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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-28 Daily Xml
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KANDELAARS, HON. G.A.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:55): I move:

That this council welcomes the Hon. G.A. Kandelaars as a member.

It is with great pleasure that I move this motion to enable the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars to make his very first speech in this parliament. I take this opportunity to welcome Gerry Kandelaars to the red benches and just say a few words of welcome and provide a little bit of background about Gerry. Gerry brings to the Legislative Council a unique and very practical set of skills, along with the wisdom and insight that accompanies his life experiences of considerable depth.

As an apprentice in the old postmaster general's department, the PMG, he learned the ropes as a telecommunications tradesman, later moving into the technical area that planned the future needs of our telecommunications networks. Gerry also undertook study that allowed him to move from being a technician to being a technical officer. That was a long time before the internet was conceived, and Gerry has had a front row seat into how our telecommunications infrastructure was born and evolved. He understands it technically but, equally importantly, he understands its social impacts.

As a workplace delegate for the Communication Workers Union from his late teens onwards, and later, as we know, becoming branch secretary, he has seen the transformative power of technological change. We cannot imagine life now without our mobiles, our iPads and such like at our fingertips, but along with his follow Telecom, then Telstra, employees Gerry lived through the impact of privatisation, the massive pressure for redundancies, the destruction of the apprentice training systems, and the wholesale turmoil where organisations were turned on their heads.

Gerry had to lead people through these changes, sticking loyally with his members, his mates, through the bad times and the good, which is the Labor spirit we all treasure in this place. It is that life experience that will also see Gerry, I believe, make a very valuable contribution to this place.

I am told that, in his last job working for Robyn Geraghty in the electorate office of Torrens, he was somewhat prone to whipping out a set of screwdrivers or other appropriate implements to practically solve all sorts of problems for constituents. I understand that he was very handy around the office in a number of ways. We have in Gerry a profoundly practical person who will bring some excellent analytical and people skills learned from being a technician, from being a director with Telstra Super, from a long history of working in vocational education and training and, of course, his long history with the union movement.

Gerry's union background, of which I know he is extremely proud, and which I share, has no doubt provided him with a wealth of human insight and experience. I welcome Gerry here, along with everyone else in this place I am sure, and look forward to the important contribution that I have no doubt he will make in this place.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call on the Hon. Mr Kandelaars, I remind members that it is the honourable member's first speech in the house and I ask members to show him the normal courtesy.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:59): Thank you, Mr President, and thank you, minister, for your kind words. First, I acknowledge that the land we meet on today is the traditional land of the Kaurna people, and I respect their spiritual relationship with this country. I acknowledge that to the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region, their culture and heritage beliefs are still important to the Kaurna people today.

I am the son of Dutch migrants who came to this country 60 years ago. My parents played a key role in developing my social conscience. Unfortunately my father passed away some 10 years ago, but he still remains a constant source of inspiration. My dad was a lover of nature and the Australian bush. He could, and did, spend hours watching native birds and animals, and enjoyed the unique natural environment that is Australia. Following his death, our family spread his ashes along the Torrens Linear Park, which he and mum used to love to stroll along, and I dedicate this speech to my parents Leo and Nelly.

I have to say that one thing I admired most about my parents was the enormous courage they showed to move from their homeland, the Netherlands, to start a new life in Australia. I do not think many of us understand how momentous a decision this was. They came to this country with each other, very little money, and nothing else. They were cut off from their families and their friends, and had to fend for themselves. A letter would take over a month to reach its destination and another month to return. In fact, the first letter to arrive from my mum's mother took over six months to reach her.

Mum was pregnant with my older brother Neil at the time she and dad arrived in Australia. Again, I cannot imagine how isolated she must have felt. Within three years of their arrival my parents had moved into their first home at Northfield, which, on reflection, was an outstanding achievement. I know that my mum often talks about how she may well have returned to Holland had it not been for the metal-cased GE fan that dad had brought her at Northfield. It certainly makes me reflect on how much easier we have it today, and I certainly do not know how I would cope without air conditioning.

My first recollection as a child was when we picked up my mother and my newly-born brother Ron, from the Northern Community Hospital. This was only possible with the use of my Uncle Ton's Volkswagen. It is something as simple as this that again reinforces just how remote my parents were from family support thousands of kilometres away. I suspect this is one of the reasons why my mum and dad always sought the cultivation of friends as so important. My mum has a very strong network of friends, both from fellow Dutch, other migrants, as well as Australians. These people were my mother's Australian family, and helped her to fill the void that arose when she left the Netherlands.

From their arrival, both my parents were keen to assimilate with their neighbours, to foster a sense of community and to give back to this great country. One of the things I attribute to my mother and father was, as I said earlier, the development of my social conscience. I know that mum used to cringe at the robust discussion that took place around the family dinner table, but it was certainly valuable in the social development of my brothers and I.

Another thing I also most admired about my parents was the strong bond they shared with each other. Woe if anyone tried to get between them! They had a very special relationship which I greatly admired and which was, for the time, so unusual, as it was a relationship of equals. Mum and dad's relationship was so special. The one negative I have about my mother is that she has a constant fight with technology. I think that her motto is: if it won't work, kick it. But, truly, mum, thank you for all the love you have given my brothers and me over the years.

I was educated at St Paul's College and Gilles Plains High School and, on completion of my high school education, I undertook an apprenticeship with the PMG department as a telecommunications tradesman. When I was an apprentice, I met my wife and soul mate, Glenys, and we have now been married for 36 years. Throughout our marriage Glenys has truly been a tremendous support to me. This may sound corny, but, Glenys, you complete me. Thank you for your support that you have shown throughout our life together and for the support, I know, which will continue throughout my time in this place.

The day that I married Glenys was one of the happiest days of my life, equalled only by the birth of my daughter, Katie, and our son, Matthew. Glenys and I are immensely proud of our two children, their personal and professional achievements and the people they have grown to be. Our daughter has been a constant source of joy in our lives. She is a wonderful human being with a terrific sense of humour, and we have a very special relationship with her. She is also a lesbian and has been with her partner, Simone, for eight years.

I can recall how hard it was for her to 'come out' and acknowledge her sexuality. For Glenys and me it was not a concern as we admired our daughter's courage to recognise her own sexuality. I can also remember my son's response, 'This changes nothing. Katie is just still my sister.' As a father of a homosexual daughter, I know the anguish that the current laws that prohibit gay marriage cause, not only for Katie and Simone but also for the rest of our tight-knit family.

It is as if, in the eyes of the law, they are second-class citizens, which they are certainly not. It is time for our society to truly accept that homosexuality is a reality and that homosexual couples should be able to have their relationship and their love recognised under our secular law, just as heterosexual couples can. Katie and Simone may one day have children, and, if they do, I am sure they will be great parents, certainly as good as Glenys and I have tried to be.

In my view, parenting is not about gender but about your commitment and devotion to your children and about the love you have for them and about what is in your heart. Given what I have just said, it will be no surprise that I will support the Hon. Ian Hunter's proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment (Assistance for Lesbians and Single Women) Amendment Bill.

It would be remiss of me if I did not mention my son, Matthew, and his wife, Kelly. Matthew and I have always had a very close relationship. We do not beat around the bush when discussing issues of the day, and we have been known to call a spade a spade—sometimes even a shovel. Matthew, thank you for your ongoing advice. I appreciate your frankness, your ability to test my reasoning and your love of family above all else.

Thank you, also, to my daughter-in-law, Kelly, who has been a recent welcome addition to our family and who is able to keep Matthew in check—not an easy task at times, I can assure you. It is a great pleasure to see how happy they are together.

Now I will just go through some brief union history. Whilst an apprentice I joined my union, the then Postal Telecommunications Technicians Association. I became heavily involved in the union from an early stage, becoming a workplace delegate and moving on to the Branch Committee of Management.

One of my mentors was the branch secretary at the time I joined, John Sutton, who is here today. I always recall what John told me when I became branch secretary of the union back in 1992, 'Gerry, you'll be a good union official one day when you learn when to say yes.' I took that message to heart. John's reference was not about being a yes man, but being prepared to test and, where appropriate, accept change. Although it is certainly easy to always resist change and say no, it is far harder to say yes and lead people through change. John, I hope I met and lived up to your expectations.

I received another piece of advice from a former federal secretary of the union, Mick Muscemeci, who said, 'Remember, Gerry, this is members' money you are dealing with.' This is a motto I have tried to abide by throughout my time with the union and with every other organisation that I have had the pleasure to work with.

I am not in a position to mention all of my union colleagues, but there are two that I need to thank. The first is John Lee, who I worked with for over 30 years and who was my assistant branch secretary for 11 of those years. John has only recently retired, after 25 years as a full-time union official, and those who know what being a union official is would know how difficult that task is.

The other person I must mention is Noel Paul, who was secretary of the CEPU Postal and Communications Branch, and whom I worked with closely to see the two branches of our union amalgamate. Thank you John and Noel for your friendship, support and tireless efforts in supporting working South Australians.

I am still a member of the union today and proud of the difference it and other unions have made and continue to make to the lives of ordinary workers. It was a great privilege, challenge and honour to work on behalf of the members of my union. Despite the thinking of some in this place, unions continue to play an important role in our society.

Rather than considering union membership as a flaw in one's character, or experience, as some do, I consider it a great strength. Members of the union movement overwhelmingly are committed to assisting ordinary workers to make this country a better place and they should be commended for that.

Through my union participation I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the vocational education sector. I was a board member of PEER VEET and was involved with the PEER group for over 15 years. PEER, for those who do not know, is a group training company and registered training organisation that employs and trains over 400 apprentices in South Australia.

I have also served on a number of industry training boards, such as the Information Industries Training Advisory Board, and until last year the Electrotechnology and Water Skills Board.

Vocational education is an area that I care passionately about. It has certainly evolved over the last two decades and, in my view, education is the single most important key to driving prosperity and understanding in our society.

I am certainly keen to support initiatives that see the disadvantaged in our society being given opportunities to enhance their skills and prospects through vocational education. In particular, I am keen to see Indigenous people take up trades in fields such as fitting and turning, electrical, plumbing, and others. I am aware of a program that PEER VEET is undertaking to encourage Indigenous people to take up trade training, and I commend them for this initiative.

In 2002, I was nominated by the ACTU to the board of Telstra Super and held that position for over nine years. Telstra Super, for those who do not know, is the largest corporate superannuation fund in Australia, with over 100,000 members and $11 billion of funds under management.

The fund is well managed and has had a very innovative program of providing financial planning at no cost to its members. Interestingly, the fund has 65,000 members who are not directly employed by Telstra. In the nine years that I was the director of Telstra Super, I spent nine of those on the Audit Risk and Compliance Committee and five on the Remuneration Committee. My time with Telstra Super certainly added to my skill set and, whilst I do not profess to be a financial market expert, I have a much better understanding of capital markets and corporate governance as a result of those nine years.

As a result of the Hawke/Keating government we now have a superannuation structure that covers the majority of Australians. Personally, I do not think the superannuation guarantees go far enough and a number of studies suggest that the compulsory superannuation contribution should be in the order of 12 to 15 per cent to ensure that Australians have adequate retirement savings.

The reason I raise this issue in this chamber is that we as a society face a significant challenge—the challenge of an ageing population. Some predictions suggest that by 2030 the dependency ratio—that is, the number of people engaged in work versus those who are either retired or dependent on the government—could fall to as low as 2.7:1. Currently, that ratio is at 5:1. I believe the issue of an ageing population will provide us in this place with some significant challenges and it is a challenge I am committed to meet. Key to that challenge is providing adequate health care and the new state-of-the-art Royal Adelaide Hospital will go some way in achieving that.

Making sure that facilities cater for the elderly and the disabled is vital. It is critical that we assist the elderly to engage in our society so that they remain active, both mentally and physically, and so that they can continue to offer us their acquired knowledge and insightful wisdom.

In 2006 I accepted a position with Robyn Geraghty, the Labor member for Torrens, as a community liaison officer. Robyn has been and continues to be one of my mentors. Robyn gave me an opportunity to connect with the community of Torrens. Robyn, in my view, does an outstanding job in servicing the constituents of Torrens. She is clearly held in high regard by the electorate, having been the member covering that electorate now for 17 years.

After working with and for Robyn, I understand why she is so highly regarded. Robyn is dedicated, hardworking, great to work with and she is, as every politician should be, concerned about her community and servicing the people she was elected to represent rather than seeking the limelight. I have learnt a lot from Robyn. Thank you, Robyn, for your wisdom and support.

Unfortunately, Robyn's husband passed away late last year, as you might know. This was a great tragedy for Robyn and her family and was also a great loss to the ALP and the CEPU electrical and plumbing union, a union that Bob served with distinction. Bob's passing was also a great loss to me as he was also another of my mentors. Bob was a unique individual who, like Robyn, never sought the limelight. He was a man of great integrity with a strong social conscience who worked tirelessly to improve the lot of working people.

Back in the 1980s, Bob took on the established leadership of his union as he thought they were not doing the right thing by its members. He was the state secretary of the union for over 20 years and was granted life membership of that union just before his death. Robyn has come through that tragedy with great dignity. Bob will be forever remembered by many of us.

Whilst on the subject of my work with Robyn, I would like to mention two wonderful women I have had the pleasure to work with over the past five years. The first is Diane Davies, the Community Development Officer for the North East Community House, an organisation I had the pleasure to assist. Diane has an amazing commitment to developing our local community. As an example, the community house provides, on every Tuesday during school terms at the Hillcrest Community Centre, a lunch they refer to as the high noon lunch—for $5, you get a nutritious meal of three courses, which is unbelievable value. It is no surprise that over 40 people regularly attend this lunch. I must say that it is not only about the lunch; it is more about the social contact that this event provides. This is just one of the many valuable activities that the community house provides. Up until recently, I was a member of the board at the community house for five years.

The other person I want to mention is Rille Walshe OAM. Rille is the manager of the Wandana Community Centre at Blacks Road, Gilles Plains. The centre is operated by Centacare. I worked with Rille as a result of my involvement with the Safer Communities Inner North East Group (SCINE). SCINE is a group of like-minded organisations involving the Tea Tree Gully council, the Port Adelaide Enfield council, the Wandana Primary School, the Gilles Plains Primary School and various community centres, as well as the local MPs Robyn Geraghty and Frances Bedford, and it covers the inner north-eastern suburbs. It is dedicated to advocating safety promotion, and it complements the activities of injury prevention and community safety organisations in our community. The organisation's role is to seek to reduce the associated costs of injuries to our community and to provide a safe community environment.

Rille has also been instrumental in developing an innovative program that uses cooking to teach literacy and numeracy to newly-arrived migrants under the Adult Community Education Grant. One of the groups that Rille has assisted is the Uyghur community. The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group who come largely from Western China. They are a Muslim community whose desire here in South Australia is only to live in peace. They have a rich culture and traditions, which can only enhance the community here in South Australia. Both Diane and Rille do such a wonderful job in our community, and I personally thank them for what they do.

I believe strongly that Australia and, in particular, we here in South Australia, have been greatly enhanced by migrants. I am disturbed at people who peddle fear and misinformation regarding ethnic groups in our community. In particular, I abhor those who peddle anti-Muslim rhetoric and often extremist views. Australia is a traditionally tolerant and understanding society, and it is demeaned by these and, for that matter, any extremist views.

I am disturbed by the views of a Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, which have recently received airplay in Australia. I am particularly disappointed to hear that Senator Cory Bernardi apparently would like to invite this racist to this country. We would do well to reflect on history. Extremism, whether it is Islamic, Christian, secular or any other ideology, is to be condemned and has no place in our society. The White Australia policy is long gone. Let us not have bigoted rednecks try to resurrect it. Our society has been enhanced by multiculturalism. It has brought us new cultures, friends, foods, traditions. We should, in my view, reflect on humanity that makes us common, not on our differences.

Thankfully, our schools are an excellent example of where understanding and tolerance is taught. A case in point is the Northfield Primary School, which I had the great pleasure of being involved with during my time working for Robyn Geraghty. This school has been formally recognised as a Save the Children Alliance United Nations Global Peace School. This is a wonderful achievement and a great example for all of us.

Such is the high regard the school's peace program is held in that the former principal, Sharon Broadbent (now principal of Burnside Primary School), and the deputy principal, Lee Scaife, were recently invited to a conference in Malta on the program the school has been undertaking. The conference was supported by the European Union. I should mention that Sharon Broadbent was awarded the Public Service Medal this year for her outstanding public service in the area of education in disadvantaged areas.

I joined the Australian Labor Party more than 30 years ago and I have been active in all levels of the Labor movement. I believe strongly in the principle that there should be an equality of opportunity for all in our society and I have worked hard throughout my working life to try to achieve this. I have always believed in the intrinsic link between the Australian Labor Party and the union movement. I intend to continue to work hard to see that all in our society get a fair go: our children, our youth, the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed, working men and women.

Finally, in cIosing I would like to put on the record my praise for the Hon. Paul Holloway, whom I replace in this place. I have seen the enormous effort that Paul has put into his time in this parliament and the fantastic job he has done for the people of this state. Two of his great legacies have been his work on the Plan for Accelerating Exploration (PACE) and the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. I wish Paul and his wife, Wendy, all the best in his retirement from this place. South Australia is a great state with a great future and I am committed to continuing to work on behalf of the community to gain the best interests of the community.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (16:28): I rise on behalf of the opposition to second the motion and welcome the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars to this place. He joins one of, I think, about 700 South Australians who have had the privilege and honour of serving this state as a parliamentarian, and I can tell from the comments in his speech that, while I am sure there are some views that he and I will not share, there are a number of values about our great state that I think we will share. I am encouraged to hear from minister Gago that he is handy with a screwdriver, because I am sure that a handyman will not go astray on that side of the chamber. I have not seen anybody who has any capacity to be particularly handy on that side of the chamber.

He also indicated something that I think the majority of us all hold dear: the importance of our family and our involvement in our communities. He also indicated his commitment to workers and I very much look forward to him joining me on the forestry select committee, where we deliberate over the government's decision to sell the forestry assets and the great risk that will pose to workers in the South-East. I look forward to his input into coming to a sensible recommendation to the government on that select committee. With those few words, Mr President, I welcome the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars and look forward to serving with him.

Motion carried.

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