Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I join the previous speakers in thanking all of those who do so much for us in this House, in this parliament and in this building. They have been mentioned individually by a number of speakers previously, and I want to add my thanks to theirs. In particular at this end-of-year time I want to thank the parliamentary leadership team of the Liberal Party. I thank the Prime Minister, who has given outstanding leadership, not only to the Liberal Party but to the country, over the last 10 years. I think history will judge this period of Australia’s experience very well indeed. When it does, people will realise the leadership that the country has had. I thank Mark Vaile, who leads the National Party and has done a wonderful job and is very good company, and Nick Minchin and Helen Coonan, our Senate leadership, who are both people of fine character whom I admire very much. I thank our whips, who are here: Kerry Bartlett—you have been a great whip and a great person—Joanna Gash and Stewart McArthur. Let me thank all of my colleagues in the Liberal and National parties. If it were not for them, we would not be here. People who serve the public ought to have the thanks of their leaders, and as their deputy leader I want to thank them on this occasion.

In that vein, I would say to Kim Beazley, who no doubt will be feeling very flat at this time, that he has made a major contribution to Australian politics, as a minister and as a Leader of the Opposition. I think only when he looks back on the fullness of his career will he realise what he has done. He comes from a fine family and I send my regards to him. Jenny Macklin, who is here, was the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party for a very long period of time, a post which she discharged with great vigour. This is a very brutal place. Slings and arrows are taken in the course of one’s parliamentary career, and you can take them from the front and you can take them from the back—from the other side or your own side. But you deserve tribute for the way in which you have discharged your office.

Ian and Bernard, thank you for all that you do. You are public servants in the finest tradition. You show no fear, no favour, no bias. I do not know how you get to vote at election time. In fact, you probably vote informal, just to make sure that you show no bias towards either side of this chamber! It has never occurred to me that the advice you give would be other than scrupulously honest, and I thank you for that. A great credit to you too, Mr Speaker, for all of the work that you have done through the year, for which I thank you. I hope on occasion I have even entertained you in the chamber with some of my dance routines!

I thank the Treasury, led by Ken Henry. It is one of the great departments of state and one of the original departments of state, admired internationally, I think. It came home to me when we put on the G20 summit in Melbourne just how admired the Treasury is. Martin Parkinson and his team put together the best G20 summit there has been, by general acclaim. All of the staff that work for the Treasury are fine people whom I want to thank very deeply.

I thank my own personal staff. Phil Gaetjens is my chief of staff, who has an amazing reach over policy and government. Gabe, who manages me and is absolutely indispensable, I thank you. My notes say I should thank the Gaz man, David Gazard, who is an invaluable member of my team. That is because he wrote these notes—he deserves it too! And I thank my other advisers: David Alexander, Renae Stoikos, Kelly O’Dwyer, Jonathan Epstein, Allan Anderson, Matthew Quillinan and David Crawford. I thank my electorate staff, Ali, Lou and Melissa, who do a wonderful job for me; the office manager, Philippa Campbell; my electorate chairman, Ross Liebman; and Georgie Crozier, who ran a great ship. I want to thank them for all that they do. I thank our party director, Brian Loughnane, who is immensely professional, and Julian Sheezel, our director in Victoria, who has done so much through the year.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, which I believe to be probably the great turning point of history. I think this event changed history for the better. I think Christ and his teachings have changed the world in a way no other person has. Not only do we commemorate the birth of Christ but we use that great event to remember our own families. Our community draws its strength from relationships—within families, between neighbours, through voluntary organisations—and countless people who build relationships in countless ways. Volunteers serve the community and make it stronger; they make the community and the society. The relationships of families, neighbourhoods, streets, suburbs, towns, cities, regions and the nation give strength to our society.

That leads me to remember the value of my own family and all that they mean to me—my wife, Tanya, and my children, Seb, Madeleine and Phoebe. You come into this place and you spend a lot of time here and you do not realise how much strain it places on the family. You are away doing things that interest you, and they are at home without the support of one of the parents. Those of us who are in public life do not really realise the strain it puts on those who are close to us. In all of their dealings and relationships, they are subject to your reputation and to your exposure. If I can share my experience with all of my colleagues, I say to myself that whatever we, on both sides of the House, can do to value our own families, to protect them and to thank them, it is well worth doing it.

I see that my opposite number is here—I don’t know whether he’s still my opposite number but, if he is, I will look forward to coming back and crossing swords with him next year! If he is not, let me thank him for the fun that we have had crossing swords over the years. My best wishes to all in this place, and my thanks for all the kindnesses that they have shown to us.

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