Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also add my congratulations and thanks to you, Ian, on your retirement and on your 37 years. That is an enormous contribution not just to this parliament but also to this nation. I believe that history will show that you have been a very integral part in the management of this House and the governance of Australia, and I can only say thank you. I wish you well in your retirement. Enjoy your time with your family. Your commitment to this nation certainly will be recorded in history, and appropriately so.

Ian, let me just say that as a new member, you were one of the welcoming people when we first came here a couple of years ago in 2007. You led us through the process so carefully, so gently and with a couple of warnings of what was ahead. It was done in such a positive way that I say from my point of view as a new member it was done so well I can only thank you so much for that process. I would like to acknowledge Mr Wright as well. I am sure that you are very pleased to see the processes handed to someone that you can trust, knowing that he will bring the same qualities to his role that you have.

I would also like to thank the Speaker, who is sitting quietly there. Thank you very much for this session, Mr Speaker. I know that we try your patience but it is appropriate that we acknowledge your efforts. You certainly do things in your own particular style. I include Madam Deputy Speaker Burke, as well, as the hours that both of you commit to this job cannot be underestimated. I thank you as well for your efforts. I also thank the Serjeant-at-Arms. I would like to acknowledge the Parliamentary Library people. They do an extraordinary amount of work and always do it efficiently and quickly.

There are people in this House that we never see, and they have been mentioned today. There are the attendants who sit in this chamber who assist us at all times, the people in Hansard and everybody who is out there who make this centre of government work so well, and they do it in such a positive and encouraging way for all of us, whichever side of the House we sit on. We certainly appreciate all of their efforts. I acknowledge them and I thank them very sincerely.

I also want to thank those people like the cleaners, the unseen people, who are here making sure that everything runs smoothly. There are the security people and even the transport people, the Comcar people, who put up with us no matter where we are. Then there is Peter and the prayer group. I think that for several of our members at different times in our period here in this House they have done a great job and we certainly appreciate their wise counsel and support, so I thank them for that.

Seeing that I assist with the Main Committee, as you do, Madam Deputy Speaker, on a frequent basis, I acknowledge the Main Committee staff and attendants. They are also a wonderful integral part of the smooth running of this House. I acknowledge both sides of government, the opposition and the government. As for all our members—my leader, Malcolm, Julie, the shadow ministers and all my coalition colleagues; to Warren and to Kay—I really think we all come here with the very best of intentions. To the committee members who support our work, the very important work of this House, I say thank you. There is so much work done by the committee members and for me, Kate and Julie and those in communications have been exceptional and I am sure that Kay will also support that.

I want to support my own members for their support and cooperation. As the chief whip said, as a new member I took on the job in the Main Committee and I have had extraordinary support, and I thank you, Kay, as well for assisting in that smooth running. In my whips’ team—and I call them a team because they are—there is Alex, and I wish him well in what is ahead for him and I thank him most sincerely for his support. There is the irreplaceable Nathan, and Robert and Sue and Denise. Kay, I cannot thank you and your staff enough. To Roger and Jill on the other side—and Chris, sitting there—I thank you so much. I think that we all work effectively to get the business of this House done in the way that it is intended.

Then there is my personal team. Vicki—and we do not call her the ‘ice queen’ for nothing—gets the job done and is very efficient and I appreciate her support. To Cass, Lara, Jas and Kerry, all my support team, my fabulous family and the people in my electorate, I wish them, as I wish everybody in this place, a very safe, healthy and happy Christmas and New Year. I look forward to serving ahead in this House. To you, Ian: as to whatever lies ahead of you, I can only imagine that you will bring the same qualities to what you do in the future as you have in the 37 years in this parliament. I congratulate you. I thank you not only on behalf of the people who sit here but on behalf of those in Australia who do not quite understand the debt that we owe you. Thank you so much.

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