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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-12-01 Daily Xml
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Adjournment Debate

Valedictories

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (17:09): I rise to speak on indulgence. I thank the members of the house for the opportunity to contemplate the fact that we are fast approaching the end of the year in a parliamentary context. I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on those in our community who enable the parliament to function in such a way that is relatively smooth and just acknowledge the contribution of a few people more broadly.

Obviously, this year was an election year and, first and foremost, I want to thank the people of South Australia for participating in our democratic processes, our democratic rituals, in a way that I think best accords with the tradition in South Australia of being a great democracy. I thank the people of South Australia for investing their confidence in me and my team in electing a new government. Changing governments does not happen very often, so it is not lost on me that it is a significant event. I want to thank people for their confidence in electing me, along with every other MP in this place, which they have done rather smoothly.

I do want to take this opportunity to thank my parliamentary colleagues. The simple fact is that in our system of government, those of us who are in leadership positions—whether it is the Leader of the Opposition or the Premier, or in our case the entirety of the frontbench—are elected by our parliamentary colleagues. I feel very blessed to have the support of my team, which is just a highly capable and committed group of individuals. Again, they chose after the 2018 election loss to invest their confidence in me and it is a great privilege. I try to honour their support of me every day by working as hard as I can. Between the South Australian public and my whole team here, I cannot possibly overstate my gratitude for their support.

I also want to acknowledge the chair of the caucus, who is the member for Mawson. He brings our caucus together and convenes over that on a frequent basis and also accepts his responsibility of ensuring that the really healthy culture that we have in the caucus is maintained and committed to a whole range of principles that are really important to those on this side of the house.

I do also want to thank the cabinet. Whenever you have a transition to a new government, it is a big exercise. We have some cabinet ministers who are fortunate enough to have a breadth of cabinet experience, but others are really new to the exercise and that creates a healthy blend I think, but each and every one of them has acted and worked really diligently. I want to thank them for that.

I would also like to thank the Public Service. The Public Service do not always get the credit they deserve. I think there are some elements of the Public Service that are quite rightly lionised and frequently recognised for their contribution. We think about our emergency services a lot. We talk about people working in our health system a lot, and that is very appropriate and something that should continue forever more.

But there are a lot of other people in our public sector who just simply do not get any recognition at all. They might not necessarily be in forward-facing roles in the way that South Australians are accustomed to, but they are nonetheless equally as diligent and committed to the service of the people of our state. Right from the chief executive level all the way through to the public sector, I want to thank them for their professionalism.

They are the support of the government I lead and actively facilitated a relatively smooth transition to government for us and give us all the advice and information that we rely on so frequently. Sometimes, we do not necessarily accept that advice or, occasionally, we might choose to go down a different path from that advice, but that does not change the fact that we are very grateful for it.

The parliament is a very unique place in every respect. At its best, the parliament is capable of really demonstrating all the best elements of humankind and, at its worst, it can go down a different path. Regardless of the functioning of the parliament in terms of the political context, the parliament is only able to operate and function because of the extraordinary efforts and commitment that we see from the people who work within this place to make it all tick.

In the case of our house, sir, of course that is under your leadership as the Speaker, but I know that you are ably assisted by an extraordinary group of people. I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge Rick and David, as the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk; the Clerk and Black Rod in the Legislative Council, Chris and Guy; and the entire house team here who make it all operate so smoothly.

There are a lot of others I would like to acknowledge too. There is the dedicated team in Hansard. I will come back to Hansard in a moment. There is the building manager, David Woolman, and the library, with John and his staff, who do an amazing job. When you are in opposition you really gain another level of appreciation for the work that the parliamentary library are capable of.

There is the catering team led by Creon. I want to acknowledge the Blue Room staff: Karen, Nicky, Belinda, Casey and Kiley. I certainly say to Nicky that every time she turns the music on too loud I still curse her name because of her relative close proximity to my home but, nonetheless, the whole of Bowden and Brompton was cheering Nicky on in My Kitchen Rules, along with everyone in the parliament, I would have thought.

I want to acknowledge everyone else who works in the building. When you start jotting down a few notes, the list of people is really quite extensive. There is the whole team in PNSG, the people who clean the building, the Procedures Office, the switchboard staff, the camera operators, the maintenance team, security, SAPOL protective security officers and everybody who puts work in. I probably should give a shout-out to Ben in the cellar. Why is he so popular? Because he is in the cellar.

The Hansard team, as I have said before and I am more than happy to say it again, I do not know if they are inspired by all of us or the opposite but, nonetheless, the record that is kept is really important and it is actually really useful for all of us. The fact that you, in particular, have to suffer us every moment of every sitting is worthy of recognition, to say the least.

I mentioned, Mr Speaker, you and your staff. Changes were made in the last parliament to the law, to the law of the land indeed, to elevate the role of the Speakership and ensure that it is truly independent in the truest possible sense of the word. I think, Mr Speaker, you have done a very good job of that. In government, we might not always agree with your rulings, and no doubt the opposition would feel the same way, which is probably a demonstration of your independence in the way that you conduct yourself, sir. I acknowledge that and thank you for it.

I want to thank the whips in this place, both in the opposition and particularly the Government Whip. The member for Elizabeth has demonstrated himself to be an absolutely outstanding whip. It is an important job that again rarely gets recognised, so I want to thank the member for Elizabeth for his effort.

Can I thank my EO staff? It is a frustrating reality, as I am sure the Leader of the Opposition appreciates, that ultimately we are here first and foremost to serve our own constituencies. I try to do that as best I can but when you are in the position of leadership you get drawn in other places and the value of your EO staff could not possibly be overstated. I want to thank Peter Gonis, Gayle and Suzie and also a new trainee, Sophia, for the work that they do in the EO. We have our sub-branch AGM next week and I look forward to thanking them in person.

Can I thank all of my team in the Premier's Office. It grows; it is a bit bigger than it was. Obviously, I want to acknowledge John Bistrovic, my Chief of Staff; Cheyne Rich, my deputy chief of staff; and I give a special shout-out to Ann Duff, my EA, who just makes it all work, but God only knows how. To the whole team—I do not want to list everybody. I just cannot thank them enough because they are as dedicated as I could possibly hope for.

I do want to take the chance to acknowledge those members who are not with us today who would have hoped to have been at the beginning of the year. There have obviously been a few MPs who have changed hands from all sides of politics. Can I acknowledge each and every one of them. This is a really tough business. It is so hard-edged and competitive, and it can be ruthless on occasions and unforgiving. The price that is paid by MPs and candidates who miss out, often just miss out, even on occasions, dare I say, not necessarily through any fault of their own. It is not easy.

For the 47 of us who are elected to be here, it is probably worthwhile reflecting at the end of the year, particularly at the end of an election year, just how fortunate we are because there is no shortage of other people, including highly capable people, who would do a lot to have the opportunity that has been afforded to each and every one of us. To that end, I want to acknowledge the opposition and the Leader of the Opposition in the spirit of good faith and generosity during the festive season.

Opposition is really tricky. I hope not to experience it again anytime soon. It is really hard. You learn a lot during the journey of opposition, including just how hard it is. I am sure the Leader of the Opposition is in receipt of no shortage of advice from all quarters. I remember getting a lot of advice from people who themselves had not spent one day in opposition, and it is a different beast from government. I do want to wish each and every member of the opposition a safe and merry Christmas and every blessing at this time of the year because it is an important function and it deserves to be recognised.

To the broader Labor family, I would like to think that we are utilising the opportunity that we have been given. We have a big agenda and we are seeking to get through it as expeditiously as possible. We are only able to do that as a result of a close-knit team effort. I think, as time evolves, the challenges do not diminish; they will continue to come our way. Who knows what the next month, let alone the next year, let alone the next three and a bit years bring, but I just invite each and every one of us to remain as dedicated and as diligent as you have been throughout the entirety of the journey. I cannot thank you enough for that.

Finally, on the weekend we are about to experience something pretty special, with the Adelaide 500, and that will go into the cricket and the festive season. I really hope that as many people as possible in our state are able to enjoy that. But it is also true that there are a not insignificant number of people within our community who simply do not have the ability or are not in a position to be able to enjoy $10 beers at the cricket or tickets to the Clipsal or, even more tragically than that, who will compromise on gifts they give their own children at Christmas, particularly when the cost of living is getting higher.

Regardless of what your views are and what your connection is to Christmas in terms of faith or otherwise, in our country this is a time of year when we stop and we reflect. It is important that people in positions of leadership, as everyone in this place is, try to have the courage, thoughtfulness and compassion to think of those who are far less fortunate than we are, more often than not through no fault of their own.

If each of us does that and commits ourselves to trying to address that injustice then we have every prospect of ensuring that South Australia is the kind-hearted place that it has always been into the future. On that note, I want to sincerely wish everybody in this place the merriest of Christmases and an incredibly prosperous 2023. God bless, and I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy some time with their family and friends.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (17:25): On indulgence, I also rise to make some remarks at this concluding time for the parliamentary year of 2022. What a fascinating year it has been at a democratic level in this state: a change of government both at state and federal levels and the Liberal Party losing office in both of those elections. That obviously poses very significant challenges, perhaps a sense of grief and great disappointment not only for my colleagues but also for the wider Liberal Party membership and the family of supporters that wraps itself around any political party.

It has been a difficult year, a complex year and a challenging year for members on this side of the house. I think we have to see it as both a great opportunity for renewal, reinvigoration, a change of direction potentially for our party and certainly a change of leadership. We also have to reflect on how great a society, how great a democracy we live in that the baton can be passed from one side of this house to the other, from one party to another, with no guns in the street, no-one fearing for their lives, no-one having to flee the state or country to live in exile somewhere else where they feel safer.

It happens with almost boring success—not boring for those participating on either side of this place but in a broader sense in the community. It just works and that is what we saw at both the state and the federal level this year. Of course, a change of government comes with a lot of things that happen in the background in this building and in the Public Service.

I think of my former role in the Cabinet Office. I want to play tribute to the Cabinet Office staff who write the blue books and the red books and prepare the incoming government briefs and arrange the process of the change of government so that it does occur smoothly and within the expectations of elected members and also within the expectations of the community. I want to pay tribute to those people in leadership within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and particularly Alison Lloydd-Wright in her role as the head of the Cabinet Office at the time of the change of government.

The Premier reflected on people who put up their hand for elections and did not get across the line, people who may or may not have formally been part of this place and people who lost their seats. There is a humanity in political activity. We are more than names on the ballot paper. We are more than a tallying of votes that gets one person across the line.

There are people with livelihoods, friends, family members who go to hell and back to seek to represent their community in the lead-up to elections. They put their financial resources on the line. They put their careers on the line. They put their family lives on the line, in some cases, and some do not make it. That is the nature of democracy. I do want to name a few people on our side of the house who were here when we rose for the summer recess last year and who did not return when we resumed to parliament in May 2022.

Those are Paula Luethen, Rachel Sanderson, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, Steve Murray and Richard Harvey and, in particular, two people who were very close personal friends of mine: Carolyn Power and Corey Wingard. I have many friends here, but I am that bit lonelier because those people who had geographical proximity to my part of the world do not join me now. I do not see them at community events and our paths do not cross quite as much. At this time of year, it is worth thinking and reflecting on those people whose careers did not perhaps get to last as long as they had hoped.

I want to take the opportunity to thank my leadership team. As leader of the Liberal Party, I am supported by the deputy leader, the member for Morialta, in the lower house and in the party more broadly and, in the upper house, the Legislative Council leadership team of Nicola Centofanti MLC and Jing Lee MLC, the leader and the deputy leader. It is a great group, it is a unified group and we have a big job to do. I am so grateful for the work they do to support me and also the broader shadow cabinet and the entire parliamentary team—all 24 Liberal Party members in both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council who support the Liberal Party in this place.

I want to thank in particular my staff as leader of the party but also as a former minister. Most of my staff came with me to the leader's office, particularly my former Chief of Staff, who is still with me in the leader's office, Ken Ross; Stuart Peevor, Pia George, Lucy Huxter and Ryan Smith—previously my media adviser and now my Chief of Staff. I love the continuity of our team and the fact that we are still largely working together. I also want to particularly thank Rosemary Shultz, who retired in July but served for four years as my executive assistant when I was minister. That followed on from a 30-plus year career in South Australia's Public Service.

I want to thank some additional people now working in the leader's office, including Natalie Duenn, Alycia Martin, Patrick Moller, Elise Baker, Ben Harvy, Julian Robertson, Samuel Murison and also our team of trainees who come and go across our party. The role of trainee and the leg-up it gives people, the exposure into working life often for the first time, should not go unrecognised. I want to particularly thank Tianrun Lin, Oliver Hale, Matthew Clemow, Zarima Shikova, Lachlan Quinn, Tomer Sitrin and Nicholas Shortland for their contribution across the Legislative Council and in the leader's office as trainees.

The Premier alluded to the leadership role and the challenge that can present in terms of being present in one's electorate. I do feel that pressure. I try very hard to be in the electorate whenever possible, but there is a team there headed by Jana Kranixfeld and supported by Ben Freeman and Rachel Koch and, for part of the year, Stuart Brennan, who now works for the whip. They hold the electorate office together down there in Hallett Cove. We have actually had three trainees this year—not because they have been treated badly or anything but just the sort of weird timing. I have had Nathan Howse, then for a little while I picked up Corey Wingard's trainee, Stuart Brennan, who I spoke about a moment ago who now works for the whip, and for the last couple of weeks I have had Jaya Diercks as the trainee in the electorate office as well.

It takes a lot to keep an electorate office going, and it takes a lot to ensure a leader's office functions effectively, so I think it is really worthwhile paying tribute to the work they do. They go above and beyond, they work extra hours and they are contributing to our state's democracy and the representation of the 30,000-odd people who live in the seat of Black in the southern suburbs.

One of the most significant events in many ways to happen for decades, but certainly this year, was not election wins or losses but the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. We saw an example of parliament coming together in a highly symbolic way during that time. There are many ways of parliament and democracy working at its best to deliver laws and create change in this state, but the passing of the Queen really saw an elevation of the role of this place with condolences for Her Majesty, paying tribute to that long life and great service, and also the proclamation of the King. It was a pleasure to be able to work alongside the Premier at that time and particularly see the role of the Governor of South Australia come to the fore.

I am exceptionally proud of the Governor of South Australia. I think she is a class act, for want of a better phrase. She is currently representing this state overseas. Her Excellency Frances Adamson AC is someone who brings dignity, intellect and a level of deep public service to that role. We saw that absolutely exemplified when the Queen passed away and with the proclamation of the King. I am sure the government, particularly the Premier and his ministries, and certainly when I was a minister and now opposition leader, sees that up close and personal. I see the contribution that the sovereign's representative in our state makes. I think it is worthy of recognition, particularly given the emphasis that was put on her role in September this year.

Parliament House—our two chambers, the dining rooms, the canteens, the library and the many things that bring this place together to make it function—is the sort of complex hierarchy and world that I do not pretend to understand, and do not necessarily want to, but it works. With a change of government and a new ministry, there is a change of emphasis, a change of direction, and the continual expectation that this place modernises while also cleaves onto its traditions. That happens not because of us because, let's face it, very few of us, apart from perhaps the deputy leader and the member for West Torrens, really know what goes on here, but there are lots and lots of people who support us to do our job.

In this house, there are Rick Crump and David and his team and the clerks and advisers who sit behind Rick and David. In the Legislative Council, there is Chris Schwarz and his team. These are people who have decades and decades of knowledge, holding this place up and holding it together, to be honest. We have Hansard, with Andrew Cole and his team. As the Premier mentioned, they sit there and listen to us, and sometimes who knows what they think—we would not even want to know.

John Weste and his team in the library provide an exemplar service around research and support, particularly to the opposition in a way that you do not quite need as much of in government. We are so grateful for the role of John and his team.

There is Creon Grantham and the catering team. Someone once said to me that in South Australia you have the Opposition Leader and the Premier and the Governor and then you have Creon. I think there is some truth in that, having organised a couple of events here in the last few weeks. But it all works, doesn't it? Of course, we have the Blue Room team as well and Nicky with her celebrity status now having appeared on MasterChef. We have IT with Martin Barbary and his team—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner:My Kitchen Rules.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Did I get the wrong one? Sorry, Nicky. My Kitchen Rules—they are one and the same. They are just on different channels. I have really stuffed this up now. I cannot clip this and put it on Facebook now. Anyway, Martin Barbary and his team at PNSG hold together the IT and cyber side of this, which is becoming increasingly complicated with cybersecurity needs. We also have David Woolman and John and their team with building services. They are all people who keep this place ticking over.

For every aspect, whether it is the car park or whether it is the cleaning of the building, there is a whole army of people, many of whom work after hours when we do not see them, to ensure that Parliament House and the buildings that uphold the democracy of our state function effectively and in a way that we can be proud of.

I would like to pay tribute to the government and the role that they have, and particularly the Premier. The Premier said, on the night that he won the election, that we are not enemies but we are adversaries, and that really struck me. It is something that I want to work with the Premier and his team to uphold because I think it is a fundamental principle of what we are all about here.

Often—and I mentioned this at an event that I was at with the Premier not long ago—people apologise to me: 'We had to put you at the same table as the Premier.' I do not mind that; in fact, it happens a couple of times every week, and we have had lunch together today. The Premier and I, just because of the amount of time we spend together at events, see each other a lot. I have immense respect for anyone who leads a political party and anyone who reaches the office of Premier of the state. I think it should not be forgotten that we are not enemies, not close to it.

I want to conclude now by thanking each and every member of parliament in the Legislative Council, in the government, on the crossbench and in the opposition. It is an incredible privilege to be able to represent one's community, and it is an incredible privilege to be able to hold high office in this state. As we conclude the parliamentary year and look to 2023, I think each and every one of us knows and appreciates the unique office that we are honoured to be able to hold.

Christmas can be a challenging time for many people. It is a time when there are more incidents of mental health concern. It is a time when more people contemplate suicide. It is a time when loneliness is magnified, more than at any other time of the year, as people think of things in their past which may no longer be there anymore. It is a time to look in on our neighbours, it is a time to reach out to people we think can be that bit more vulnerable and it is probably a time to say, 'Are you okay?', which is even more important to do than on R U OK? Day because it can be a tough time of year.

But it can also be a really good time of year and, in a state like this, when the weather is getting better there is a great opportunity to get out and about, enjoy each other's company, enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate South Australia and all the things that come with calling this place home. There are a few challenges on the horizon around Christmas in the Riverland, and our hearts go out to those people, but I am sure that community has the resilience and the support to get through it in the coming weeks. People from both sides of parliament will be there to provide them with support at this time.

To everyone, merry Christmas. Stay safe, enjoy time with your friends and families and look in on those who are vulnerable. I look forward to catching up again in 2023.

The SPEAKER (17:42): Before we rise, I add briefly to the very generous remarks that have been made and take this opportunity to thank and amplify those remarks that have been made in relation to the staff who assist us. We have a secure and safe democracy. That is not something that necessarily will continue without the expert assistance of all those around us or without the care that we take to ensure that we are respectful of each other and also of a long tradition that has brought us to this place.

It is not right for me to name people individually. Some have been named, and that is right in the context of the remarks that have been made. But can I say that our executive house staff and Legislative Council executive staff are particularly diligent, thoughtful and skilful and always have an eye to good judgement. Their advice to me is deeply appreciated, and I know their advice to you is deeply appreciated too.

House attendants, you seem to be able to predict matters that need resolving before even any of us have contemplated those matters. It probably reflects your dedication and passion for a unique and discrete part of the Public Service. Your commitment to this building is more than your presence here; it is a commitment to our democracy. We are very grateful.

To Hansard, even just this morning you had already predicted a matter that I had in mind. Your care and skill are remarkable. We are very grateful for your service too.

To the Blue Room, the engine room of this building, we are particularly grateful for your assistance, good humour, encouragement, reflection and also, I might say, your political advice from time to time. It has always been apt; I hope to always take it. To the dining room and kitchen staff, thank you. We spend a good deal of time in this building, it is a second home for many of us and I am sure that will continue throughout our careers. We really enjoy your company. We are grateful for all the support that you offer to us. You have become an extended part of our family, as I say, and as all members here are cognisant of.

To committee staff, you assist us through the cycles of political life and your expertise is greatly appreciated. To building services, thank you for keeping this beautiful but sometimes creaking building going. It is a genuine pleasure for all of us to work in this place. It is a place of deep history and significance. It is a parliament but also a working museum.

Can I extend my thanks, too, to the library. We have much more than a library in this place. It is a record-keeping facility, it is an archive for all of our democratic history and, of course, in the way that it is being run at the moment it is also an absolute jewel in our crown, an opportunity for us to bring in dignitaries and diplomats, representatives from elsewhere and share a little of South Australia, of our history and our democratic culture. Long may that be the case at a time when perhaps libraries are not quite as widely embraced as they have been in earlier years. Ours remains absolutely essential to all the functions that we perform in this place.

I think it is right for me to say, too, that I have a good deal to do with the whips from time to time—in fact, mostly at all times. I am very grateful for their good humour. Can I say to members on both sides, thank you for your grace and good humour. There is very little rancour and discord in this place.

If we look to other similar democracies, what becomes clear is that we have something unique in South Australia. It really is remarkable, and it depends on each of us, all of us living in each other's pockets as we do—perhaps in a similar style to Old Parliament House in Canberra, I am told, in this building. It requires us all to maintain a degree of goodwill, and, as the leader has rightly identified, for us to reflect on what it is we are doing and on the fact that of course we are not enemies but we have different opinions and different directions and trajectories, and different things that we want to focus on in our time in politics.

Can I thank again all staff in this place and can I wish you all a happy, safe and restful Christmas.

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