Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I think, firstly, I would like to just acknowledge Warren Truss. In every organisation, in every government and in every opposition, you need some people who have got great experience and common sense and a keen sense of self, and I must say: they bring stability and a sense of perspective to so many deliberations on problems and events—the sorts of events that occur so often in this place. Warren, from my observation over a long time, has been one such person. As well, he is a man of very fine character. He is a role model for so many. He should be very proud of his contribution to our great country and the leadership that he has shown, and I do thank Warren for that.

Colleagues, I do appreciate this opportunity to confirm to the parliament my intention to not recontest the next election; my intention to stand down from federal politics—all politics, actually! I have got to say that I still have a few things to do on the trade front, over the next little while, and, hopefully, some important things to try and conclude. So I do hope to have another opportunity, albeit probably from the backbench, just to put on the record, before I depart this place, a more extended vote of thanks and some more considered reflections. I will seek your indulgence at some other stage closer to the election on that. But I do want to say a few words on this occasion because sometimes you do not get that much time at the dispatch box!

I feel it is the right time for me, for all sorts of reasons; I will not run through all of those, except to say that I have had a very eventful and fulfilling 12 years in this place. I suppose everyone says this but I think it has been an extraordinary period—not one that we all look on, necessarily, fondly, from either side, at different times. But it is politics, and it is the essence of this business that it does test the strength of character of people on both sides—the sorts of things we have all gone through—and to advance the country at the same time is, again, a test of our mettle.

I arrived a bit late, probably, at 53, and I feel, in some ways, I have been in a hurry ever since because I was conscious, even though I had had experience as a person in the backroom—the very private sector—in the parliamentary machine, that I had arrived a bit late, and I knew I had to go through the steps. Even though I had some experience in politics, you have still got to learn a lot—and there is a lot to learn in this place, to be effective and to learn how to influence decisions and to get them through. So I think I brought that running to it, even when I got into the last three years, and I have felt a sense of urgency.

We all come here to try and do some good things. There were many times in the last 12 years that I thought I might have miscalculated in coming into this place, because—I sympathise with those I am looking at—in opposition is a very difficult period. It is soul-destroying in many respects. It is a very important job, I feel. But I felt I might have spent most of my political life in opposition because when I was federal director—apart from the last year, which was very enjoyable because we had won the '96 election—the years before that were really tough, from 1989 through until '96. So I do have a keen sense of what it means to be in opposition. But, as I say, I still feel that, in the Westminster system, the opposition role is a very important one.

I am no spring chicken but, at the same time, I am 64 and in excellent health, and I am young enough to do other things. And there are other things that I want to do, especially in business and also, if I can, to try and assist the cause of mental health—the acceptance of and the progress in the mental health space.

I will leave politics in the comfort of knowing that the Turnbull government and the coalition, I feel, are in very good shape. If we were really in bad order, if we were in a trough, you would feel even more obligation to stay with it. And there is never really a right time to leave. But it is an opportune time, I think, for me to hand over the baton.

Also, I must say—and I mean this—that, in my 30 years in and around politics, I have never seen a party room with such depth and talent as we have got at the moment. That talent has to be nurtured and developed and has to experience different levels, and I think this is a chance—with me and Warren, and others, like Philip, retiring—to allow even more to come forward, and I have got enormous confidence in the team that we have got and the people that are coming through.

I have had some great opportunities to serve our country, under Tony Abbott—and, firstly, John Howard; I got some immediate or fairly quick opportunities when we went into opposition, as I have just said—in government, and Malcolm Turnbull, and I will be very grateful to both of them for the opportunities.

I just want to make reference, in particular, at this stage, to the problem I had—or the opportunity, as it turned out, to confront a mental health problem that I had had for 43 years. It came to a head during my time with Malcolm's first leadership opportunity. Malcolm could not have been more accommodating and sympathetic. He helped me to leave the shadow cabinet in a way which did not bring silly attention to the condition, allowed me to get some space and all the rest of it. Six months later, Tony was in the seat. Again, Tony had trust in me, once I had nailed the problem—and it took me six months to get to a point where I could manage it, and I am still managing it—to be shadow minister for finance. I cannot tell you how much that gave me a lift—just the fact that trust was placed in me after what had happened. This support helped me achieve my aim, which was to seek to get back to good health, to manage the problem and to be able to demonstrate to others in the community that, in fact, you can manage the problem. Something close to 85 per cent can be cured or can manage the problem to lead a normal life and not take a secondary role. You can go back and assume even greater responsibility.

It was the trust of not only Malcolm and Tony Abbott but of so many of my colleagues here and many on the opposition benches. I thank all of you. I thank the whole chamber for the support that I got and for the normality that you went on with. That is the most important thing: to not look at you as though you have three heads because you have declared that you have a problem. I have had a lot of support and friendship, not just on that occasion but throughout the 12 years. There are things that I will never forget. There are so many on my own side whom I am close to, but there are others on the other side. Certainly, I have great respect for anyone who is in this place, to be honest, but there are people like Gary Gray and others. Gary was my opponent as campaign director in 1996. I think we formed a great respect of one another and that has certainly never diminished in my mind; if anything, it has grown over the years.

It has been a unique privilege to serve my constituents. I do not think you ever really realise when you put your hand up and win preselection—some might if they have done a lot of local government work or whatever—and then you think, 'I've got 160,000 people I'm supposed to represent and I wonder whether I'll like all of the work that's associated with an electorate—the events, the weekends and all of that.' To my great relief, I found that I really enjoyed it. It has been one of the great pleasures. One of the very few regrets in the last 2½ years—the only one, I think—is that, being away for over 200 nights a year overseas and being here for 16 to 19 weeks, a lot of contact with my electorate has been compromised. They like to see things happening, I have had an opportunity to do a few things and they have been very supportive, nevertheless, as have all my party members. I will reflect on some of those later on.

I just want to finish at this stage by thanking certainly my staff at the moment because next time I get up and say a few things some of them might have moved on. I have basically had the same team for 2½ years. It is a very strong team. I think they are held in high regard for their professionalism and for their respect of colleagues. That not always happens in political offices. It is absolutely critical that every member—no matter which side of the parliament they are on—is respected by staff and looked after. I have some people with great experience. I am really proud of the reputation my office has in this place and in the circles that I have had to work as Minister for Trade and Investment. They have been a very big part of any of the achievements that we have been able to nail over the last 2½ years.

I thank in particular my wife of 42 years, Maureen. I can remember what my father said when I told my parents that, at the tender age of 23, Maureen and I had got engaged. My father is not one to give a lot of advice or anything, but he said to me, 'Son, you've chosen a very accomplished partner. You're going somewhere—I don't know where it is—but you've got an accomplished partner who will be able to travel with you.' How very true that has been. She is a woman of great consequence, in my view and I think in the view of others. She is an elegant person who has been a great support. I have done well over 7,000 domestic flights in my career and now a few international flights have been added to that list. She is quite an independent person who, more than anything, brought up our kids and was a very good English teacher at the same time. My three children—we are a very close family—are very supportive and I am very proud of them. Their respective partners are three lovely people. I also thank my beloved parents.

For all of that, thank you very much. It has been a great privilege; it has been a great pleasure. Not too many people get the sorts of opportunities I have been given. I thank all of you for your part. All of you have had some part in that contribution. Thank you very much.

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