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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-12-02 Daily Xml
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Adjournment Debate

VALEDICTORIES

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (17:42): I move:

That the council at its rising adjourn until Tuesday 3 February 2009.

In doing so, I take this opportunity to wish all members the best for the Christmas and new year period. It has been a busy year and a busy session of parliament. I thank you, Mr President, for your conduct of the chamber over the past year and all members of this place for their cooperation. In particular, I thank the whips for the work they have done in organising an increasingly complex and difficult legislative program.

I thank the table staff, Jan, Chris, Guy and Chris, who joined the team following the sad passing of Trevor Blowes this year. I also thank the messengers: Todd, Mario, Karen and Antoni and the office staff, Margaret and Claire. I record the government's thanks to parliamentary counsel. I thank the Hansard staff, who have been most cooperative and patient throughout the year, the kitchen and dining room staff, the library staff, the building staff, and everyone else who works in this place.

Finally, I thank my own staff. On behalf of all members, I thank our respective staff members for their contribution during the year in keeping us well informed and for keeping this chamber working smoothly. Again, I wish all members, their staff and families a very happy and peaceful Christmas, and I look forward to everyone coming back here fit and healthy in the new year.

It would be remiss of me if I did not take this opportunity to wish the Hon. Sandra Kanck all the best in the future as she prepares to take permanent leave from this place. Sandra is the only surviving elected Australian Democrat to any parliament in any chamber in Australia. She contemplates a life beyond this place after contributing 15 years as a representative of the South Australian people. In that time she has seen the Australian Democrats' fortunes wax and wane. By choosing to retire, the Hon. Ms Kanck leaves parliament undefeated at the ballot box—an enviable achievement.

Since her election to the Legislative Council in 1993, the Hon. Ms Kanck has not shied away from supporting unpopular causes and has often been the sole voice of dissent in many of the issues debated in this chamber, and she did not let us down right to the very end. Although as Leader of the Government I have often questioned her stance on many of the bills before this place, I could certainly never question her passion and her firm belief in the correctness of her position.

I note that the honourable member's favourite work of literature is Pollyanna (that is on her website) and I can only hope that after 15 years as an elected member in this parliament she, like her fictional heroine, has found something good in the experience. Often being on the political fringe, as it were, there is a temptation to feel that perhaps she is more of a Cassandra than a Pollyanna.

The Hon. Ms Kanck has campaigned against French nuclear testing and extended a hand of friendship to the East Timorese in their struggle. She led the first delegation to Vietnam in 1994 of the Australian Political Exchange Council. In 2003 she was part of a delegation to the Philippines of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development. She has also spoken passionately in favour of voluntary euthanasia and, for her efforts, has been acknowledged with life membership of the South Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

I trust that Sandra's absence from this place will provide her with more time to pursue her passions. I also note that she has an interest in astronomy, and I suggest that a bit of star gazing might be a welcome change from some of the naval gazing that often goes on within these walls.

It goes without saying, I think, from all of us, that this chamber will be a little less colourful without Sandra Kanck's presence on the crossbenches. On behalf of the government, I wish Sandra all the best in her retirement.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (17:45): I rise to endorse the remarks made by the Leader of the Government, and in doing so I thank all members for their contribution throughout the past year. I thank you, Mr President, for the way you have conducted yourself and the fair and just way that you have exercised your control, and also the Clerk and the table staff.

I also congratulate our new Black Rod. Sadly, I was absent the day that we had a condolence motion for Trevor Blowes. The untimely death of Trevor was very sad. I congratulate Chris on his appointment to the position. I thank the rest of the table staff for the great work that they do here in supporting us.

I thank Hansard and all other staff in parliament, including the catering staff—people like me do enjoy the food that they prepare—and I appreciate the effort that everybody in Parliament House goes to. Of course, I thank my own staff and the staff of my team. We all work well together as a team, and I certainly appreciate the hard work and the extra yards that they do.

Likewise, I thank the whips. As the Leader of the Government said, they have an ever-increasing task of coordinating what is happening on a daily basis, given that we have a number of Independents and minor parties represented in the parliament, which reflects the voting pattern of South Australia today. The Independents and minor parties are a part of our modern political system, but it does make the whips' job that much more difficult coordinating what is actually happening, so thanks to the whips.

Then, of course, to the Hon. Sandra Kanck. It is her last sitting day today. I know that some of my colleagues who have been here for longer than me and pre-dated her arrival here, and are still in the chamber today, will shortly make some additional comments. We have certainly appreciated her frank contribution to the parliament.

On a personal level, I have always found her extremely easy and understanding to work with and, even if we have not agreed on a position, we have worked well professionally together, on the ERD Committee initially, and I certainly appreciate that. I did go through a phase where I wore particularly loud shirts and perhaps ties that some members did not think matched all that well. Even today, the Hon. Carmel Zollo often asks who chose my ties. However, the Hon. Sandra Kanck did lend me a book on dress code and colour matching. So, I do thank her for her concern about the mismatching clothes that I may have worn.

The Hon. Sandra Kanck interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: And the advice still goes on. I have certainly appreciated my time working with Sandra, and on behalf of the opposition—although others will make some comments shortly—I wish her all the very best in the next phase of her life. All the best and fare well.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (17:49): I join my colleagues in wishing the Hon. Sandra Kanck a happy retirement. I think it would be fair to say, as the Hon. Paul Holloway has already placed on the record, that we may not have always agreed on policy, but I believe that we have always been able to agree to be courteous and thoughtful of one another on a personal level. I suspect that the Hon. Sandra Kanck will not take permanent leave from leading a very active life and making a contribution in another sphere of society. I would like to offer the Hon. Sandra Kanck and her family my very best wishes.

The Hon. M. PARNELL (17:49): First, I would like to endorse what the Leader of the Government has said in relation to thanking all the people who work in Parliament House who help us to do our job. I had a list before me of all the different people and I ticked them off as he read them out, and his list is as close to complete as mine is.

In relation to the Hon. Sandra Kanck, it has been my very great pleasure to know Sandra for 17 years. I think I have probably known her longer than most people here have, and it has also been my pleasure to sit next to her for the past three years. Whilst we come from different parties, we do share very many common views, particularly on some of the big social and environmental issues that are facing our state.

I always pay a great deal of attention to what Sandra Kanck has to say as an experienced member of parliament, particularly in relation to some of the recurring issues that I might be seeing for the first time, only to have Sandra remind me that this is the fourth or fifth time that she has had to deal with it, particularly in relation to some of the core Democrat bills that are being put up time and time again. Whilst some people might say that that is indicating a lack of imagination, it also shows that there are some very important issues that we have not yet successfully addressed as a parliament.

I first got to know Sandra in the early 1990s. We actually worked together in the Conservation Council. She was working as a research officer, and I was working for the Australian Conservation Foundation, and not long after that she went to this place called parliament, which I could never imagine going to—it seemed such an exotic location—but we have kept in touch all of that time.

One of the things that I think Sandra personifies in relation to the legislative agenda is courage, and it is one of those words whose currency has been devalued by Yes, Minister, as much as anything else, because when they talk about 'courageous decisions', they are talking about decisions that are deeply unpopular, which no person in their right mind would make. However, there are some incredibly important issues that we deal with which most of us do not have the courage to name.

Quietly in the bar or quietly in the corridors, we might say to each other, 'Yes, she is right, but I am not going to say it in parliament.' Sandra has the courage to do that and she has paid the price, in some cases, through media attention, much of which has been most unfair. I want to particularly thank Sandra for the help that she gave me when I first arrived. As the person whom I knew the best and sat next to, she was an enormous help in terms of parliamentary processes and what to do next.

I will never forget—it was probably my second day—when I was sitting here like a startled rabbit listening to a debate that I was not really very interested in, she whispered to me, 'Mark, you don't have to stay here. You are allowed to leave.' It now gives me very great pleasure to say to Sandra Kanck that she is allowed to leave as well. Fifteen years is a fine service to have offered and, on behalf of the Greens, I wish you all the best in your career to come and I am sure that we have not heard the last of you.

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (17:53): I would also like to wish members here a very merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I hope that we all rest up for the year 2009. I thank members and all the staff here as well. I am not even going to try to list them all—I will leave that to the Hon. Paul Holloway. I thank you too, Mr President, for your balance and integrity in the role you perform. I do not have all that much experience but, from what I have observed, you do a fine job, and I would like to thank you for that. I also thank all members in this place for the experiences of the past 12 months.

To the Hon. Sandra Kanck, I also would like to convey my best wishes. I have a great deal of respect for her serving 15 years in this place. I think that, in itself, deserves a medal and, although we have disagreed on some issues, it is always appropriate to acknowledge that disagreement in here should never reflect what we feel about a person on an individual or personal level. I do see that the Hon. Sandra Kanck is a person who has a kind heart, and she has served her constituency base faithfully and persistently over that 15 years.

I have also had the honour to share a couple of constituents with her, and I know that she has gone above and beyond the call of duty for those particular people to try to seek justice for them. The presence of the member in this place has spurred public debate which is, in fact, a sign of a healthy democracy, and I admire the member for her ability to continue against the odds and to find it within herself to remain in politics even though we are aware of the demise of the Democrats. I sincerely hope that the Hon. Sandra Kanck remains involved in community issues, as she has promised. As I said to both her and her family, I wish them all the best and happy years to come.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (17:55): I also rise to pay tribute to Sandra Kanck's 15 years of public service and also the service she provided prior to that and I am sure the service she will provide over the coming years as well. I have not spoken to some of my former colleagues and the honourable member's former colleagues, such as Di Laidlaw and others, but I feel very confident that they would be comfortable with my speaking on their behalf and acknowledging and paying tribute to the Hon. Sandra Kanck, particularly Di, because I know that she worked closely with Di on many issues over the years, and I acknowledge that.

In speaking briefly about Sandra tonight and acknowledging her work, all members have said, and the reality is that, if we had all agreed with Sandra on many issues, I suspect she would be worried and thinking, 'How come everyone else is agreeing with me?' The reality is that I am sure that everyone who has spoken or who will speak tonight will acknowledge the fact that they have disagreed strongly or very strongly or whatever with the Hon. Sandra Kanck, whether it be on a small or a large number of issues. However, there have been many other issues where there have been shared views, and we have worked productively and collaboratively together.

I had the privilege and the pleasure to work with Sandra, wearing various hats and in various roles as leader of the government and leader of the opposition over a number of years, and I want to pay tribute to her. I agree with the Hon. Mark Parnell when he said that the thing he wanted to acknowledge was Sandra's courage in relation to the many issues she took on, not necessarily knowing that they were unpopular (they may well have been popular out in the community, and I am sure she would be the first to jump up and say voluntary euthanasia is an example) but where her voice was a minority voice within this parliament or in this chamber on the issue. Nevertheless, she continued to speak out and speak out publicly on the issue.

I guess there are two things I want to acknowledge and for which I want to pay tribute to Sandra, and I am not talking about particular issues but in terms of general principles. I acknowledge first her courage on a range of issues, but I also acknowledge her respect and support for the institution of the parliament and, in particular, the Legislative Council. She has been an outspoken advocate and supporter of the role of the Legislative Council in all the time I have known her, and she will continue to be. I hope that, when this matter is debated in 2010, the Hon. Sandra Kanck, as a non-member of the Legislative Council, will be there as an outspoken opponent of any proposition that seeks either to abolish the Legislative Council or to reduce the value, the importance, the power and the role of the Legislative Council.

The other area is her willingness to tackle so many issues. I think Sandra holds the record. I cannot think of any time in this chamber where the government of the day moved successfully to delete from the record a contribution someone made on a particular issue. I disagreed with her views on that issue and I had private discussions with her, but I am proud of the fact that my party supported Sandra and the Hon. Mark Parnell in opposing the proposition to delete from the record her particular view. It was a strongly and passionately held view. I disagreed with the view she had, and I would have preferred that she did not go down that particular path. However, we have a shared value, and that is that this is a chamber where members make their own judgments and decisions and that they have to be responsible for them.

The Hon. Sandra Kanck had to be responsible for the views she put—and they were unpopular views, and many of us did not agree with them. However, in the end, we respected her right as an individual to stand up, and we would not support a proposition that said that this chamber can just delete from the record a contribution the Hon. Sandra Kanck had made. So, she does hold a bit of a record, and I suspect she may well continue to be the sole record holder in relation to that issue.

There are many other things one could say, and I am not going to delay the debate this evening by going through them. I just acknowledge again her courage on so many issues. I feel privileged to have worked with the Hon. Sandra Kanck for the past 15 years or so. As the Hon. Sandra Kanck goes on to the next stage of her life and career, all I can say is that I wish Aussie, her friends and her colleagues the very best, because I know that whatever it is that the Hon. Sandra Kanck does, she will give everyone curry in whatever challenges she takes up in the future.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (18:00): I would like to say a few words to acknowledge the 15 years that the Hon. Sandra Kanck has contributed to this place in a very valuable and constructive way. I have always admired Sandra's commitment to her beliefs, her determination and her unwavering support for the little person in particular. I know that she is a committed feminist and environmentalist and that she is dedicated to the rights of workers, and we definitely have these things in common.

While thinking about what I might say today, I found, and read, the member's inaugural speech. I was moved by her acknowledgement of South Australia's suffragettes, her dedication to the environment, conservation and water saving but, perhaps most particularly, by her support for a woman's right to choose. As Minister for the Status of Women and as the former environment minister, these are issues about which I care deeply and share concerns, and I firmly believe that they should be discussed and debated by parliamentarians. I thank Sandra for her really valuable contribution to these debates.

Sandra has always conducted herself with a great degree of dignity in this place and any other place that I have happened to come across her. She has certainly treated every individual in this place with a great deal of respect, which has impressed me, given that there is a cross-section of different personalities and personal style, shall we say, as well as a wide range of passionately-held differing points of view. She has always fought the issue, not the person; and she has been a great role model for women, particularly in parliament.

Sandra's contribution has always been well researched and very well prepared, although I have not always necessarily agreed with her content or her final position. I have learned a great deal from listening to Sandra's contribution—you can always learn something new from Sandra—and she has always expressed her views in a very clear and articulate way, which has also been appreciated.

Reading Sandra's inaugural speech, I was reminded that she has always been willing to speak up to fight against injustice where she has seen it and to lead the debate on a variety of social, economic and political issues. These are most admirable traits, and I respect the fact that Sandra has stayed true to herself and her values.

As a former minister for environment and conservation, I would also like to acknowledge Sandra's unswerving commitment to environmental issues. During my two years as minister, she assisted the government in passing significant legislative reforms in that area, and I hope that she was proud to support the long overdue changes to the animal welfare legislation and the site contamination legislation. I was also very pleased to have her support with the development of South Australia's marine parks. I believe that a few of the changes—I cannot list them all—will long be remembered, and I thank Sandra for her role in achieving those things.

Throughout her parliamentary career, Sandra has supported and promoted a range of progressive ideas with a great deal of tenacity. As I have said, although we have not always agreed on these issues, I certainly admire her for her commitment. I think that there were some instances when the media preferred to sensationalise the work that Sandra was doing, to focus ostensibly on outrageous grabs rather than the policy goal that she was trying to accomplish. As is sometimes the case in politics, at times, the media were more concerned with personality than policy.

As I have said, there have definitely been issues on which we do not agree, but I really think that, as a progressive woman, the Hon. Sandra Kanck has been an important contributor to this place. She is the last Democrat in any Australian parliament, and I hope that the party will see fit to select another woman to the South Australian parliament to carry on Sandra's gutsy work on important issues.

The Hon. Sandra Kanck has had a long and very productive career in politics—one she should be extremely proud of. I know that we all wish her well. I am sure that in the future our paths will continue to cross or merge, as the case may be, and I look forward to those occasions.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (18:05): I rise briefly to add some comments in relation to the Hon. Sandra Kanck. There have been a number of things we have worked on right from the time I came here, involving social and conscience issues, and there have been many other things on which we have been far apart. However, throughout all that, I would describe Sandra as very sincere about everything she has worked on, believed in and advocated for in this place.

It is a bit scary, but I believe that Sandra is the 18th member of this chamber to depart our ranks since I came here—almost a full complement of this council. I value the time I have spent working with her, and I remind her that, while today is her last sitting day, there are at least a couple of days of work to be done on the Glenside select committee. Those of us on that committee understand that Sandra's commitment to that report will be there right until the end.

Once again, I thank the Hon. Sandra Kanck for the sincerity she has brought to this place. I echo the comments of others in relation to the courage she has shown in bringing forward some issues which the great majority of us may not have agreed with; however, she believed in those things and brought them forward.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (18:07): I rise briefly to associate myself with the remarks that have been made in terms of Christmas greetings and thanks that have been expressed and, primarily, to pay tribute to the career of Sandra Kanck. I have been in this parliament only briefly, but I have found her to be a most impressive colleague. She has been very impressive as a Democrat, clearly respecting the right of people to hold their views as strongly as she held hers, and rejoicing in the existence of a marketplace of ideas.

As my colleague the Hon. Rob Lucas mentioned, the Hon. Sandra Kanck was a great advocate for the parliament. The energy with which she threw herself into the debates and the committees of this house demonstrated that she believed in the institution. I, too, recall very vividly (because it was in my early months) her determination to use the freedom of speech in this parliament and to resist the attempts of the government to suppress her voice.

I think it is also worth acknowledging that Sandra is the last of the Australian Democrats, who trace their origins to the liberal wing of my party, with Robin Millhouse and the Liberal Movement. Within that tradition, Sandra has been an advocate of progressive politics, and she has pursued that course with great passion. At a personal level, I thank her for her encouragement and support in relation to disability services. In Sandra, I found a strong and consistent ally.

I note that she has an interest in a cappella gospel singing, and I find that one of the most beautiful forms of music. She confessed earlier today that she is an agnostic, but I trust that her singing will be a blessing to her in a well-deserved and rich retirement.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (18:09): I also rise to wish members a terrific Christmas and new year and to thank all the staff for everything they have done throughout the year. Certainly, this place would not function without them.

I take this opportunity to wish the Hon. Ms Kanck all the very best in retirement. As I look around this chamber, I think that of all the members in this place the Hon. Ms Kanck is probably the person I have actually had the least to do with, whether it be in committees, on bills, or whatever it may be. I probably know her the least of all as an individual. I, too, have been able to do nothing but admire her commitment to the issues that she has championed, and I think all of us can learn something from that. Whether we agree or disagree with the particular views she has taken is another matter.

Obviously, my party has differences of opinion with the Hon. Ms Kanck on many issues; but, the truth is that, as human beings, we probably agree on a lot more than we disagree. Whilst our differences may, in fact, be very stark, our similarities, I think, would probably be numerous also. I take this opportunity to wish you and your family well, Sandra, and I truly hope that you enjoy—I will not use the word 'retirement', because I am sure that it will not be that—the years ahead.

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (18:10): As one who came to the parliament on the same day as the Hon. Sandra Kanck, I wish to extend my good wishes to her on her retirement and to wish her all the best of good health, happiness and fulfilment in the future.

Nothing has been said about the honourable member with which I would not wholeheartedly agree. She has, indeed, been a member most thoughtful, courteous, professional and committed to the many causes she has supported, often in the face of hostility, not only from an unfriendly media but also from her political opponents. Although Sandra is, I am sure, no friend of the armaments industry, I think it truly could be said of her that she is one who has always stuck to her guns. Well done, Sandra.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (18:11): I also rise to join my colleagues in congratulating the Hon. Sandra Kanck on her time as a member of the Legislative Council and to wish her and Aussie all the best in their next stage of life; I will not say 'retirement' either, because I am sure the frenetic pace of life that she is used to will continue after she leaves this place.

The Hon. Sandra Kanck and I have a bit of history, but I will not bore the chamber with the sordid details. Suffice to say, our paths have crossed many times over the decades be it at camps at Narrunga or David Hicks protests, or, indeed, when I lobbed into her office when I was trying to sign up her and her colleagues into the CPSU back in the early eighties (I succeeded with two out of three of the staff, I think), and, of course, latterly as a member of this august chamber.

A product of Broken Hill (like myself)—or, as Peter Goers has it 'the beautiful silver city of Broken Hill'—the Hon. Ms Kanck has come to this place with her attention firmly fixed on righting the social inequities that exist in our society. While, for many, Broken Hill has lots of positives to recommend it, for many others social inequities are on display there just as they are in any other place and, in some ways, even more so. Perhaps, partly for this reason as well as the Hill's culture of being there for your mates, looking after your mates, and sometimes taking up the cudgels on behalf of your fellow citizens, social justice is a major political concern for her and many of us who, indeed, hail from that place.

As many have commented already, making her voice heard on behalf of others was not something that the Hon. Ms Kanck ever shied away from. Whether it was euthanasia or harm minimisation, you could practically guarantee that the honourable member would always have an opinion and would always be more than happy to share it whether or not you wanted to hear it.

I must admit that I have not always agreed with the honourable member on every issue—and I am sure that there are many times when she has not agreed with me—but, even in those instances where our opinions have not aligned, I have had to respect her passion and conviction in her beliefs. The last elected Democrat in any Australian parliament has never been one to shy from a tough fight or controversy when she has believed that it is the right fight to have—and I admire her greatly for that.

One issue (of many) that we do agree on quite often is the environment. We are losing a green crusader in the resignation of the Hon. Ms Kanck. I can only hope that her replacement in this place comes here with at least half as much conviction as she has shown for protecting our planet and its inhabitants.

I also have a longstanding admiration for the honourable member's passion for human rights, even those human rights which might not have always been popular at the time. Some of the issues that the honourable member has championed have been out of favour with the wider community, at least when they were being raised. We cannot forget her support of David Hicks and her condemnation of his treatment, even at the height of fears about terror, and also her support for refugees or illegal queue jumpers, as John Howard tried to define them. We need people in this place, I believe, who fight for human rights, even those human rights that are not widely supported in the wider community—or, perhaps, especially those human rights.

I wish the Hon. Sandra Kanck well in her life after parliament. Despite resigning from her formal position as a politician, I suspect that she may be one of those people who never really retires from a life of politics. I look forward to her continuing passionate advocacy for those causes close to her heart. I would like to thank her for her service to this parliament.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (18:15): I join other honourable members in extending greetings to everyone for the coming Christmas season and to thank the staff for their work over the past 12 months, particularly to Chris, Jan and other table staff who have had a difficult period in stepping up after the sad passing of Trevor. I also welcome the Hon. Robert Brokenshire, even though he is not here, in joining the chamber. I will also associate myself with the best wishes extended to the Hon. Sandra Kanck by members and offer her the best in her retirement, at least from this place. I also am sure that she will stay active in public life. The comments of the Hon. Rob Lucas reminded me of a quote I saw only today from Mark Twain:

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority it is time to pause and reflect.

I think there is no doubt that a voice like the Hon. Ms Kanck's does give us pause to reflect, even though it might be one that we do not agree with. If we all agreed on everything it would be a much duller parliament. It is fair to say that the Hon. Sandra Kanck and I have not agreed on everything—or, perhaps, much—nonetheless, she has certainly always been unfailingly courteous and professional to me, and I appreciate that.

I put on record that I do have her book on the late President Kennedy and, having publicly said that I am in possession of it, she may want to come and reclaim it. I wish her and her family the best in retirement, particularly with the a cappella singing. I am happy to lend her some CDs of Palestrina if she wants to expand her collection.

The fate, to date, of the Democrats is a salutary lesson for us in not taking anything for granted in politics. I think the Hon. Ms Kanck could fairly say that she stood by her convictions and, whatever the political cost, she stuck to what she sincerely believed in. I do not think we can ask much more of ourselves, as public servants, than that. I wish her all the best.

The PRESIDENT (18:18): I might give the Hon. Ms Kanck the last word today, but first I would like to take the opportunity to thank the whips. The whips in this chamber certainly have to earn their money because of the number of Independents and smaller parties. Their working relationship with the President's office has been greatly appreciated, so thanks for that. I thank all honourable members for the humour shared throughout the year in the chamber. It is always nice to listen to those with a good sense of humour. Even though interjections are out of order, if they are funny, they are sometimes quite welcome.

I also thank honourable members for way that the debate has been conducted throughout the year. I thank Jan, Chris and our chamber staff for the wonderful job they have done and for the assistance they have given to the President's office throughout the year. I also take this opportunity to thank catering, Hansard, the library and all other parliamentary staff.

It has been a good year and a successful year. Of course, we had the passing of our Black Rod, Trevor, which was a very sad occasion, and we will always remember him, not only this year but for many years to come. I take this opportunity to wish staff, members and everybody else a very merry, happy and safe Christmas.

As for the Hon. Sandra Kanck, I will certainly miss the bright outfits. Whether a man or a woman replaces you, perhaps you had better give them some of your wardrobe and keep that seat bright. Some wonderful outfits have been worn in the chamber by Sandra, and it always seems to brighten up the place.

I must thank the Hon. Sandra Kanck on behalf of the working class; she has always been a supporter of the working-class people in South Australia and Australia, supporting their cause in any industrial matters that came before the house—as have the Democrats generally. I would also like to thank her for her continuing efforts on behalf of the terminally ill in relation to giving them a choice; those efforts have been wonderful and the honourable member is to be congratulated, because it is a tough issue, although I do not think that people recognise it as being a popular one.

On behalf of myself and all those who do not have the opportunity to stand up and speak when someone leaves here—and that is all the staff of parliament but particularly those connected with this chamber—I wish the Hon. Sandra Kanck well for a healthy, long and active not retirement, but life. I congratulate her on her time in parliament and on all she has done for the South Australian people.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK (18:21): Thank you very much; that has been a delight to listen to. I would like to make some comments, and I will make some that will be slightly chiding of the government and the opposition, but I hope they will be accepted in the spirit I intend. This last week has been quite extraordinary. The workload has been intense, but I have had the opportunity to speak on some of the things about which I am really passionate—voluntary euthanasia, drug law reform, human rights, environment, and accountability and the true 'Keep the bastards honest' model.

The Hon. Gail Gago referred to my first speech, which was in February 1994—and I should draw members' attention to the fact that I am wearing the same clothes as I wore in February 1994, apart from a different scarf and necklace, so I am a true conservationist! One of my passions is population, and that was the central point of the contribution I made in my first speech. I wanted to make a contribution that was very substantial, and I cannot think of a more substantial issue than population. I know that both the government and the opposition have policies that support increases in population, but I want to make it clear to them both that there is an increasing awareness out there in the public that growing our population is the wrong way to go—particularly when we have climate change and peak oil impending. They will have an enormous impact. When I raise the issue on talkback radio, people immediately ring in saying that we do not have the control of water right for us to be able to increase population; we cannot even maintain our health services to the standard required for the current population, so why are we increasing it?

As part of that speech I raised the issue of the Catholic Church, and the Hon. Gail Gago raised the right to choose. I just want to go back and remind members of what I said at that time: that each year half a million women around the world die from pregnancy-related causes, and each day 500 women die from backyard abortions. I was angered by the fact that in October 1993 the Catholic Church changed its position on birth control from it being merely immoral to one of it being intrinsically evil.

I also raised the fact that the Catholic Church had prevented the issue of population being debated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro. I think that these issues are absolutely fundamental, and I have a strong view that we need to keep the church and the state separate. So it was not intended, but it was interesting to see, coming full circle today, that I raised a question about bus advertising and the Atheists Association wanting to get some appropriate advertising on buses.

My first private members' motion, which was moved on the second day after I was installed in this place, was about the Adelaide to Darwin rail line, and I began asking questions from day one. I was surprised, when looking back at the record, to find that one of the early questions that I asked, would you believe, was about TAFE women's studies and threats to those, so it seems as if we are in a bit of a Groundhog Day loop. On that occasion it was a Liberal government and now we are talking about a Labor government, but it seems to be a case of the more things change, the more things stay the same.

My first bill was about the selection of judges. This followed a pre-parliamentary campaign against Justice Bollen. I had campaigned to get him sacked as a consequence of his rougher than usual handling in a rape in marriage trial. That bill required training of judges and, unfortunately, it was defeated. There was no easy way into parliament, and I think most crossbenchers here are in the same category. Within a matter of weeks I was having amendments drafted to the passenger transport bill that was introduced by Diana Laidlaw and standing in parliament and moving them.

Things have changed a lot over the 15 years. When I started I had to buy my own computer. That is now provided as a matter of course. There was no such thing as a global allowance. I found it quite shocking that, out of my own money, I had to go and buy highlighter pens and lever arch files because they were not provided to us. I used to say to people in business, 'You do not have to go and buy these things, but I have to buy them.' That is something that has greatly improved. Another thing that has improved is that Parliament House during this time became a smoke-free workplace, which I think is great for all of us.

I have been asked a lot about achievements. Going back to the most recent achievements, the reporting requirements that are now in place for the Mullighan inquiry are now the gold standard. They were raised at the ACOSS AGM, and now social justice groups around Australia will go into parliaments and say to parliamentarians, 'This is what you must have when you have royal commissions and significant inquiries with recommendations. You have to get in these requirements so you know what is happening and you can track the accountability of government for a number of years.'

I introduced South Australia's first human rights bill and also the first official visitors scheme, which I called the human rights monitors bill. In 1999 I actively campaigned—unsuccessfully—for the Nurses Act to be renamed the nurses and midwives act, but I am delighted that in just the last two weeks we have passed the Nursing and Midwifery Practice Act, which is exactly what I wanted to do. Almost everything I wanted to introduce by my two private members' bills have now been incorporated in the new act.

I conducted a three-month inquiry into the ETSA privatisation in 1998 after the Liberal premier announced the sale of ETSA, and came out very strongly against that sale. Although, in the end, I was not able to prevent it, I am very proud of the research that was done that showed just how bad this could be for us.

I have been arguing for a long time (and my previous colleague the Hon. Mike Elliott set the pace for this) for drug law reform—for sensible drug law reform based on science and facts and not myths and belief systems, and I am very proud of that.

I took the lead twice in introducing legislation to require a levy on plastic shopping bags and, as has been mentioned, I have been fighting on anti-nuclear causes not just for the 15 years I have been in parliament but for many years before that. Although I have not had huge successes on that front, I am still proud of the fact that I have been fighting on it.

I have enjoyed standing up for various groups, causes and individuals, particularly when the major parties have not been willing to take them up. In relation to the midwifery issue, I succeeded back in 1999 in maintaining a separate register for midwives. It did not seem much to me at the time, but it was something that midwives themselves told me they were very grateful for and, in 1999, they presented me with the inaugural Midwifery Advocate of the Year award.

I have taken up the cause of other people, such as the farmers on the Fleurieu Peninsula who have been campaigning now since the early 1990s about the drying up of the Foggy Farm tributary of the Deep Creek catchment. No-one else had taken them seriously up until then. They had never had a politician come down and have a look for themselves. I have been sticking up for farmers in the Upper South-East against the drainage scheme which the great majority of farmers do not want and which continues to do enormous damage to wetlands. When the opal mining bill was being debated, I successfully fought to give the small opal miners time to get their act into gear or get out of the industry before the big companies were allowed onto the field.

Of course, there have been my bills for voluntary euthanasia. Twice I introduced my dignity in dying bill and once I introduced a bill for a referendum for voluntary euthanasia. As has been mentioned, the South Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society has given me life membership for my work.

My regrets? The Hon. Rob Lucas mentioned the censoring of the electronic version of Hansard. I think that was a very sad day for parliament. One can find the speech in the paper version of Hansard, but in the electronic version there is not even a mention of the motion I moved. It is as if that whole time in parliament did not exist, and I think when parliament begins censoring we are moving backwards. I regret that after 13 years we do not have legal voluntary euthanasia. The first attempt was made by John Quirke in 1995, and I believe it is something that will come.

I regret, too, how sensational the media coverage has been, particularly about what I have said about drugs and the use of MDMA for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and the use of medical marijuana. It has been very interesting to see how the media to some extent have made me a straw man to be shot down. My former colleague, the Hon. Mike Elliott, moved motions about supervised injecting facilities–which created no major fuss in the media at the time—and introduced a controlled substances (cannabis decriminalisation) amendment bill.

I find it sad that we have gone down the path of tough on crime legislation, with many MPs telling me in the corridors, 'I support what you are doing but I cannot deviate from the party line.' It is another regret that after five attempts—three by my former colleague, the Hon. Ian Gilfillan, and twice by me—we still do not have an ICAC in South Australia.

I have been unhappy with the way in which the government has become a voice for the development lobby. I was particularly unhappy in 2005 with the Whyalla steel indenture act, when the government overrode the efforts of the EPA to put in what would be considered normal licence requirements for OneSteel. I think it was a sad day when the people of East Whyalla were marginalised by this chamber. We had the situation where one group of people had to be sacrificed for an industry.

Looking back at this job, my minor regrets include not getting enough sleep. In the past week there was one night where I got four hours sleep and another night where I got 3½ hours sleep, and I struggled back in here to continue to debate legislation in a sensible way. That time restriction means that although I arranged for a good phone to be bought I have never had the time to sit down and work through the instruction manual to work out how to do much more than make and receive calls. It may be that post parliament I might actually learn how to send text messages on my phone.

In relation to the hours of the job, I do not know whether any member has looked at the new salary advice printout we have. According to the last month's salary printout—I assume it states the same on all members' printouts—I have worked 150 hours in November—which means a 37.5 hour week. I think we should all say if only! If we had a 37½ hour week I think I might have stayed on in parliament, but we do work exhausting hours.

We go out at nights to meetings, we work weekends and we work nights. I have generally found that I work a 60-hour week, and it can go up to 90 hours, even 100 hours in the frenetic times of a final sitting week before a break. Yet, despite the vilification that MPs receive and those sorts of working hours, we put our hands up for it again and again, and one has to ask why. I do not think it is because we are masochists: I think it is because being a member of parliament opens doors to us. It provides opportunities that we would not otherwise have had.

I think of some of the things I have experienced, such as climbing inside the boiler at the Torrens Island Power Station when it was being cleaned out to see the gas and oil jets, and climbing up to view Adelaide from the top of the Torrens Island Power Station. Who else gets those sorts of opportunities? That was part of one of the many things I did during my three-month inquiry into whether or not ETSA should be sold.

In recent times I have visited places as diverse as Cubbie Station and the Leigh Creek coal mine as a member of the Natural Resources Committee. I have done study tour trips to the US, Canada, Tanzania, South Africa, Israel and Palestine, where I met the President, Mahmud Abbas. In fact, I was telling someone last week that the necklace I was wearing on that particular day I had bought from a roadside seller; because I was not expecting to meet him and I did not have anything that seemed to me to be appropriate to be meeting a president.

I have attended conferences at an international level. I have visited Vietnam and the Philippines. While we are talking things international, I think it is important to recognise that this year we have seen very recently the election of Barack Obama as the incoming president of the United States, and he campaigned on the politics of hope. I contrast that with Australia from 2001 onwards.

What we saw was campaigning on the politics of fear. There was the issue of terrorism, there was fear of Muslims, there was the fear of people different from ourselves and the fear of people arriving on boats seeking asylum in our country. Fear is something that is very easy to prey on, because it is a part of our brain (for those who know a little about it) that resides in the amygdala, and it is hard-wired as opposed to the normal rational thinking. You can target that fear, because it is there in the amygdala. People are so open to manipulation. A clever politician can present himself as a saviour, for instance, if he is able to access the fear of people, even if there is nothing to fear. Yet, when I look at the politics of fear that has happened here over the last decade, really, within Australia and South Australia only a very small group of people have anything to fear.

Most of us live in comparative comfort. If you go into a house, I defy you to find one that does not have a DVD player, a sound system, a computer and so on. Some people might choose not to have a TV because they have views that they are better off without it, but that is a conscious choice. Even in the homes of disadvantaged people I have found that most of this sort of equipment is part of normal existence. Having visited developing countries I am aware of how lucky we are, but we remain fearful—we cringe, we are envious, we create goodies and baddies, and politicians can then use that, as I say, to create fear that becomes a very powerful tool. I came across a quote from Al Gore just yesterday, who said:

Leadership means inspiring us to manage through our fears. Demagoguery means exploiting our fears for political gain. There is a crucial difference.

I have to say (as I said, I have been doing some gentle chiding) that we have not been seeing much leadership in this state in that regard. I see the Rann government with its tough on crime agenda, which has been echoed by the opposition, as playing fear like a Stradivarius. Then, when you do that, you can introduce legislation that is tough on crime because you can then say to the electorate, 'We are looking after you'. It is a very good technique in terms of being able to bring people back into the fold.

The weekend before last, I was at a wedding at which a man said to me, 'Tell me please that the Liberals are going to win the next election.' I said, 'Well, no they're not.' I said, 'They're probably going to win three or four, maybe five seats.' The reason they will not win is that, every time the government comes up with some tough on crime, tough on drugs, WorkCover amendments, or whatever, the opposition puts its hand up and says, 'Me, too'. That is the reason I believe that, come the election in 2010, unless there is some amazing turnaround, the Labor government will be returned. Basically, the opposition is not giving those people who changed their votes in 2006 to the Labor Party reason enough to return to the Liberal Party. Now that might be good news for the government, but it might also be a message to the opposition to look to what they can do.

I want to give thanks to a few people. My husband, Aussie, has the role of a political spouse which means that, when you get in at 1 in the morning, he is already in bed asleep and I have to wake him up to give him a goodnight kiss, and then see him briefly over breakfast and then head off to work again. Sometimes that happens day in and day out. My son, Brendon. His birthday is on 30 November, and I have lost count of the times that we have been sitting on 30 November and I have not been able to celebrate his birthday on his day.

To my current staff, Cathy and David, and Crystal, my trainee, and other previous staff, in particular, Greg, Jennifer, Julia and Anna, I say thanks. To Jan Davis—Jan, I think, is the Legislative Council to me—and her staff: the two Chrises, Claire, Guy and Margaret—nothing has ever been impossible for you. When we leave at 1 in the morning, we often forget that they are still here working together to ensure that everything will proceed smoothly the next day. To Todd, Mario, Karen and Antoni, our team of messengers, you are ever calm and cheerful, and unobtrusive even. Hansard, great work over the years. One of the Hansard reporters recently told me that I was a Hansard reporter's dream, so I felt very complimented by that, but I also want to compliment Hansard. They put in the full stops and the capital letters when we are frothing at the mouth from time to time and make us look good.

I do remember going with a committee to the APY lands, along with two Hansard staff, with their stenographic machine sitting on the tripod located in the dust. I remember the Hon. Terry Roberts having to rescue one of the cases when one of the dogs in the settlement was doing its best to place an indelible mark on it. Those Hansard reporters, particularly those who do that old-fashioned method—I do think that Hansard has to keep these people on for a long time because, when you go to places like that, you will not have the microphones, the tape recorders and so on—are an invaluable part of this institution.

Catering staff are here to all hours of the day and night to make us a cup of coffee while we are sitting into the wee small hours of the morning—and what a blessing that is to us. The building attendants are always there to change a light bulb; almost always at call; always cheerful. The people who probably will never read this Hansard, the cleaners: to know that we are going to come in day after day and find we have clean toilets and clean hand basins. We do not have to think about it, but it is such a pleasure and it makes our lives so much more easy.

I want to thank all other MPs with whom I have worked over these 15 years. I single out a number of people. My former colleague the Hon. Ian Gilfillan was the one responsible for my deciding seriously to contest a preselection in my party to get into parliament. I had run a couple of times as a favour to the party. It was Ian who said to me, 'Sandra, you have what it takes and you should do this seriously.' I said, 'Oh, all right,' and the rest is history. Some of you may not thank Ian but I do, and even when I came under some heavy attacks within my party two years ago, Ian stood by me.

I paid tribute to Diana Laidlaw when she left, but I believe that in my 15 years in parliament she was the best minister. She had public consultation down to an art form. If any impending minister wants to see how it is done, have a look at what Diana did legislatively, and talk to her about how she brought people in behind her with whatever she was doing. The Hon. Terry Roberts was one of the most gentle and respectful MPs that I think this place has ever seen, and I think that is something that others could aspire to.

I cannot complete my contribution without saying something about the role of the Legislative Council. It is a very important place. I have not done the statistics so far for this new session (that is, beginning in September), but over the previous session, beginning in April 2006, I kept a record of all the government bills where the government, itself, put in an amendment. It was 30 per cent of them, so almost one in three government bills were amended by the government itself. I think that is because we have a bicameral system where there is time for us to look at these things and to get it right. I know that this current government wants to have a referendum to abolish this place, but I will be there campaigning very strongly against that when we come up to the next election. It is a vital institution; one that ensures accountability and entrenches democracy.

I hope, with what I have done over these 15 years, that I have made the lives of some people better. I have received some wonderful emails and comments from people. I will read three of the emails, without giving the names. I have started to put these together in one document, but I will read, as I say, just three of them to tell you what some have said, as follows:

As a person of the left, I found you as a person of the radical centre, an open-minded, inclusive, pluralistic and dogma-free individual willing to consider issues and people on their merits with an honesty and integrity that I continue to admire and respect.

Another email states:

We thank you with all of our hearts for your integrity, your untiring support of the underdog, your work ethic, your sense of right and wrong, your guts and determination and for the humanity you have brought to the erstwhile cold and impersonal parliamentary process. We thank you for standing up for us and rallying against injustice. Your support of battling residents was appreciated and you will always be our heroine.

The third email states:

I would like to thank you for the interest you have shown in bringing common sense and justice to a range of issues that are of concern to the community. I admire your gritty determination and courage in pursuing issues of concern to the community that because of their controversial nature are given a wide berth by other prominent people in the community from whom we should expect leadership. Society needs people of strong convictions and you have made it a better place through your active representation of the community in the upper house.

As I say, I have received some very positive feedback from the public. I do expect, of course, that there are people who I have made very uncomfortable, and I do not expect to be receiving emails of support from them. Certainly they are not writing to me, that is for sure.

In conclusion, I have had 15 amazing years. This has been much more than a job: it has been a passion. Sometimes it has been a sheer pain and at other times it has been an utter delight but, whatever way it is, I am the richer for it and you can be guaranteed—as a number of members have surmised—that I will not be going quietly. You can expect to hear from me in my 'retirement'.

Motion carried.


At 18:49 the council adjourned until Tuesday 3 February 2009 at 14:15.


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