Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand here today in the chamber on probably one of the last occasions I will be speaking in my career. I can't help reflect on a journey that has spanned more than a quarter of a century. For a little bit of nostalgia here, Mr Speaker, you will see something and don't be too shocked. This is the first time this term I am actually wearing a tie. For nostalgia, I thought I would wear something that I wore back in 1996, something that was very bright that reflected my electorate to make sure that, as an early politician, people knew who I was and knew I was in the room. I have a great collection of them. I am hoping I can eventually make a quilt out of them and donate it to charity. I thought today was a very special occasion, so for the first time this term I have worn a tie and it represents the Great Barrier Reef.

It has certainly been an extraordinary privilege to represent the people of Leichhardt for close to 26 years. I owe my deepest gratitude to the people of my electorate, whose trust in me has allowed me to serve for so long. From my humble beginnings as a lad porter at the Mareeba railway station at the age of 14, I never imagined where my life's path would take me: cleaning toilets in the railway station, serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, selling real estate, catching crocodiles and rounding up a few feral bulls. For most of my life politics wasn't even on the radar, but life has a funny way of leading you to places where you never, ever expect. It certainly led me here.

In my maiden speech, back in 1996, I spoke of the need for better infrastructure, better connectivity, a better future for Far North Queensland. At the time there was virtually no mobile coverage in the region. Many of our roads remained unsealed, and the idea of sealing the Peninsula Development Road was just a distant dream. But today that dream has largely become a reality. Connectivity, mobile coverage, the NBN have transformed our region and we are well on our way to sealing the Peninsula Development Road through to Weipa, and I'm proud of the progress we've made—although of course there's always more to do.

One of my earliest tasks in this place was working on native title reform with Senator Nick Minchin. There were concerns about native title and the impact it was having on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents in Cape York—and that's what actually motivated me to first get involved in politics. The grievances were fierce, the debate was heated. It was through this challenging work that I found my calling in this place actually, a drive to seek balance, fairness and solutions that actually benefited everybody, not just one side of the argument.

There are many moments throughout my career that I look back on with pride, but actually two of the earliest successes still stand out. The first of those happened when I'd only been a member for a matter of a couple of months. It was securing $40,000 for portable cattle yards in Weipa to support the live cattle export through the Cook Shire Council. The second one was even more significant, and again was in 1996. I secured $500,000 in funding for a banana farmer north of the Daintree River who had been devastated by black sigatoka, a fungal disease that had wiped out his entire crop. It was the first time an Australian grower had been able to get compensation for a crop lost through an exotic disease. I remember calling the farmer, Tony Reichelt, on Christmas Day in 1996 to deliver the good news. The gratitude of his voice still stays with me today. It was quite amazing.

Not long after I was first elected, I was involved in the debate about gun control following that tragic massacre at Port Arthur. Prime Minister John Howard had decided to utilise such a sad and powerful moment in time to bring about a profound cultural shift in the attitude of our nation towards firearms. There was a perception at the time that, given my background, I would fall in behind those advocating for the status quo to remain, but that certainly wasn't the case. I supported John Howard's push for reform. When we look back, we can see that those important changes have made Australia today a perfect example of what sensible gun control looks like, and I'm incredibly proud to have played a role in bringing in such important reforms.

On a less serious note, I recall in 2000, as our nation prepared for the Sydney Olympics, the Cooktown community was left disappointed when the Sydney Olympic Games Organising Committee, SOCOG, decided the Olympic torch relay wouldn't be coming to Cooktown. They claimed it was 'too difficult' to include us. But anybody who knows the people in Far North Queensland knows we just don't give up that easily. Instead of lamenting the decision, my dear friends Peter and Kathy Stapley, who owned the Cooktown Local News, and I decided to do something about it. Together, we created our own alternative—NOCOG, 'Not the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games'.

What began has a tongue-in-cheek response quickly grew into something far more significant. With the help of local ingenuity, we crafted our own Olympic torches, including a beautiful crystal torch manufactured by Mitsubishi from Cape Flattery silica sand and a symbolic aluminium torch forged by Rio Tinto in Weipa. To keep the spirit of remembrance alive, we borrowed the eternal flame from the Cooktown RSL. These torches became the centrepiece of our own relay. Our NOCOG torch relay was truly an epic journey. The torch travelled across every Cape York community by road, foot, horse, dinghy, light aircraft and even helicopter. Along the way we shared stories about the Olympics, giving kids in some of the most remote parts of the country a chance to be part of the excitement. At the same time, we raised money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, ultimately collecting over $200,000—a remarkable effort that speaks of the generosity and the spirit of our community.

Of course, NOCOG wasn't just about raising money; it was also about having a bit of fun and showing our resilience. We hosted what we called the 'relaxation games' in Cooktown one week before the actual Olympic Games, with events such as the watching-the-grass-growing competition, fishing without bait, wave counting—provided you had no numeracy skills—and the now famous, or infamous, armchair sleeping competition. I've got to tell you: you're looking at an Olympian. I had the dubious honour of being part of NOCOG's first doping scandal, and I say that with a little bit of embarrassment. After my gold medal performance in the armchair sleeping competition, I was disqualified when it was deemed alcohol was a performance-enhancing drug.

In the end, NOCOG was recognised with a national award for creativity and success, including a cash prize and—would you believe it?—one of the original torches, so we did very well out of it. Today, those treasures are proudly displayed in the Cooktown RSL, a symbol of what can be achieved when a community comes together with determination and, of course, a sense of humour.

During my time in the parliament, I've had the opportunity to serve in various roles—first of all as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources and then as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, positions I held for eight years. Working with Joe Hockey, we delivered the first tourism white paper and secured one of the largest investments in tourism, in spite of the challenges we faced at the time—and I backed Joe 100 per cent on this. The Treasurer at the time was not real keen on releasing funds—we were still looking at paying back debt—but we both said that we were going to step down from our roles unless it was supported. To John Howard's credit, he not only gave us what we were asking for but actually gave us significantly more.

As you would expect from a member hailing from the Far North, I've been actively involved in all things Northern Australian. I've been involved in the production of the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia. I've also been the longstanding chair and now more recently deputy chair of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia. It's been a labour of love, and it has been instrumental in unlocking and supporting our region and dealing with the unique challenges that we face.

In my maiden speech, I also raised the issue of mental health. At the time, mental health services were in a crisis, and week after week I stood in the party room reminding colleagues of the dire need for more investment in this area. The deinstitutionalisation of mental-health care left our streets and prisons as the new institutions for those struggling with mental illness. I read out stories from the media each week, highlighting the tragic outcomes of a system that just was not working. After relentless advocacy, Prime Minister John Howard announced a $1.9 billion investment in mental health over five years, crediting me with playing a very significant role in securing the commitment. It was certainly one of my proudest moments.

My work in mental health didn't stop there. I have long been the independent chair of our local headspace consortium, and I give a big shout-out to Gabrielle Gill and her team for the job well done. I think the work that organisation does is absolutely critical. I am also incredibly proud of being involved with the establishment of the Junction Clubhouse in Cairns. This facility provides a safe space for those transitioning out of intense mental health treatment, encouraging them to reconnect with their community and rebuild their lives. It's a fantastic model, and it's had some amazing success. The Junction Clubhouse celebrated its 10th anniversary recently, and I'd like to thank Suzie Pont and her team for their dedication, as well as all the members that make the Junction what it is today.

One of my more recent roles has been serving as the Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef. The five reports I handed down as part of that role challenged even my own government at the time—the government's views on climate change. I made a conscious decision to work only with the scientific agencies responsible for managing the reef, including the GBRMPA, AIMS, the CSIRO and others. The work in this space has certainly helped to move us closer to climate targets and played a role in securing our net zero by 2050 commitment. This work wouldn't have been possible without my dedicated adviser and researcher, Sam Batt. I say thank you to Sam, who was instrumental in educating me, as well as in guiding our efforts. Sam's hard work and expertise ensured that we remained focused on the science and delivered meaningful outcomes for the reef. The reef, like so much of our environment, is a legacy that we must protect for future generations. I leave this place knowing that we have made significant strides. But, of course, like everything else, there is always more work to be done.

Another significant achievement was the establishment of a northern Australian cyclone reinsurance pool, which I'm proud to have brought to fruition. It's backed by a $10 billion government guarantee. The pool offers a solution aimed at reducing insurance costs for homeowners, small businesses and strata properties in high-risk regions. For too long the cost of insuring properties in northern Australia has been unsustainable, forcing many to go without proper coverage. While the cyclone reinsurance pool is a major step forward, it will require ongoing reviews, refinements and support to ensure it continues to deliver for those it's designed to help.

There are a number of causes that have defined my time in the parliament. One of those has been my advocacy for medical cannabis. Some of you may recall in 2014, on a Channel 7 Sunday night program, there was a story featuring Lucy Haslam and her late son, Dan, and the challenge they faced in accessing medical cannabis to support him in his terminal cancer treatment. They were really, truly, national pioneers in this area. After watching that program, I reached out to Lucy and became very firmly committed to that cause.

Another was my journey was advocating for the LGBTQI community. This journey began in the late 1990s when a young naval officer from HMS Cairns approached me with concerns about discrimination he faced because of his sexual orientation. He'd been promoted and was ready to be transferred. They were taking him, all of his furniture, his dog, his budgerigar, his car and his boat, but they wouldn't take his partner because they were a same-sex couple. I was outraged; I couldn't believe it was true. I went and saw the then minister, Robert Hill, and he fixed it. I thought everything was fixed and done, but, of course, there was still a lot to do. I then found out—and I vividly remember—the story of John Challis and his partner, Arthur Cheeseman. John was a retired public servant with a defined benefit pension—some of you may or may not know what they are—and Arthur was a retired pharmacist who'd worked during a time before superannuation was widely adopted. The couple had been together in a loving, totally monogamous and committed relationship for over 50 years, but, because they were a same-sex couple, Arthur was not entitled to John's superannuation benefits should anything have happened to him. Together, they had a modest apartment in Sydney, and, again, if something had happened to either one of them, other family members could've disputed their estate. This held profound implications for both gentlemen and could've resulted in their homes being taken away from them, with a significant reduction in their retirement income should either of them pass away. This injustice, and many like it, continued to drive me to push for the removal of the legal and financial discrimination against same-sex couples. Even in my absence from this place, I was proud to see that the legislation I had been working on for so many years for the removal of discrimination went through the federal parliament unopposed in 2008, supported by both the then prime minister Kevin Rudd and opposition leader Brendan Nelson.

As I just alluded to, and as many of you would know, I voluntarily retired from this place in 2007. I made this decision so that I could fulfil a commitment I made to my son when he was quite young: that when he became a teenager he could come and live with his dad—it was dad's time—so that I could spend quality time with him in his teenage years. I never expected him to remember it, but, unfortunately, he did. When he turned 13, and I got a phone call from his mother saying, 'Are you ready to take your son?' I had to say yes. He's sitting in the gallery here—right there, the fellow with no hair and the beard!

It was a very, very difficult decision at the time because I had a lot of work that I hadn't finished. But I believed that it was the right thing to do: to walk away and leave this place behind me, with the work that was left. But I've got to tell you, it was the best decision I ever made, in all the time I was in politics. Thank you, Jacob, for not forgetting that promise that I'd made to you. I certainly cherished the time that we had together. I'm still proud that I could fulfil that promise to Jake. It was Jake who actually convinced me to recontest Leichhardt in 2010, as he was getting ready to head off to university. And, of course, I successfully did that at the 2010 election.

Arriving back in Canberra in 2010, I was proud of the fact that I was not only the first Liberal member for Leichhardt; I had now been elected twice over. I was informed by the then speaker of the House, Harry Jenkins, that I had, in fact, set another record, insofar as I was the first member of the federal parliament since Federation to have voluntarily retired from politics then recontested the same seat for the same party and won. I can now proudly add a third record to that list. I am now rapidly approaching 26 years served in the parliament and I am now, by a margin of over a decade, the longest-serving member for Leichhardt.

Once I'd got my feet firmly back under the desk, I was determined to pick up where I'd left off and to continue my advocacy efforts for removing discrimination against the gay community. However, this was in 2010, and both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott had both individually committed to not dealing with the matter of marriage equality for the entire term of 2010 to 2013. While I was prepared to respect the leaders' position, I made it very, very clear to Tony that I would honour his commitment in the current term, but I asked him not to make the same commitment in the next parliamentary term, and, to Tony's credit, he gave me that commitment and he definitely kept it. I say, thank you very much for that, Tony Abbott.

I served as the chief opposition whip from 2010 to 2013—a whipette, down there with Nola, who was one of my whips as well. That period of time provided me with an opportunity for my first significant piece of collaboration. I worked closely with Graham Perrett, sitting over here, and Sarah Hanson-Young, and together we established the first ever parliamentary friendship group for the LGBTIQ community of any parliament in the world. I'm proud to say that, in 2024, I remain the only remaining founding parliamentary co-chair of that group, which is still very active to this day. I'm sure they will continue their important advocacy efforts, even after I finish in this place.

At 10.13 am on 4 December 2017, I had the privilege of introducing the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 into this place. At 6 pm on Thursday 7 December, the bill passed through the chamber, and the rest is recent history. I say to those who stood beside me, both inside and outside this chamber: thank you. Together, we made history. Initially, I did not agree with the postal plebiscite process at the time, but I thank our leader for that, because I'd tried to do it once before, unsuccessfully, and Peter came to me and said, 'What about this as a way?' and I said, 'We'll try it.' It was his idea; he went with it and got it up. While, as I said, I didn't agree with it at the time—I thought we could just go to a conscience vote—I'm certainly glad that we did it now. I do believe it was the right decision—thank you, Peter—because there have been absolutely no challenges to the legislation. What we've seen is very strong acceptance throughout the Australian community. Today in Australia, I'm proud to say, we do not have gay marriage; we simply have marriage. In Australia, I'm proud to say, we don't discriminate, and I think our society is a better place for that fact.

As a brief footnote to the chapter, the gentlemen John Challis and Arthur Cheeseman, whom I referred to earlier, were able to marry. I'm very happy and proud that we were able to enable them to do that. They did that five years before Arthur's passing.

On another one of my campaigns—I think this next story might illustrate to members that if you focus and persist, you can move all sorts of mountains. After the passing of my very dear friend and colleague Don Randall in July 2015, I felt that it would be an appropriate and fitting tribute for members who passed away while serving in office that they be commemorated within the parliamentary precinct. Given Don's love of roses, I put forward a proposal for a portion of the rose garden at the entrance of the House of Representatives—it was known as the Zonta garden—to be dedicated for those members who died in office. At the time I thought it was a very fitting and worthy idea; however, I soon learnt that even the gardens within the parliamentary precinct are in fact heritage listed and were not for change.

Persistence—I was persistent, I was determined and eventually it paid off. I would like to thank the former Speaker Tony Smith, who worked with me and assisted in making it possible. It only took about 18 months, but we now have a beautiful rose garden at the House of Reps entrance, dedicated to members who passed away in office. I was fortunate enough also to have even convinced them to agree to plant some of Don's favourite roses: the Dolly Partons and the Double Delights. I won't say why they were Don's favourites, but nevertheless they were. I actually visited the garden this Thursday, and they look absolutely magnificent.

For those people who frown on plagiarism, on this occasion I'm happy to endorse the Senate's recent decision to install a memorial plaque in the same garden, recognising senators who have also passed away in office. I would encourage members, if you haven't had the opportunity of seeing what's been achieved at this beautiful garden, to go down and have a look, and enjoy the serenity.

I would like to say that, when members leave this place, there's often unfinished business and sometimes even regrets, and I do have one regret. After 25 years of working to give my community north of the Daintree River an option for mains-equivalent renewable power, the project is at a crossroads. It's been a long time coming; the money for the project was set aside prior to the 2022 election. There has been an enormous amount of work done in the community, led for many years by Russell and Teresa O'Doherty and strongly supported by Richard Schoenemann and Phil from Volt Advisory. Over time, the project has been able to achieve all the necessary approvals and the permits for construction, and they now hold all the necessary licences to proceed. This is quite extraordinary given where the area is. They did this in record time. The project is nestled between two World Heritage listed areas: the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

Finally they've secured excellent, credible, experienced investors for the project. But unfortunately our region experienced Cyclone Jasper at Christmas last year. It was absolutely devastating and impacted the commencement of the project. We're only now, nearly 12 months on, getting access to the site. The impending wet season, due to permits from the Wet Tropics Management Authority, means that we couldn't start working on the commencement of the project until at least after the wet season in April next year.

Before the natural disaster, it seemed like the current government was on board. We had environment minister Plibersek proudly declaring on Facebook, 'We have ticked off a solar project that will power the entire Daintree community. The project alone will prevent four million litres of diesel from being burnt.' The project's proponents were deeply engaged with the Kuku Yalanji traditional owners, and they were brought on as a major partner for the construction of this renewable grid. Even better still, the Kuku Yalanji traditional owners were going to own the grid and be the operator, the wholesaler and the retailer. We were all set up for a unique and inspiring project that would be Australia's first Indigenous majority-owned renewable electricity grid. This was going to facilitate the opportunity for the Kuku Yalanji people to start bringing home families that had been displaced from the area many years before and, ultimately, help them to build homes on their traditional lands.

But Mr Bowen, his department and his bureaucrats have done everything in their power to prevent this project from going ahead. They bluntly refused to release the money that had been set aside by previous governments. It is an absolute disgrace and, in my view, an act of political bastardry. The irony of this situation is we have had the Prime Minister at Garma Festival declaring that his government is committed to, as a matter of priority, unlocking opportunities for Indigenous communities to be involved and to participate in the development of renewable energy projects right around Australia. But his own energy minister seems to be intent on undermining a fantastic project, ultimately ruining the Indigenous community's vision of self-determination and economic empowerment.

The government has spent millions of dollars on the Voice referendum but, at the same time, has ignored the voices that they claim they wanted to listen to. Quite frankly, it is a disgrace. Indigenous communities don't need slogans and they don't need hand-wringing; they need partnerships and a government that supports their aspirations. I say to Minister Bowen: do the right thing, listen to the voices of the Kuku Yalanji people, the voices of the very senior elders like Aunty Francis and Aunty Kath Walker, get out of their road, stop playing politics, release the funding and let them get on with the job.

In my electorate I have been proud to secure funding for many projects that have transformed the area, from the Cairns Esplanade boardwalk to the peninsula development along with JCU medical, dental and veterinary schools and the upcoming university hospital to name just a few. These projects continue to have lasting impact on our community. But one of the causes closest to my heart has been securing the recognition for the Torres Strait Infantry Battalion. Their service during the Second World War went unacknowledged for far too long. Thanks to the tireless efforts of people like Uncle Etti Pau, Vanessa See Kee and my 'three generals' Serico Stephen, Carulas Isua, Waraka Adidi. In 2001, we finally were able to secure the recognition these brave soldiers deserved, with the Pacific Star Medal finally granted 54 years after their service. The last two of the 880 Torres Strait Islanders that served in the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion, Mebai Warusam, Awati Mau passed away within a week of each other. They enlisted together on Saibai Island and served together. Sadly, their passing brings to a close a unique chapter of our history. The legacy of their service lives on and I am deeply honoured to have played a role in ensuring that their service has been given the recognition this truly deserved.

I also ensured that the Australian War Memorial has received the memorial videos which I had commissioned for both Mebai and Awati's funeral. They are part of the Etti Pau collection on the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion in the War Memorial.

Reflecting on the Torres Strait, I would be remiss if I didn't note the importance of a major infrastructure program. In 1998, Australian and Queensland governments came together to address infrastructure needs in the Torres Strait and the Northern Peninsula area through what they call the MIP. The initiative focused on delivering essential environmental health infrastructure including fresh water supply sewerage systems, waste management, road sealing and more. Helping to advocate and secure that funding for the MIP has made one of the most impactful differences for this region. I'm very proud of my involvement. Over the years, more than $300 million has been invested, transforming these communities and significantly improving health and living conditions.

The relationships that I've built over many years have been some of the most rewarding aspects of this journey, and I'm deeply grateful for the friendships and bonds that have stood the test of time, transitioning the political divide. There are people like my good mate Brendon Nelson. Patty Secker was another one of the whips when I was the chief whip. Donny Randall is no longer with us, nor is Nicky Dondas. There's Jane Prentice, Jimmy Lloyd and Patty Dodson, my mate from Broome. There's Teresa Gambaro, Bob Baldwin, Joel Fitzgibbon and Steven Georganas, who was sitting in a seat here earlier on. There's Maria Vamvakinou, Kay Hull, Russell Broadbent and Warren Snowdon. That's just to name a couple! They've been mates.

And, of course, there's you, Mr Speaker. For anybody who's going to go on delegations, if the Speaker is leading those delegations, go with him. He is brilliant, and he has become a very, very good friend. I'm not sucking up to you too much. Nevertheless, I am stating a matter of fact. Thank you very much indeed for your friendship.

All these have been dear friends whose friendship I have maintained over many years. There are others here, including Scotty Buchholz, who is sitting over there, nodding his head at the moment. It's been great. Thank you all for being part of the journey with me. The camaraderie that we've shared has made this experience all the richer. I respect all those friendships, and I will carry them with me long after I've left this place.

Thanks to both the Liberal and the National parties and, more recently, the LNP. All those amazing members and volunteers and supporters over nine election cycles have provided amazing support to me. Each and every one of you can take credit for the success of those campaigns. I won't start listing names; there are just simply too many. I'll just say thank you to all of you.

Thanks to my staff. I have a couple sitting up here in the gallery at the moment. There have been many over the years. Thank you for all of your contributions. You've kept the wheels turning. I couldn't have done it without your hard work and dedication. The overwhelming success that we've had across the electorate is because of the work that you guys do and, while I've been the recipient of much of that credit—I keep saying this—you are the ones that actually make the magic happen. I couldn't have done it without your hard work and your dedication.

Thanks to my current team. Natasha Sambo has been with me over 14 years. Rosie Korman, who's sitting up there in the gallery, has been with me for over 10 years. Sam Batt has been in the electorate office for eight years. Tanya, who is up here, has been with me for over seven years. Then, of course, there's Zac Webster, Karina Hussey and Tay Laifoo, who's the newest starter. Thank you for everything you've done for me and for the electorate. Of course, I cannot leave without mentioning Tamara Srhoj here. Although she has moved from my office, she has been amazing, and I have to say thank you very much. She was a very important part of my team for many, many years.

Thanks to my family, particularly my wonderful sons, Jason, who's not here, and Jacob, who surprised me today. He blew me away when he walked into my office. Thanks to my beautiful daughter Mackenzie Lee. Your love and support have been the foundation that has kept me going through tough times. Serving in the parliament comes with many sacrifices—which we all know—none more so than the time spent away from our loved ones. I couldn't have done any of this without your encouragement and your support.

As I prepare to step away from this place, there's just one thing I'd like to say to a lot of the newer members here. You will note that I was actually on the executive for eight years. I was the chief whip for three years. But for a long period of time I chose not to be involved in the executive because I had things that I wanted to do. Unlike the other side, we can reserve our right. I couldn't have done the work that I did with gay reform et cetera had I been a member of the executive. I was able to do that by staying as a humble backbencher. Those changes have changed the country, and I'm very, very proud of that. Remember that when you are tacking out your political career.

As I prepare to walk away from this place, I do so with a heart full of pride and with a deep love for my community. My hope is that the work we've done together—the big things and small things—will have a lasting impact on Far North Queensland. Leichhardt will always be my home, and, while I'm no longer your representative in the chamber, I'll always be there to advocate for the region. I look forward to what the future holds in Far North Queensland, and I know that the next generation of leaders will continue the work we started.

I've often said that my career has been a storied one, full of challenges, triumphs and a few laughs along the way. I've had the privilege of being a part of some of the greatest national policy shifts in Australia's history, whether it be the gun law reform, introduction of the GST, the establishment of the Future Fund or paying off our national debt in 2007. When the government changed, we didn't owe a cracker to the world.

Although we've changed dramatically since then, with the GFC, COVID and a couple of Labor governments in between, the point is I was and still am very proud to be part of a government that really flexed its economic prowess and has put us in a great position to respond to the challenges that came from the GFC and, of course, from the pandemic. It enabled us to adequately support the economy and, particularly in my patch, we were able to deploy targeted support to a range of tourism entities that needed the financial life support. Whether it was JobSeeker or JobKeeper, zoo and aquarium support packages, large tourism operator support packages, the TTNQ-specific package or chartering airfreight for live coral trout and crayfish export, the extensive array of support kept our region alive. Some of those packages were actually born out of my office. I want to give thanks to the then minister Simon Birmingham, who came up and worked with me, and, of course, Prime Minister Scott Morrison. That work allowed us to recover from the COVID crisis and has helped us to emerge from the global crisis as one of the strongest economies in the developed world at this time.

I've secured millions of dollars of funding commitments and support for my region. I've advocated for equality and strong environmental policy. Often, I've often found myself in politically challenging circumstances, but I wouldn't change a thing. I say unequivocally it's been one hell of a journey. I reckon it's not too bad for a 14-year-old toilet cleaner from the Mareeba Railway Station.

Lastly, I remind people that this is merely a retirement from politics and from political life. I'll still be around. There are plenty of things that I've got left to do. I will be maintaining my fierce advocacy for the eradication of tuberculosis, so I'll be continuing my longstanding relationship with the Global TB Caucus.

I will also continue my work with another passion of mine, the National Threatened Species Institute, working closely with my dear friends Peter and Val Gowland up there and their son Daniel, breeding threatened native species, particularly small mammals and birds, for release back into the wild. I'm proud to say that we've been incredibly successful in these endeavours. We have a number of successful releases of captive-bred new holland mice and smoky mice back into the wild. We're now one of the largest breeders of orange bellied parrots in the country, and we have the only eastern ground parrots in captivity in the world. After 2½ years, they're absolutely thriving, and we're looking forward to the pitter-patter of small feet.

I'd like to give special thanks to the House of Reps staff, the attendants, the cleaners, the Comcar drivers and all those that help make our great democracy function. Thank you to you all for your assistance over many, many years. It's been a pleasure getting to know you all and working together.

I'll conclude by thanking the people of Leichhardt again for their overwhelming and unwavering support and the faith that they've placed in me. There is a part of me that will miss this place and the work that we've done here, but I'm certainly looking forward to the next chapter of my life. I wish you all the very best. Take care of each other, and never forget the privilege it is to serve in this place.

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