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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-06-16 Daily Xml
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Members

Centofanti, Hon. N.J.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. R.I. Lucas:

That this council welcomes the Hon. N.J. Centofanti, elected by an Assembly of Members of both houses on 7 April 2020 to replace the Hon. A.L. McLachlan (resigned).

(Continued from 4 June 2020.)

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (17:23): I will not speak for very long on this motion, but I do wish on behalf of the opposition to warmly welcome our newest member to this chamber, the now honourable Nicola Centofanti. I know there has been some debate about Centofanti or Centofanti, and it has even been suggested that maybe we do not go with the pronunciation that the honourable member chooses, but I think it has settled with the Hon. Nicola Centofanti as the newest member of this chamber.

I know that when members come to this chamber, who have a connection with, grew up in or are indeed from regional South Australia, it has been the practice of the Leader of the Government, the Treasurer in this chamber, to acknowledge that and to note that it is an important part of this chamber that we have that diversity of views that come from people whose world outlook, world views and what they bring here, is influenced and affected by their upbringing in regional SA. I will endeavour to make a habit of doing that myself. It is a good thing that we have representatives from outside metropolitan Adelaide.

I think our newest member has already distinguished herself in service to committees on which I serve with her, has made a good contribution from the start and has already won the praise of her colleagues with calls of 'good question' when she asks a question in question time, as she is wont to ask. From the honourable member's first speech, and from other speeches that have been made, the wideranging interests and life experience I think will make the decisions we make here more informed.

I think the pedigree in terms of public service that the honourable member's family has engaged in in the past will help her deal with her role here. I look forward to many years of serving in this chamber with the Hon. Nicola Centofanti and warmly welcome her here. I know she will fill the considerable shoes left by now Senator Andrew McLachlan.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (17:25): In concluding the debate, I thank the honourable Leader of the Opposition, who spoke on behalf of Labor members, and others who contributed to the debate. In briefly concluding, I warmly welcome the Hon. Nicola Centofanti to the Legislative Council. It is unusual circumstances, as I briefly referred to earlier, due to the inability for significant numbers of friends and family to be here in the immediacy of the parliament to share in the first speech to parliament. It was limited, albeit a significant number of your colleagues from the House of Assembly were able, with appropriate physical distancing, to be here and to share in your first speech to the Legislative Council.

As the Leader of the Government, and as the Hon. Nicola Centofanti's leader here in terms of the Liberal Party team, I am delighted to welcome her, as the Hon. Leader of the Opposition says, as a representative of regional communities. If I go back, as I can, much further than anyone else can, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer was a fearless representative of regional communities, originally from the West Coast but then in latter years from Clare in the Mid North region. The Hon. Nicola Centofanti will know the Hon. Caroline Schaefer very well. They are extraordinarily big shoes to fill in terms of representing regional communities.

There are other views the Hon. Nicola Centofanti will also bring to the table in terms of her professional background and the many other community interests she has represented, which she referred to. She clearly has many talents in terms of being a trainer and various other functions she has served at the local football team and in other sporting pursuits as well.

We are delighted to see her coming into this chamber and representing the Liberal Party, and the Riverland community broadly but regional communities in general. We thank honourable members for their contributions, and we also thank the honourable member for her first contribution.

Motion carried.

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