Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Twenty years ago today was a very notable day in the life of our nation—not because it was the member for Grayndler's 33rd birthday or the member for Gorton's 34th birthday and certainly not because it was my 18th. But I did pre-enrol that year to vote in the 1996 election so that I could vote for Labor and Paul Keating. We did not get the result that we wanted. We got an awful result in 1996 and we lost many great people, including, temporarily, the member for Lilley.

That election, more than anything, really did hit the pause button on a remarkable period of achievement and progress. Perhaps the only silver lining from that election was that first elected that day were some terrific colleagues, including the member for Jagajaga, the member for Hunter, the member for Wills and the member for Grayndler and, in the other place later that year, Senator Conroy. I want to pay tribute to them and their substantial impact on that period. As they gathered last night they had much to celebrate and reflect on.

The world has changed since 1996 and we have changed with it. Our task in Labor is not to retrace the steps of our heroes but to walk forward and further in the same direction. We seek new policy solutions to new dilemmas. But the reforming spirit of that government of 1983 to 1996 lives on in all of us and especially in the class of 1996. I congratulate them on their 20 years of service and, while the member for Wills is retiring, I look forward to working with the others for 20 more years.

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