that you have made. I wish you, Fiona and your entire family all the very best.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The SPEAKER: Hear! Hear!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (18:34): I suspect it is time to draw this to a close. I suspect the member for Davenport has to go to dinner with his family, and Fiona will be angry at him for one last time, as a result of parliament, if we do not get him to that dinner.

I would like to give notice of giving notice to other members that I think it is appropriate that this debate is continued in a formal way in private members' time. The Opposition Whip and I will make sure that happens and invite other members to speak at that time—without telling the house what to do, sir.


At 18:35 the house adjourned until Tuesday 11 November 2014 at 14:00.


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