Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I want to start by saying thank you to all of my colleagues for their support during the year, for the support they provide to their constituents and for the differences that they've made in individual cases in the lives of Australians. That goes for everybody in this chamber, for the work that they've done in their electorates and the Australians they've been able to help, some of whom have been in their darkest hour and have had some reprieve because of the intervention that a member of parliament has been able to provide. I think sometimes we forget to remind ourselves of that.

On behalf of all of my colleagues, I want to extend a merry Christmas and very best wishes to the Australian people. There are many Australians who will do it tough this Christmas because they have lost their jobs or because there is a cost-of-living crisis for them. For many businesses across the country who have closed during the course of the year, the disruption to that family and their life is quite profound. So I wish all of those people who are much less fortunate than us all the very best over the course of this Christmas. I hope that it's a time when they can at least spend some time with their family, those they love and those closest to them.

Can I very much thank my deputy, Sussan Ley, who does a fantastic job and has a wealth of experience that she brings to the job. To David Littleproud, Leader of the Nationals—oh, he's not here. He's headed out early. But, again, he is a great mate and somebody who really stands up for the interests of people in regional and rural Australia, as all the members of the Nationals do. Thank you very much to Simon Birmingham and to Michaelia Cash for their leadership roles in the Senate; to Perin Davey; and, of course, to the Manager of Opposition Business in the House, the member for Bradfield, Paul Fletcher. That's not a desirable job either, Paul, but you do a great job with it. Thank you to my shadow ministry and the entire team.

Thank you to our staff for the work they do. They're tireless. In many cases, they are here before we arrive and depart after we leave. I acknowledge the work of Alex Dalgleish, my chief of staff, and, in my electorate office, Jacqui Cooper and all of our staff there, who, as the Prime Minister rightly points out, put up with way too much on too many occasions.

Thank you to my constituents in Dickson. They have been very loyal to me over a long period of time, and it's the greatest honour to represent them in this place. Thank you to many others who work in this place and who provide support to us in terms of logistics—the cleaners and others who provide very significant effort and time away from their families, even over Christmas, to support us and keep us safe. I thank the members of the Australian Federal Police on my close personal protection team and the static officers at home who look after my family in my absence. I thank them very much for their work and for the time that they spend away from their families, particularly those with young kids. I really acknowledge their sacrifice for our country.

It has been a year, right around the world, of difficulty, as the Prime Minister points out. There is war in the Middle East, the Ukraine war continues, and our thoughts and prayers are with people right across the world in very difficult situations at the moment. I particularly want to acknowledge the members of the veteran community. This year we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice and the 50th anniversary of the end of Australian involvement in the Vietnam War. There are many, particularly from the Vietnam conflict, who still live with that pain and suffering, and we acknowledge that at this time of year as well.

Thank you to all of those who wear a uniform: the members of the Australian Defence Force, the emergency service workers, the doctors and nurses, the firies, the ambos and all of those who will work around the clock both here and in posts around the world to serve our national interests. We couldn't be the great country we are without your sacrifice and the work that you do in our name.

I want to say thank you very much, Prime Minister, for the engagement we've been able to have. As you point out, there's rightly a robust, adversarial nature to this chamber, and, for better or worse, that's the part that the Australian public sees, but there is a lot we're able to resolve and there are issues that we can work on for the betterment of our country, and I thank you for that engagement. I wish you, Jodie and Nathan all the very best over Christmas, and I hope that you're able to spend some quality time together.

Thank you very much to my long-suffering wife, Kirilly; Rebecca, Harry and Tom; and now Ralph, our youngest baby, who dominates the family! He's our spoodle, who's well and truly way too indulged, and will be again at Christmas. Fortunately, Tom, our youngest, made it through year 12 and through schoolies. I speak on behalf of all parents who are relieved to have that behind them!

It's a time for celebration for those people of the Christian faith. Our Christian faith teaches us gratitude, and Christmas is a time when we give thanks for the things we hold dear in life: our family, our friends, our community, our great country.

This Christmas and new year period, many Australians will spend a lot of time on the road and travelling. Out of all of those people that we've spoken about in the chamber who have, sadly, passed away this year, I particularly remember Charlie Stevens, 101, the young South Australian who lost his life during the course of schoolies as a result of a traffic incident. For his family, like many others—the 100 before him in South Australia, those who will, tragically, follow this Christmas and those right around the country—please take care when you're driving. Please make sure that you rest, listen to the authorities and the advice that they will give over the course of Christmas.

But, most of all, stay safe together and take care of each other. We live in the best country in the world, and we celebrate that again this Christmas.

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