Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

As we come to the end of a tumultuous year in federal politics we should all pause to think about the relative comfort and security in which most of us live our lives in this great country of Australia. At a time when we can consider our good fortune as a nation, we are reminded that more than 925 million people will suffer chronic hunger this year, according to the United Nations. It is no coincidence that a similar number of people worldwide will struggle to survive on less than $1.25 a day, given the strong link between poverty and hunger. Almost nine million children will die this year before their fifth birthday. More than 350,000 women will die this year from complications involving pregnancy and childbirth, with 99 per cent of those deaths occurring in developing countries. It is estimated that almost 70 million school-age children are not attending school, with about half that number in sub-Saharan Africa and about a quarter in southern Asia.

There is bipartisan commitment in this place to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and to increasing our foreign aid budget to 0.5 per cent of our gross national income by 2015. I am particularly pleased that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has adopted my proposal for an independent inquiry into the effectiveness and efficient delivery of our foreign aid budget. Australians are generous people, as evidenced by the level of their personal donations to charities that support both domestic and international causes and by the high level of support throughout our nation for our foreign aid program. They do want to be reassured, however, that the money is being spent effectively and that there is value for the donated dollar. I welcome the broad-ranging inquiry into our aid program.

There is also great need in Australia, particularly in many of our Indigenous communities, and I applaud the work of our charities and government agencies to alleviate poverty and hardship in Australia. We do live in a land of plenty, with one of the highest standards of living on earth, but there are Australians who need our ongoing support.

Australia is one of the oldest continuous democracies in the world. It is a source of our strength and our stability. Here in Canberra, our parliament best represents our democratic process. It is the epicentre of the battle of ideas, the competing policy positions and the robust political debate that differentiates each side of politics. And long may members and senators bring to this place their diverse views, backgrounds and life experiences, and engage in passionate debate. Debates are undertaken with passion, for sure, but also with civility, respect, humility and good humour when needed.

We respect the election results in this country—however frustrating and painful. Australians accept the outcome and are comforted in the knowledge that our elections are free and fair, with the result determined at the ballot box. That is not the case in a number of countries around the world. While our system is not perfect nor necessarily the ideal for other nations, we continue to be disturbed by elections in countries such as Burma—where this year the first election since 1990 was held. The world was dismayed by the ongoing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi—that courageous voice for freedom and democracy in Burma. As perhaps the only member in this place who has had the privilege of meeting Aung San Suu Kyi, I am confident that her inspiration and courage will never be dimmed by the regime’s treatment of her.

I pay tribute to our armed forces representing our country overseas. They are defending freedom and fighting for the universal ideals of freedom and choice. I particularly want to mention our troops in Afghanistan and the troops and families of the Special Air Service regiment based in Swanbourne in my electorate of Curtin. People aspire to live a life free from the threat of violence wherever they are in the world. They aspire to live in a peaceful environment for the benefit of their families and communities. I pay tribute to the Australian Defence Force in its efforts to support those aspirations.

Turning to home, I place on record my admiration for the efforts this year of the Leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott. His marathon campaigning effort, which was highlighted by his final non-stop 36-hour sprint to the finish, epitomised his strength, courage and commitment. He has forever changed the political landscape in this country and achieved what no other leader of the opposition has achieved—he saw off a first-term Prime Minister, although it seems that a number on the Labor side had a hand in that. A first-term government lost its majority for the first time in 80 years. Tony Abbott has made political history. In paying credit to Tony, I also pay credit to the whole coalition team: the members and senators, candidates, supporters, and federal and state executives who worked so tirelessly to achieve such an extraordinary result.

I enjoy the professional relationship that I have with Tony Abbott and the Leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss. We are great friends. I enjoy the working relationship that I have with my colleagues who make up the leadership team in the Senate—Senators Eric Abetz, George Brandis, Barnaby Joyce and Nigel Scullion—as well as Joe Hockey in this House, who has been such a stalwart in putting forward alternative policy positions this year.

I also take the opportunity to thank the Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne, for keeping us all in line. I admit that I do enjoy his company in question time just a little too much, but his ability to have adopted into parliamentary lexicon phrases such as ‘slag and bag’ keeps me endlessly amused. One cannot mention the member for Sturt without mentioning the Speaker. What extraordinary scenes we witness everyday during question time. That spark and sizzle keeps us all on edge. The battle of wills and sophisticated word play make question time the visual spectacle it is today with the great chemistry that all onscreen relationships are made of—although it is not quite Hepburn and Tracy or Bogie and Bacall, but more like Oscar and Felix. But it is tantalising: will Christopher take yet another point of order? Will Harry throw him out yet again? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode.

I want to pay tribute to the class of 2010—that is, the members of the coalition who were elected at the 2010 election. I appreciate that my colleague at the table, the member for Fadden, is of the class of 2007—and what a fine class that was—but I am sure I have paid tribute to him in previous years, and this year it is the turn of the class of 2010. What a talented, diverse group of individuals we have seen elected to this place as members of the coalition. I have no doubt that this bright, intelligent group of people will make a wonderful contribution to public debate in this place for years to come.

I thank our whips, those who serve on the Speaker’s panel and all those who take part in the everyday, ongoing parliamentary process in this place. I particularly pay tribute to our former Chief Opposition Whip, Alex Somlyay, and to our current Chief Opposition Whip, Warren Entsch. I think the legendary ‘Crocodile Hunter’ makes an ideal person to take on the role of whip.

I place on record my thanks to my Western Australian parliamentary colleagues. I thank them for their support and for their company on those long trips across the Nullarbor. The member for Perth, the Minister for Defence, is also at the table. He will join with me, I am sure, in recognising that it is quite an effort for Western Australian members and senators to make that journey every week, and I do appreciate the good spirit and humour with which they make that journey. We are a pretty close mob—the western force should never be trifled with. I also place on record my thanks to Wilson Tuckey, the former member for O’Connor, who gave such long and dedicated service to this parliament and to the Liberal Party.

To the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of the House and the cabinet ministers, I congratulate them on achieving another stint on the Treasury benches. I wish them the very best for the Christmas break and I hope that they are able to spend some special time with family and friends. I thank all my colleagues who have played such an important role in the coalition team this year and I trust that they, too, will spend precious time with family and friends over the Christmas break.

I want to thank my staff, who have been the most competent, loyal and dedicated group that I could have wished for: in the Canberra office, Murray, my chief of staff; Peter and Sam and, before them, Justin and Rochelle; and in my electorate office, the amazing Kirsten, Suzanne, Georgina, Rachael, Judy and Isabel.

Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank all of the staff who work here at Parliament House, all who work in this great public institution, including the clerks, Sergeant-at-Arms and attendants, those who work at HRG doing the bookings, working for the committees—everyone who gets up every morning and comes into this place hoping to make a difference, hoping to ensure that this place functions as the Australian people would expect. I acknowledge their dedication and their service. Finally, I acknowledge the members of the press gallery and thank them for their fair and balanced reporting throughout the year. I wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and may we return refreshed and reinvigorated as we strive to provide better public policy and better outcomes for all Australians. I wish all Australians a safe and happy Christmas.

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