Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Prime Minister, for that address. Mr Speaker, thank you for the service you and the others who occupy that chair give this parliament, and I include in that list the redoubtable member for McEwen. You have all well and truly earned a break. Perhaps only honourable members with experience as primary school teachers or in riot control could understand what you go through every day between 2 pm and 3.10. I want to thank the Prime Minister for his good wishes and to extend the very best from Chloe and I to Lucy and your family this Christmas.

I wanted to take this opportunity to reveal a national secret. Behind closed doors, we actually get on quite well—at least, I have to say, I thought so till I saw the PM's outing this morning, but I am sure we will resume felicitations as soon as parliament stands! In fact, I recall one meeting when the Prime Minister actually asked me if there was some way we could be nicer about each other in public. I said, 'We could swap jobs'—I thought I was pretty agile, really! I did discover there is a limit to Malcolm's commitment to innovation. The Prime Minister and I actually have more in common than people realise. We are both married to brilliant women. We have both battled the member for Warringah. We have both grown up wanting to help run the AWU and join the Labor Party!

In this place, in the battle of ideas, even in the fiercest fighting it is only ever words that are exchanged. So, this summer, we will no doubt pause and think of those who face real dangers and place themselves in harm's way in Australia's name. We acknowledge our troops serving in the Middle East and their families back here, who also serve; and our emergency services personnel, fighting fires and floods and preventing crime and saving lives. For their sake, and ours, I hope they have a quiet Christmas. Then, of course, there are many who will serve us this Christmas who do not wear a uniform. I think of the Australians who will not spend Christmas at home but will instead be up early or working through the night this holiday season, indeed relying upon penalty rates to provide for their families. Our nation runs on the efforts of all of these modest heroes.

Mr Speaker, 2016 brought us triumph and tragedy, joy and sadness, and the Prime Minister has spoken about some of these most movingly. I recall on the Great Ocean Road the families and volunteers alike who had to leave their tables set with Christmas lunch to either flee the fires or fight them. In Western Australia, there were the children from Yarloop Primary School, who started their year with an evacuation when lightning strikes began a blaze that claimed two lives and many homes. In the face of fire or when the floodwaters hit the Hunter or the Territory, Australians responded with kindness in another's trouble and courage in their own.

On the world stage, we celebrated our Olympians and Paralympians in Rio, and the record-setting Oscar success of the rebooted Mad Max. We mourned for the LGBTI people murdered in Orlando because of who they are and who they loved. We stood in solidarity with other nations that have felt the toll of terrorism and we have rededicated ourselves to meeting these challenges here at home. We have farewelled irreplaceable characters: Max Walker from the very wide world of sport—

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