Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

If I could associate the government with your tribute to Mr Andrew Chin: I am sure that every member of this parliament is well aware from personal experience of the great service of the Parliamentary Library. We all rely on it. We rely on their professionalism. We rely on their assistance. I am aware that Andrew has been a pivotal part of the library for a long period of time. He has seen huge development in that time, including the move from the Old Parliament House to here. I suspect the development of all the new technology in that period has not actually made the job any easier—if anything, it has possibly made it harder as our requests for information from the Parliamentary Library become ones where we wish for the return of information ever more quickly. I also suspect that one of the challenges for Andrew in the Old Parliament House was not so much being asked for information by members of parliament on their way to the dining room; it may have been being asked by members of parliament on their way back from the dining room that actually was the more profound challenge. We all wish him well. It is a very proud record of service to be working in the parliament in any capacity over that length of time. It really does show a very special dedication to the working of the parliament and the working of the Australian democracy. We wish him very well for his future.

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