Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—The member opposite said something nice about me, and I don't think I will be able to stay in this place with the ledger being that way because, really, the ledger is all the other way. So I just wanted to say a few short things about the member for Fowler that have not been noted, from a very personal level.

In a week where we've heard about the bad culture of this place, can I say my experience and the experience of my wife, Amelia, about Bernadette and Chris is completely the opposite. They care for people across this parliament. My wife was a young staffer. She refers to Bernadette and Chris as her second parents, a story that I've told at many multicultural events across south-west Sydney.

Chris has had an enormous impact in the Christian fellowship of this parliament, across members, across staff and across everyone here; he's had a great impact on them. He plays touch football. I don't know if many people know. He's not awfully good at that, I must say, but he is an outstanding parliamentarian. He has deep Labor values. He's been very impactful with the multicultural communities of this country in Sydney. There are zero Labor members about which I have had people come up to me in my own electorate and say, 'That person is a good person—except for Chris Hayes, and it happens all the time. It happens so often it actually alarms me! And it's happened over many years, since I first came to this place.

I want to say to Bernadette and Chris, on behalf of the government and the Prime Minister, thank you for everything you have done for all of us here in this place. Thank you for being outstanding representatives of your values and your traditions but making a mark on all of us.

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