Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

This is a big day in the life of a big man. One of the giants of the parliament is taking his leave and all of us rose together and applauded him because we admire you, Joe. We love you. You have made an enormous contribution over nearly 20 years. You have held high office for almost every moment you have sat in this chamber and you have executed every office you have had, discharged every office you have had, with great passion, with imagination and with great compassion. As everyone who knows you knows, and most Australians do know you, you have a very, very big heart.

We have been friends for a long time. I remember those days before your three beautiful children came along. With kids, you have to understand the sacrifices your dad has made for you. One of them, after Xavier arrived, was I could not get you to be the forward hand in the sailing races anymore. It was a great loss. You are a very good able seaman first class, Joe, and perhaps when the children grow up you can rise further up in the nautical hierarchy.

We also have another thing in common. We have often remarked to each other that on the day on which each of us wed, we were batting way, way above our weight. You referred to a very wise remark of Tony Abbott's, when he said that all of us in this place are volunteers, that it is our family that are conscripts. The support and the love that you have had from Melissa and your children has been admired by everybody that knows you. All of us know we stand here in this parliament supported by our families. And you have discharged very high office, very controversial offices, offices where you have had to take tough decisions which were inevitably not popular, and that is very hard for the families. The spouse in particular, the children in particular, of a politician feel those cuts harder than the politician ever can. The politician can jump up and give a speech in parliament, get on the radio, denounce his or her detractors, state their case. The family just feels it, and we should all recognise that.

Joe, this is a celebration and a recognition of your life in parliament. But it is also a celebration of the great love of you and Melissa and your children and your family. What an amazing family story of yours. Your father Richard came to Australia as a young man, a young Armenian man, born in Jerusalem. He came to Australia and—

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