Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for the Republic) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Thank you, Mr Speaker. I just briefly want to put on the record my thanks to Chris Hayes for his friendship over many, many years. I first met Chris in May 1995 when I started with the Australian Workers Union. Chris was the assistant national secretary of the union and I was a trainee organiser. Despite him holding that lofty office he always had time for someone like myself, who was learning the ropes of the Australian industrial relations system. He was always popping into the office and seeing how I was going and providing advice. Chris taught me the ins and outs of the arbitration system and appearing before the Industrial Relations Commission, as it then was. He taught me the importance of working with workers but also, importantly, he taught me the importance of patience. I think if there's one thing that Chris does represents, it's patience. He had a very distinguished career, not only with the Australian Workers Union but with the Police Association, representing workers and being patient in advocating for better wages and conditions for workers throughout the country, and he did that very successfully.

I started with the Australian Workers Union through a program that was organised and run by the ACTU called Organising Works, and there are many on this side of the parliament who have benefited from that traineeship program. When I graduated from that program we had a little bit of a ceremony that was put on by the ACTU. I really appreciated the fact that Chris was the only senior union official in the country who turned up to that graduation. I thought that spoke volumes about his commitment to the union movement and to workers' rights, and also to imparting his knowledge to future generations. That's something that I've never forgotten and I thank you for it sincerely, Chris.

As others have mentioned, it's a partnership with Bernadette and, Bernadette, we pay tribute to you for your role in that partnership. I particularly want to say on behalf of the many police throughout this country who love Chris: thank you for your work in advocating for them. I even pass on congratulations and thanks from Randall Meadows from the Arlington Police Association in Texas, who you know as a good friend. He asked me to pass on those congratulations on his behalf. We wish you and Bernadette all the very best.

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