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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-05 Daily Xml
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Address in Reply

Address in Reply

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption (resumed on motion).

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Brown): Before I call the member for King, I remind the house that this is the member's first speech and that she should be accorded the normal courtesies in respect afforded to new members on this important occasion.

Mrs PEARCE (King) (16:09): Mr Speaker, please accept my warmest congratulations on your appointment. Ninna marni to all my fellow parliamentarians, friends, family and comrades here today. It is an absolute pleasure to be here on Kaurna land. I stand here with the greatest respect for elders past, present and emerging and with pride and determination to be part of a government that will finally implement Voice, Treaty and Truth to our state.

I stand here amongst some incredible people. Each of us stood for parliament driven by our own particular motivations but with one common ambition: to make South Australia a better place. To all of you, congratulations. It is an honour to be class of 2022 with you. To those who are not here today, who had put up their hand to be a voice for their communities, I offer my respect for the work that you put in. It is no small task to put yourself forward and put your lives on hold to contribute to the democratic process. I particularly would like to thank my predecessor, the former member for King, for her contributions to our community during her term.

I understand the importance of a strong local community and the change that can come from within it because I come from one such community. I am from a little place in the foothills of the Flinders Ranges, Telowie, which is about 15 kilometres outside Port Pirie. Geoff, the Minister for Local Government, knows this story well, but for those in this chamber I wish to share just how strong my home town is.

In 2002, our community took a stand for local jobs and social justice. I understand that unemployment in the area was high at the time and that there was a situation where workers were going to be replaced by a cheaper workforce from overseas, but they refused to go down without a fight. Every trick in the book was thrown at them, from threats of being sued to having their power supply cut, leaving them without light, running water, refrigeration and heating. Despite that, they remained determined to stay put and fight for their jobs and the jobs of others who may find themselves in a similar position, as was the community.

In fact, the local mayor of the time called for aid on local radio, and families and business and even a primary school rallied with food, water and supplies. Local fishers provided fresh fish and pubs provided soft drink. We gave what we could to show our support for something we believed strongly in. As my dad likes to say, 'Everyone put a little in, but we all got a lot more out.' For 14 days, the workers and the community held their ground until we had a win. That moment just goes to show how powerful influence from a community can be. We fought for community justice, we looked out for those doing it tough in our community, we pushed for progressive change and we won.

Another time, a dear friend of my family was hurt at work. He had inhaled a dangerous chemical that caused degenerative nerve damage in one of his arms, and in an instant his life was turned upside down. This man was a single dad. His daughter was only a little younger than me. He was a community man. In fact, he was the coach of my brother's tennis team. In an instant, he was facing the real probability that he would not be able to return to work ever again. To be honest, if it had not been for his friends, family, the local community and his union, I do not know if he necessarily would have been able to get back on his feet on his own.

It was moments like these that made me question, 'Why wasn't government doing better for people?' With that in mind, I decided to study economics at university, because what better way to learn how our country works and what needs to be done to make it fairer for everyone. It made me become active and engaged and it has steered me to pursue a life focused on helping people, because good governments should constantly strive to do better and even better ones listen to those on the frontline to make it happen.

Now flash forward to the present. I married a boy I had known from back home, and now Todd and I are proudly raising our two kids, Ike and Nylah, in the north-east. We chose our community not only because it is beautiful, with the peninsula views from Hillbank, the trails of Cobbler Creek, the leafy streets of Golden Grove (particularly in autumn) and the picturesque countryside at our doorstep in One Tree Hill, but because it has so many of the qualities that we cherish about our home town.

First and foremost, it is also strong and full of fighters. We fought against bus cuts because we knew that, for so many, public transport can be the difference for somebody being able to make it to work, get an education and access important health services. We fought to save the Adelaide 500, not only because we love the race but because businesses in our community rely on it, the jobs it creates and supports and the economic boost it gives to our state. We fought to make our health system better because everybody should be able to get the care they need when they need it most.

We are also a community that invests in itself. We have residents in Hillbank who are passionate about having a safe neighbourhood; caring community groups such as the Tea Tree Gully City Soccer Club and the One Tree Hill Soccer Club, who work together to fundraise to support our local CFS stations annually; countless volunteers who give their time to support others through organisations such as the Salisbury Rotary club, Modbury Meals on Wheels and Puddle Jumpers; and local wellbeing groups such as the Golden Grove mall walkers and Talk Out Loud, who are focused on improving the health of local people.

That is just a small snippet of what makes people in my community incredible, why I am excited to be a strong voice for them in state parliament and why I am determined to contribute in a way that will continue to strengthen it for generations to come.

I did not get here on my own. There are many people of whom I am appreciative for shaping me into the person I am today. I will not name everyone as we will be here all day, but there will be a few. Firstly, to Todd, Ike and Nylah: this journey has been one for all of us. Todd, thank you for jumping into this 110 per cent, for the sacrifices that you have made and for never doubting me and being there each and every step of the way.

To Ike and Nylah: you two are my absolute entire world. Ike, you are compassionate and considerate. Nylah, you have no fear and plenty of love to give. Together, you bring out the best in each other, and I am so incredibly proud of you both and love you so much. I am fighting for you and the future of your generation. May it be easier and more equitable than mine, and may you be afforded every opportunity to thrive, as should every child.

To my family—the one I was born to, the one we have grown to become and the one I have married into—you have shaped me into the person I am today. Thank you for your love and support you have shown me over the years. You have never doubted my potential and continue to be my number one supporters. To my friends, especially those who have known me from my early years, sorry, but thank you for always being by my side, for motivating me and supporting me every day. To my colleagues and comrades who have helped me learn and develop over the years, thank you.

More specifically, to the women in my life who I have been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by and supported by throughout my journey, thank you. Whether it is because you saw something in me or merely because you wanted to see another woman succeed, you protected me when I was finding my feet. You shared with me the lessons you may have learned the hard way. You built me up with your skills and most importantly taught me the important lesson that if the door is closed you look for the window. I owe you all so much and will repay your support by doing what I can to contribute to a more diverse parliament and a more equitable society for all.

An individual does not win a seat or change a government on her own. It takes one hell of a team, and I had one of the best. Firstly, to our Premier, Pete: I have never met a leader with such a strong sense of determination. The energy and the passion that you bring to the table is one of the most inspiring things about you. Not only were you on the ground and actively engaging with me along the way, you never finished a conversation without saying, 'What can I do to help?' On election day, you made the time to spend hours up in King, talking to electors at polling booths, because you genuinely care about my community. I am so honoured to be part of your team, delivering some truly progressive policies.

To Karen, Susan and Cheyne: everything started because of the three of you. You all saw something in me and you worked with me every step of the way to see me through. Karen, now Senator Karen Grogan, you have been everything to me. The dedication you gave to me and the campaign was second to none. You believed in me unconditionally and never once left my side, especially when I was most in need of it. You are one of the women I referred to earlier. Thank you for building me up every single day.

Susan, how lucky are we to have you as the Deputy Premier? You were out there with me on the ground every single week for what was an extremely long period of time. I am truly appreciative of your friendship and your mentorship, and I am so proud and grateful to have had you in my corner. To be honest, I am still in absolute awe of how you found the time to help me whilst also steering some absolutely incredible policy throughout the campaign. Cheyne, you pushed me every single step of the way to ensure that I reached my full potential during the campaign. You also worked incredibly hard. I do not know how you found the time. For your efforts, I am incredibly appreciative.

To my north-east group, Blair and Olivia: what an incredible team we make. Blair, thank you not only for your solid friendship but for all your hard work and effort fighting the good fight in the north-east in the past term of government. You made it easier for all of us to hit the ground running. Olivia, I am so grateful to have you as my neighbour and my friend. Like all of the seven, you are fierce, determined and beat the odds. I am so honoured to be entering this place with you and the women who knocked out a first-term government.

In fact, I am so grateful for all the work done by my comrades both inside and outside of this chamber. Joe, Kyam, Nick, Lee—actually, everybody beside me in this chamber and in the one next door—thank you for everything you gave to support my efforts. It played an important role in helping me to get to where I am today. Thank you for your time, your friendship and all your hard work. That most certainly includes the dream factory for always backing the campaign in supporting me unconditionally.

To outside this place: let me start by saying I am proud to be union. The past four years have been tough for many in our state, but the union movement has always been by our side. To all the unions funding for frontline workers through the pandemic, such as the United Workers Union, the Australian Services Union, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association and the Ambulance Employees Association, it has been an honour to stand beside you all. Thank you for all your hard work. I truly look forward to continuing to work with you to deliver real progress for our state.

I am also incredibly grateful for the support I have received from many of you, most specifically the support I have received from the United Workers Union. Thank you for being there from day one. You fight for so much for those who need it most. To have your support to get to this place and be a voice for progressive change is an absolute honour. Also, every gratitude to the ASU, the MUA, the CFMEU and the SDA for backing me in to be a strong voice for my community in state parliament. I may not be here without your help. Thank you.

I am almost through thank you, I promise. I did mention earlier that I had one of the absolutely best teams, and that was led by Caitlin Munyard. Caitlin, you were absolutely outstanding. You have been my dear friend for many years, and I am absolutely in awe of the person that you are. Where there is a will you find the way. Your efforts and your abilities blow me away. Thank you for your faith in me and stepping up to the plate to be my main woman managing my campaign. You are an absolute trailblazer. I am so incredibly proud and grateful for you and excited to see you continue to smash it.

To Matilda, Kyall, Cam, Kieran, Adam, Victoria, Emily, Rob, Georgia, Wayne, Minh, Josh and Pam: thank you for everything you brought to the table throughout the campaign. Your passion and dedication to the cause is fierce. You put in the hard yards and were there day in and day out for me. I will forever be grateful. How could I forget to mention the countless volunteers who gave up their time to support me throughout the campaign and share with me their skills of the trade? Thank you will never be enough. I will work hard to make you proud.

There is one person I wish to thank, and it breaks my heart knowing that he is not here with us today in this chamber. I wish to thank my brother, who we lost last year. He was a wonderful man, one with quick wit and the most infectious laugh. There is nothing I would not have done for him and losing him is the greatest pain I have ever felt. As you can see, there is still much healing needed for my family and me, so I will only speak on this a little today. But what I can say is that I plan to honour him by striving for better in the areas of his life where I know he had been let down.

I said earlier that good governance should continuously strive to do better by people, and the one thing I can take away from what has happened is that I have learned through his experiences. Now that I am in a position to help the many, I am determined to make sure we do better to reduce the risk of somebody else going through what he did.

I was able to get back on my feet and keep fighting largely because of the people in this chamber, those here in the gallery and my friends and family listening to this live at home. It was not always easy, but you all gave me the strength and support I needed to keep going, something I wanted to do, despite how tough at times it felt, because I am determined to make a difference. We cannot change things for the better if we shy away from them. Whilst I do not have all the answers, I am determined to listen, learn and contribute where possible.

As I wrote this speech, I could not help but reflect on how far I had come to be here today. I can assure you the younger version of me was not considering it a possibility as I trekked down the dirt track to get to the school bus at the crack of dawn, maybe in part because you cannot be what you cannot see and maybe in part because I thought you needed to come from a well-to-do family to make it into a place like this.

It frustrates me to think about that now because I want to tell the younger version of me that all those things do not matter. What matters is the fire within you and your drive and determination to make a difference. Break the mould and challenge the status quo. We cannot achieve progressive change without it. It is exactly what had put me on my path to be here today and what will remain firm in my mind as we progress throughout the term.

I look around me today and see the class of 2022 sitting beside me, and I have never been prouder to be a member of the great Labor Party. To all who feel unseen out there, those who feel forgotten and those who feel like they do not have a chance to be part of something great: I see you. This Labor government sees you. You are part of the future of this great state and maybe I can be it too.

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