Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on indulgence: thank you very much for the opportunity to speak on the valedictory, and forgive me for starting with the retirement of the Clerk of the House, Ian Harris, who served many years in this place. I have reflected on my relationship with the Clerk and I regret to say that I have probably caused him more headaches than anything else. I recall a number of intense discussions about standing orders, none of which I really ever won. He was most helpful when I first became Chief Opposition Whip and we worked together to develop a greater understanding amongst the opposition of standing orders. To Ian and Erika: I sincerely wish you all the best in your retirement. Clerks are held in high esteem and I am sure you will be reassured by the fact that Bernard Wright is taking over your role.

I will make a couple of observations about whips. We depend on the goodwill, cooperation and assistance of our members, and I must say I have always received that in abundance. On my side, I have worked together for a very long time with Jill Hall and I very much value her contribution to the whips team. I suppose in the spirit of Christmas I could say some people might remark that someone who is really soft Right should get on with someone who is so effectively hard Left, and perhaps that is the magic of the combination. But, truly, she does play a very important role and, together with Chris Hayes, is responsible for the whips’ aspects of the Main Committee.

I am under no illusions in respect of my own office, of course—and that is that there is just one undisputed boss, Anna George, much beloved by everyone. Like everyone else, I try to conform and comply as much as I can. I would like to thank Anna, Joy Brogan and Matthew Tredwell and David Field in my staff and Mark and Chris, in Jill’s office, who provide support to members. We have a lot to do with the PLOs from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet who have the tiniest of offices in the parliament but nevertheless do sterling work. I would particularly like to thank Henry Thomson, Alison and Tim for all the good work they do and the assistance and cooperation they provide.

Whips are required to work closely with the Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, who takes his role very, very seriously but who, I must confess, has an enormous portfolio to administer as well. With no reflection on Anthony whatsoever, it is Jo Haylen who makes it all work. Jo is one of those outstanding women in the building who makes a tremendous contribution or, as blokes would say, punches well above her weight. I thank Anthony for all his work and leadership in the past 12 months and I thank his team.

I have to say some nice words about my counterpart the Chief Opposition Whip, the honourable member for Fairfax. I put on the record I am not compelled to, so this is voluntary. Can I personally say to Alex that we are all hoping the next few days and weeks are going to go very well for him. Chief whips make handshake agreements all the time and only have their honour as an insurance policy, so I thank Alex for his great cooperation and the way we are able to work together in the best interests of our sides. I would also like to thank his staff.

In this parliament we changed the way private members’ business was selected. We got rid of the selection committee and, strictly speaking, the authority for selection of private members’ business rests with the Chief Opposition Whip and me. That can sound very draconian and almost as though the House is moving backwards rather than forwards. However, all whips are invited to attend, and they do. So Kay Hull from the Nationals is there and Chris and Jill when they can, and Nola and Michael are invited to attend as well. One of the things I am very pleased about and that I could not have done without Alex’s cooperation is including the Independents, so they too have a seat at the table and a voice. It operates through the good offices of James Rees and is very informal: we do not have minutes or have masses of papers before the meeting, but we do get through our business in a very cooperative way.

Some people have mentioned the fact that it is Daryl Melham’s birthday. I can confirm that it is Daryl Melham’s birthday. He is of course chair of the caucus. Daryl and I work closely together on a range of matters and I am always very, very careful to ensure that Daryl is properly consulted. I must say that there was one instance last week where I did not; I was a bit frazzled. He gently reminded me of my lack of consultation in the nicest possible way. Again, I think these things are very important.

Last but not least, as chief whips we have occasion to visit the Prime Minister’s office. I would very much like to thank his staff for their assistance and cooperation.

I am very conscious that members put in time here. We squeeze in a lot of activity. Most Australians do not know that we have two chambers operating simultaneously most of the time. Members are not only making speeches but working on parliamentary committees, caucus committees and doing a whole variety of other things here. But, unfortunately, all too often the people from the electorate just do not have a real grasp of what has been going on. Members are under tremendous pressure during their time here in parliament, so I want to congratulate them all and acknowledge this pressure on both sides. I do hope all members will be able to spend some time with their families back in their electorate and get fired up for the ensuing year, which of course will be an election year.

We are not unique, as others have said, in spending a lot of time away from our families. My wife, for the record, says that the strength of our marriage rests on two factors. The first is that I am only there half the time and the second is that the one who wants to leave should have to take the children with them, so we have stuck together. But being a member of parliament does put a lot of pressure on families. I do hope that we will be able to spend time with them. I am certainly looking forward to spending time with my family and the added pleasure of having some grandkids come down from Brisbane.

I should acknowledge all the other workers in this place, particularly the humble workers whom we utterly depend on, like the cleaners, the Comcar drivers and the attendants, who do such a wonderful job. I wish everyone a very happy and holy Christmas and everything that they may wish for themselves and their families.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the Chief Opposition Whip, I would also like to confirm on the record that it is the Chief Government Whip’s birthday today. On behalf of the House, we would all like to wish him a happy birthday.

Alex Somlyay (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know whether I should sing Happy Birthday or go on with the valedictory. Congratulations, Roger. It is a great pleasure to support the Chief Government Whip’s comments on my friend and colleague Ian Harris. Ian, you have had a distinguished career in serving the parliament. You and I have a few mutual friends, like Geoff Wilkes from Newcastle. Ian and I discovered, when we first came to Canberra many years ago, that we had played football for the same side. After all these years I serve in the parliament and Ian is in the parliament. I wish you all the best, Ian. I know I chaired the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit inquiry that reformed the Public Service Act, which meant that your appointment was for only 10 years, so I guess it is my fault that you are retiring at this time. I wish you and Erika all the very best in the future. I know that the skills that you have are in great demand around the world. I know that you will continue to serve the concept of parliamentary democracy in Australia and other countries.

Parliament sometimes is like a duck pond. It is tranquil, the ducks are all moving in the right direction, but under the water there is furious activity going on. In the parliament a lot of the furious activity happens in the whips’ offices. As Chief Opposition Whip I have a very close liaison with Roger as Chief Government Whip. We work very, very well together. We trust each other. Roger’s word is his bond. He said about me last year that he could bank my word. I have to say that Roger’s word is also bankable, and the same can be said for his other whips, Chris and Jill.

I would like to thank the two opposition whips on our side, being Nola Marino and Michael Johnson, and of course Kay Hull, who is the National Party whip. A whip’s job is very much like herding cats, with two chambers working. Nola Marino is in charge of the second chamber. I notice she has just walked into the chamber. I have not had to intervene once in two years, not once, in the conduct of the second chamber. I congratulate you, Nola, for the way you run the second chamber, and I acknowledge how valuable it is to the parliament.

I want to make mention of Roger’s staff and my staff because they also have their legs working furiously under the water to make sure that this place works very smoothly. I thank Anna, on Roger’s side. I thank my team, led by Nathan Winn, Denise Picker and Robert Hardie. I thank my electorate staff: Lorraine Fox, Sue Quinn, Gillian Taylor, Judy McArdle and Dr Paul Manuell, who has filled in temporarily for six months.

I also acknowledge the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business and the work that they do together with the whips in making sure that this parliament runs smoothly in the interests of the democratic process. I also acknowledge Henry Thomson and his team in the Parliamentary Liaison Office. The parliament could not operate without the close cooperation between the whips and the PLO. The PLO is there to serve the parliament and the executive to make sure that government business is handled in an appropriate way. We have a terrific relationship with the PLO, and Henry is an excellent successor to quite a number of parliamentary liaison officers who have had distinguished careers as officers of this parliament.

I acknowledge, as has my leader, Malcolm Turnbull, and as has Roger Price and the Prime Minister, the people who work in the parliament—the ones behind the scenes whom we never see, particularly the clerks and the attendants in the parliament. I particularly want to acknowledge Rosemary, who brings the cold water up to me at question time. Thank you, Rosemary. Of course, there are also the Comcar drivers and everybody else who keeps this place operating.

I also acknowledge my family. None of us can work here successfully without the cooperation of our family. Roger mentioned that I have a little problem at the moment. I was in hospital for a couple of weeks up until last week. Roger had been ringing me every day. My phone started ringing just as I was coming out of general anaesthetic, and it was Roger Price asking, ‘Are you all right, mate?’ That is the type of relationship we have got—genuinely working together and also caring for each other. I might have a bit of a hard time between now and when the parliament resumes. I hope that the treatment might be successful, and I hope to come back in full health.

Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity to pay tribute to Ian Harris AO, Clerk of the House of Representatives, who retires on 4 December after devoting more than 37 years of service to this parliament. I note his presence in the chamber right now. In the speeches about Ian Harris’s service that have already been made in this place, the words ‘professionalism’, ‘commitment’ and ‘integrity’ have come up again and again. There is a reason for that: he epitomises those attributes. The clearest abiding memory I will have of my beginnings, as a member of parliament who celebrated two years in this place on Tuesday, is the welcome and encouragement I received from the Clerk and his staff, who have exercised infinite patience, kindness and wisdom in educating the new arrivals.

Being here for more than 37 years and sitting through countless question times, a person could be forgiven for developing a certain degree of cynicism, yet Ian Harris emanates at all times a positive respect for the institution of the parliament. That is not to say that he does not wish to see reforms in this place. Ian Harris has been interested in pursuing worthwhile changes to the system to improve it. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Main Committee, which has been so successful in making a lot more parliamentary time available to MPs that it has been emulated by the UK House of Commons. As part of a recent inquiry into parliamentary procedures, Ian Harris raised the idea of allowing MPs to use PowerPoint presentations during their speeches, saying:

If we continue to operate parliament as it did in Dickens’ days, it runs the risk of becoming less relevant to the people it represents in the 21st century.

As the first President of the Association of Secretary-Generals of Parliaments to come from the Southern Hemisphere, Ian Harris helped establish parliaments in East Timor, Cambodia and Laos—and he learned French, which is the other main language of parliaments worldwide, including incidentally that place known as the parliament of man, the United Nations.

As I read in an edition of The House Magazine from 1997, Ian Harris had humble beginnings, growing up in the small town of Kurri Kurri in the Hunter region in New South Wales as part of a coalmining family. His family saw education as a means of liberation, and he went through the state school system earning bursaries and scholarships, followed by university in Newcastle, where he gained a BA (Hons) and a Master of Arts specialising in Australian constitutional history, as well as a Diploma of Education. He had various experiences as a university tutor, schoolteacher, journalist and radio broadcaster and knocked back several lucrative offers of employment from banks and corporations before he settled on a career in the Public Service. Fortunately for all of us in this place, in 1972 Ian Harris joined the House of Representatives, where he has at all times embodied the values of the public service code; hence, the oft-repeated descriptors applied to Ian Harris of professionalism, commitment and integrity.

Ian Harris, we salute you and thank you. We also wish you every happiness as you move on to other things—although we suspect that you may not be able to resist tuning in to question time every now and then.

I also offer my congratulations to Ian Harris’s successor, Bernard Wright, on his appointment as Clerk from 5 December 2009. This is a very popular appointment and clearly one based on outstanding merit.

I will finish with a quote, which I hope I have remembered correctly, as a tribute to Ian Harris and all the parliamentary staff. The quote is from one of my heroes, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, who was an incredible public servant. He was killed in rather mysterious circumstances in the Congo in September 1961. Nine days before he was killed he gave an address to United Nations staff where he said something like this:

It is false pride to register and to boast to the world about the importance of one’s work, but it is false humility, and finally just as destructive, not to recognise and recognise with gratitude that one’s work has a sense. Let us avoid the second fallacy as carefully as the first, and let us work in the conviction that our work has a meaning beyond the narrow individual and has meant something for humankind.

Thank you, Ian.

David Hawker (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on indulgence: I would like to join with previous speakers and pay tribute to Ian Harris, the Clerk of the House of Representatives. I have been very fortunate to have known Ian the whole time I have been in parliament. In fact, I have been fortunate to know, so far, four clerks of the House—and the Clerk in waiting will make five—starting with Doug Blake when I first came in, and then Alan Browning, Lyn Barlin and now, of course, Ian Harris. One of the things that have struck me is the extraordinary professionalism of all of these people. I think people in this chamber do begin to understand the extraordinary work and support that the Clerk gives, but I think, in Ian’s case, he has done an absolutely outstanding job and he should be recognised as one of the great clerks of the Australian parliament. I know that could probably slightly embarrass him, but I think it is deserved.

I think we have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had the services of Ian Harris since he first came to this parliament in 1972. He has seen many things, of course, in that time. Clearly, he started in the old building and knows how different it was in those days, including some of the different working conditions. Then he was integrally involved in the move up here to the new Parliament House in 1988. He has seen many other changes. There was the introduction of the Main Committee, in which he was very much involved and which has been such a success—and I think the ultimate compliment was that Westminster had to copy something that was done out here in Australia. Other changes he has seen are the televising of parliament and, one change that members would think back on with a slight smile these days, the Clerk no longer wearing a wig. I am sure it is much more comfortable without it.

Ian has done many other things. One of the points that ought to be noted is that Ian has been the editor of two editions of House of Representatives Practice. This is unique. Remember, there have only ever been five editions, so the last two, two out of the five, have actually been edited by Ian. I think that shows just how active he has been in so many ways. He has also held the position of President of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments, in 2003, which I think is international recognition of his very high standing and of the very high regard in which he is held throughout the world. It is a tremendous credit to Ian that he had that position. He was awarded an AO in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2007, which I think was most deserved.

I would like to just add how fortunate I was, when I was privileged to hold the position of Speaker to have Ian Harris as the Clerk. It is one of those roles which again most people are not fully aware of, but one that is absolutely integral to the role of the Speaker. In fact it would be fair to say—and I am sure the current Speaker would agree—that it would be impossible for the Speaker to operate without a very close working relationship with the Clerk, his deputy and his staff. One has to rely very heavily on the Clerk, in so many ways, with regard to not only procedural matters in the chamber but also many other matters within the House of Representatives. So I just want to put on record how much I appreciated the tremendous support that Ian gave me. It is interesting to note that, since he was appointed Clerk in 1997, Ian has in fact seen five Speakers come and, obviously, four go, and I think all of us would have the same very high regard for Ian.

He has upheld the finest reputation and traditions of the parliament in every way. He has recognised and actively promoted in the community the importance of the democratic process. Again, I think that is something that we take for granted, but democracy can be very fragile and it is only by nurturing it, by working on it, that we can ensure that we continue to benefit from the wonderful opportunities that it presents to this country. There are many words we could use to describe Ian: a total professional, totally committed, a man of complete integrity, always impartial and always discreet. I think members have appreciated all of those things.

I want to say a special congratulations to Ian for his extraordinary service to the parliament since 1972, culminating of course in being the Clerk. I would also like to make special mention of his wife, Erika, who is here today. I know she has always supported Ian in what he does and I have certainly appreciated not only the professional support from Ian but the friendship of both Ian and Erika. I know there has been a very close, careful process for selecting Ian’s replacement; it was not automatic. So I would like to also congratulate Bernard Wright, who went through a very rigorous selection process to be appointed the next Clerk. I know that he will uphold all the traditions that Ian has always supported.

I would also like to mention Laraine Brennan, who has been Ian’s secretary the whole time I have known him. She has always been totally professional, the model of discretion. I know Laraine is retiring as well, so I would like to place on the record my appreciation to her and the appreciation of all members.

I know that the Speaker will probably want to say something further, and I would like to take this opportunity, as he is in the chamber, to commend the Speaker on the way he has conducted the affairs of this chamber since his election and particularly this last year. Again, I know more than many some of the pressures that can be on the Speaker, and I think he has at all times acted very fairly and done everything to uphold the very important democratic processes of this chamber.

In conclusion, I wish all colleagues a safe and happy Christmas and all the best for the new year. I again say to Ian and to Erika, congratulations. Ian, you have done a wonderful job. I am sure that you will continue to be very active and will no doubt always be available to assist members in some of the difficult processes that we go through but to always do it in a manner that is discreet, friendly and impartial. Congratulations.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also add my congratulations and thanks to you, Ian, on your retirement and on your 37 years. That is an enormous contribution not just to this parliament but also to this nation. I believe that history will show that you have been a very integral part in the management of this House and the governance of Australia, and I can only say thank you. I wish you well in your retirement. Enjoy your time with your family. Your commitment to this nation certainly will be recorded in history, and appropriately so.

Ian, let me just say that as a new member, you were one of the welcoming people when we first came here a couple of years ago in 2007. You led us through the process so carefully, so gently and with a couple of warnings of what was ahead. It was done in such a positive way that I say from my point of view as a new member it was done so well I can only thank you so much for that process. I would like to acknowledge Mr Wright as well. I am sure that you are very pleased to see the processes handed to someone that you can trust, knowing that he will bring the same qualities to his role that you have.

I would also like to thank the Speaker, who is sitting quietly there. Thank you very much for this session, Mr Speaker. I know that we try your patience but it is appropriate that we acknowledge your efforts. You certainly do things in your own particular style. I include Madam Deputy Speaker Burke, as well, as the hours that both of you commit to this job cannot be underestimated. I thank you as well for your efforts. I also thank the Serjeant-at-Arms. I would like to acknowledge the Parliamentary Library people. They do an extraordinary amount of work and always do it efficiently and quickly.

There are people in this House that we never see, and they have been mentioned today. There are the attendants who sit in this chamber who assist us at all times, the people in Hansard and everybody who is out there who make this centre of government work so well, and they do it in such a positive and encouraging way for all of us, whichever side of the House we sit on. We certainly appreciate all of their efforts. I acknowledge them and I thank them very sincerely.

I also want to thank those people like the cleaners, the unseen people, who are here making sure that everything runs smoothly. There are the security people and even the transport people, the Comcar people, who put up with us no matter where we are. Then there is Peter and the prayer group. I think that for several of our members at different times in our period here in this House they have done a great job and we certainly appreciate their wise counsel and support, so I thank them for that.

Seeing that I assist with the Main Committee, as you do, Madam Deputy Speaker, on a frequent basis, I acknowledge the Main Committee staff and attendants. They are also a wonderful integral part of the smooth running of this House. I acknowledge both sides of government, the opposition and the government. As for all our members—my leader, Malcolm, Julie, the shadow ministers and all my coalition colleagues; to Warren and to Kay—I really think we all come here with the very best of intentions. To the committee members who support our work, the very important work of this House, I say thank you. There is so much work done by the committee members and for me, Kate and Julie and those in communications have been exceptional and I am sure that Kay will also support that.

I want to support my own members for their support and cooperation. As the chief whip said, as a new member I took on the job in the Main Committee and I have had extraordinary support, and I thank you, Kay, as well for assisting in that smooth running. In my whips’ team—and I call them a team because they are—there is Alex, and I wish him well in what is ahead for him and I thank him most sincerely for his support. There is the irreplaceable Nathan, and Robert and Sue and Denise. Kay, I cannot thank you and your staff enough. To Roger and Jill on the other side—and Chris, sitting there—I thank you so much. I think that we all work effectively to get the business of this House done in the way that it is intended.

Then there is my personal team. Vicki—and we do not call her the ‘ice queen’ for nothing—gets the job done and is very efficient and I appreciate her support. To Cass, Lara, Jas and Kerry, all my support team, my fabulous family and the people in my electorate, I wish them, as I wish everybody in this place, a very safe, healthy and happy Christmas and New Year. I look forward to serving ahead in this House. To you, Ian: as to whatever lies ahead of you, I can only imagine that you will bring the same qualities to what you do in the future as you have in the 37 years in this parliament. I congratulate you. I thank you not only on behalf of the people who sit here but on behalf of those in Australia who do not quite understand the debt that we owe you. Thank you so much.

Kay Hull (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to Ian and his wife Erika—because, Ian, behind every good man there is a very tolerant and very good woman. So we thank Erika for allowing you to give such amazing service to this parliament and we parliamentarians. Obviously we have been a trial to you over the years but always you have given us the most devout courtesy and respect, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart. As a member of a minor party, it is not always easy for us to have our presence known here and it is not always easy for us to have the information that we require to enable us to correctly carry out our duties. Ian, you have always been there for us. As the Nationals, we salute you. You are the most amazing man, a wonderful friend, a wonderful Australian patriot, and we are proud and privileged to have been a part of your life. I have been here only 11 years but in those 11 years you have been here for me. For that I thank you very much, Ian, from the bottom of my heart.

I have had some difficulties at times in this place and I have valued my ability to come and confide in you and ask you for some guidance and a direction as to how I should be professionally carrying out my task in whichever way I choose at the time. You have seen me through some enormous struggles in my time here. I hope you enjoy your future life. For every door that shuts, one more opens. I really wish upon you and Erika the most wonderful companionship years of your life. Again, I thank you.

We welcome Bernard Wright. Bernard, they looked all over the world and they found the best right here. I think that is testament to the quality of Bernard and the fact that you, together with Ian, have been the most formidable team. You have been able to support each other in order that Bernard could be the selected person out of the world’s best people. I am sure that Bernard would also attribute some significant role to Ian. To Bernard, it is going to be wonderful to be able to work with a wonderful person as well.

To Alex, my good friend and the Chief Opposition Whip, I wish him well as to his health. Alex has been absolutely marvellous to work with, and I say that as the Nationals’ chief whip. I wish him all of the best and say to him that we did respect his privacy as he wished when he sent out his notification to ask us to respect his privacy, but each and every one of us rang his staff each day to make sure that he was all right. To Alex, you have some trials ahead but our thoughts and prayers and good wishes will be with you.

To his staff, Nathan, Robert and the team: thank you very much. To Nathan, you have been an absolute giant of a backstop for all of us. Thanks, Nathan, and to Robert as well and to Denise and all of the team. To Michael, thank you for being my counterpart here and to Nola and Vicki, for all the work that you have done in the Main Committee to keep this Main Committee operational. You have done a mighty job and we certainly do appreciate it.

To Roger and Anna and the team in your office, Roger, you are a tough master but you have equipped us all very well to cope with the last two years. We certainly thank you and thank Anna for the wonderful way in which she deals with my office. To Chris and Jill, it is wonderful to be part of a very good team that I am sure have equal respect for one another on the floor of this House during the counts. It is not always an easy task and it has been tremendous to see that we can fulfil this role in a dignified manner and one that I think befits this parliament.

To my staff, Joe Dennis is not a paid whip’s clerk but is so fantastic and has absolutely dedicated himself to ensuring that our Nationals members are meeting their commitments to the House. Joe is an absolutely inspirational young man and I am sure we will hear more of Joe Dennis in the future. I am very blessed to have Joe as my whip’s clerk but he is actually my electorate staff member. He takes a lot from many of the members who just assume that he is paid by the House to do the whip’s clerk position, but he is most certainly not. He is an electorate staff member and he carries out his duties in the most amazing way, and I thank him. To my staff who fill in occasionally over here, to Lucy and Joan, it is wonderful to have the support of each of you to come here and feel confident that you are going to fulfil your duties not just as my electorate staff but also to ensure that we contribute to the House and meet our commitments. As I said, it is not easy to be the minor party, to negotiate your presence in this place, but certainly we have been ably assisted by the wonderful and well-meaning presence of many people.

To the Speaker: thank you, Mr Speaker. You have done a sensational job and we really do appreciate the effort that you go to to include us in the very important Speaker’s dinners that you hold. I for one sincerely appreciate that consideration by you and the team in your office. I really do genuinely thank you, Mr Speaker. You are a very fine Speaker and we certainly appreciate that. To the Deputy Speaker, Anna: we really appreciate the effort that you have put into ensuring that you are aware of the way in which the House should run. And to the Speaker’s panel, I think each of them have equipped themselves very well over the past 12 months and so, again, you have contributed to keeping this House orderly.

To our attendants and the House staff, including security, to the Comcar drivers and operators, to all of the people who provide us the support we need, we really do appreciate it. Whilst you may not get the significant praise and public praise, we most certainly appreciate each and every one of you and the contribution that you make to all of us, not only as attendants and House staff but as friends. I would go as far as to say that I have more friends in the staff and the attendants in this House than I have among anyone else in this place. I genuinely cherish that friendship and that support that I receive.

I wish each and every person—Hansard and all—a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. I am awaiting the birth of a grandchild at this very moment. I am keen to get home and, should he be arriving just that little bit late, I suspect that may jeopardise my travel to Canberra next week if he is deciding to make his entry into this world then.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the indulgence of providing my tribute to a great man in Ian Harris, welcoming another great man in Bernard Wright and also paying tribute to the people who have supported me so ably over this past 12 months.

Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too would like to pay my respects to Ian Harris, who has made an outstanding commitment not only to this parliament but to the nation over 37 years, which is an extraordinary contribution by anyone’s standards. I am in one of those exclusive clubs: I came here in a by-election. It was only in about May 2005 that I was admitted into the parliament. I came in here and, not having a class to build around me and to be tutored in what you do as a member of parliament, Ian took me under his wing and tried to explain the niceties of parliamentary life to me. I can remember after one session we had, during which we enjoyed a very nice afternoon tea, he said to me, ‘Chris, do you have any questions?’ I said, ‘I just really don’t know enough to ask the questions yet.’ I have got to say that Ian has been outstandingly patient. My relationship with him was of someone needing advice and Ian and his staff were always there to help. The fact that he had 37 years experience in this parliament and held down the position of Clerk of the House of Representatives did not deter him from sitting down—and it might be on the most paltry of issues—and trying to advise me. Ian, on a very personal note, I would like to thank you not only for your contributions to this parliament but also for your advice to me, my staff and anyone else in this building, quite frankly, who has needed assistance. Ian, I know you have always been there for them.

I would also like to congratulate Bernard Wright on his promotion. Bernard also is an outstanding member of this parliament, a person again who epitomises the principles of professionalism and dedication. These are things we come to expect but are things we should never, ever take for granted.

I will also spend a little time speaking as government whip—and I am now joined by my fellow whip, Jill Hall. Most members probably do not appreciate the level of liaison that does take place between the whips on all sides of this parliament. Roger runs a pretty tight ship, despite what we might say at certain times, and we get the job done. Through his leadership and certainly through the absolutely sensational staff that Roger has in his office—namely, Anna, Joe, Matthew and David—the level of coordination out of that office is exemplary. Roger, apart from being the Chief Government Whip, has been a good friend to everyone on this side of the House and no doubt, having listened to the comments of Alex Somlyay, who similarly expressed the view, is held in high personal regard by the opposition as well. In Roger’s case, without making him sound older than he is—because I do appreciate it is his birthday today and I do not would to embarrass him by saying which birthday—

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is his 70th.

Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let’s go with 17th; thank you. I understand Roger has had about 23 years in this parliament. Roger brings to this organisation, being the parliamentary process, experience over a lengthy period. The constructive contribution that he makes is based mainly on experience and a degree of soundness that comes with maturity in the job. I am sure he will not like me saying that, but it is true.

Jill Hall, the member for Shortland, and her staff members, Mark and Chris, have played an extraordinary role in the running of the Main Committee. Most people outside this place do not appreciate the role of the Main Committee—the fact that we can run debates simultaneously in the main chamber and in the Main Committee. We improve the efficiency of the parliament as a consequence. But there will not be any greater efficiency extracted unless the Main Committee works effectively. With Jill and her staff, we have been able to ensure that it is an effective organ of this parliament. I acknowledge Jill and her staff for the way that it has been run in the last couple of years in particular.

A number of changes were instituted to the Main Committee, mainly at the instigation of the Chief Government Whip. There are greater opportunities for members to speak, particularly in relation to constituency statements. Whilst most of us like to participate particularly in matters of policy and the debating of legislation, sometimes members must realise that they have a genuine need to look after their constituencies, and using the opportunity to speak in the Main Committee on constituency statements is a good thing for every member of this parliament to do.

I would like to pay regard to my own staff. Melanie Attlee, who accompanies me in Canberra, plays the role of chasing up and making sure that we have all our acting whips in the Main Committee. Melanie is also my senior adviser in my electorate office. I also pay regard to my other staff there, who do an extremely sterling job: Gai Coghlan, my office manager; Leah Whalan, electorate officer; Alicia Bowie, newly employed—she came to me from one of my local newspapers, and she is a very gifted writer, a very talented young woman and someone I have known since she was about seven years old; and Vicki Meadows, who has worked with me for at least the past four years. Vicki brings a unique set of skills to my office. Vicki has a profoundly disabled daughter who is autistic. Her daughter is now 19 years old and never quite speaks.

There is one thing I can be assured of with Vicki: people who come to my office, particularly people with disabilities or those who live with people with disabilities, will never be fobbed off. They will always be treated seriously. We may not be able to personally help them on each and every occasion, but if we cannot help with an issue directly perhaps we can refer it to our state colleagues or other agencies, or simply lend an empathetic ear. Vicki is a person who has lived with disabilities for the whole of Melissa’s life. Having seen the difficulties she has had to endure over that period, I have the utmost respect for her. Everyone who comes to my office and deals with Vicki knows that she has warmth and compassion beyond measure.

In relation to my colleagues on the other side of the House, Alex Somlyay, the Chief Opposition Whip, and his staff do an absolutely wonderful job. We work very closely with them, and this place would not function if there were not that level of trust between people who are doing their best to organise things in the normal cut and thrust of this place. Alex has had some time off recently and I know he is going to be in hospital for a little while to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with him. I am sure he is going to be back here bigger and better when we resume in February.

The Opposition Whip, Michael Johnson, along with the Opposition Deputy Whip, Nola Marino, and the Chief Nationals Whip, Kay Hull, work as a carefully crafted, close-knit team. With respect to the political divide that exists between us, we can nevertheless work quite effectively in promoting the efficiency of debates in this House.

There is one person I should not forget, because I have done so before and I have been reminded before—my wife.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The wonderful Bernadette!

Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The wonderful Bernadette—just in case I needed additional reminding! Bernadette accompanies me when I come to Canberra, which is very good. I get the opportunity to go home when we adjourn here and have a normal life. Parliamentary life is pretty hard on partners—I think that goes without saying. Ever since my by-election, Bernadette has thrown herself into this life. At a recent function I attended Aaron Rule charitably said that Chris Hayes and Bill Clinton have something in common. I knew it was not height. It was Bill Clinton’s comment that when you vote you get two for the price of one. 

I have a very active time in my electorate, and Bernadette and I tend to spread our time over the things we can go to. She gives speeches at Rotary Club meetings and visits aged-care facilities. We share all those sorts of things between us. I am indebted to her for the role she plays. She has certainly developed quite an interest in the electorate and plays a very constructive role.

Here in Canberra, Bernadette is President of the Parliamentary Partners Association, a bipartisan organisation operating across the party divide. It is a support group for all spouses of members of parliament. I think she plays a very constructive role there, together with Allison Parry, the wife of the Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate. Along with Adriana Murphy, they have done a lot over the last couple of years to ensure that partners have the opportunity to participate effectively in life if and when they come to Canberra.

I conclude by wishing all members of this place a happy, safe and holy Christmas. Next year is going to be a big year for a range of different reasons but principally because we will be heading towards an election. It is essential for people to become focused on that. I say that quite honestly. I think elections in our democracy should be fought and fought vigorously, and it is one of the treasures of our democracy that we can do that. Having regard to the fact that that is what we will be addressing next year, it behoves all members to spend time with their families and loved ones over the Christmas period. Next year will be hard.

We in this parliament should always think back and recommit ourselves to the reasons we came here in the first place. It is all very well to be involved in party politics and to go through polling and election days and everything that goes along with that; but, in all sincerity, I have not met a person in this place who in my opinion came here for the wrong reasons. I think parliament is a very special place. Very few people in our community ever get the opportunity to do what we do, to participate in making laws for the future of this country. It is with extreme honour that we occupy our places here. That being the case, our role is to work as diligently as we can to make a difference. If that is not our commitment, we should question whether we should be here at all. Regardless of what side of politics they are on, the people I meet here bring that commitment and that aspiration to this place. I wish all members and their families a very happy and holy Christmas.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I must say that the member for Werriwa’s speech is a hard one to follow. It was an outstanding speech. At the risk of covering ground that he has already covered, I would like to place a few comments on the record. Firstly, I would like to start where he finished. I feel extremely privileged to be a member of this parliament and I feel extremely privileged to represent the people of the Shortland electorate. I believe one of the greatest honours that can be bestowed on a person is to be elected to this House. People can be quite cynical about members of parliament but I say unreservedly that to be elected to the parliament gives a person a unique opportunity to make a difference and a unique opportunity to serve their community. In accord with the member for Werriwa, I believe that all members in this House, whether I agree or disagree with them, are committed to their electorate, the country and this parliament. So the first thing I would especially like to put on the record is my thanks to the people of Shortland. I give them an undertaking that I will continue to work as hard as I possibly can so that their voice is heard in this parliament and their interests are taken care of.

This is an important time to recognise the enormous contribution of Ian Harris. Ian, you are respected by both sides of parliament. Your contribution to this place has been enormous. You have left your mark on this parliament. When you leave, this parliament will be a different place to the one it was when you came to it. You will be missed by all members of this House. I wish you and Erika a wonderful time together. I am sure you will enjoy retirement but I also suspect that retirement will not be about doing nothing. I have a sneaking suspicion that you may be up my way every so often, considering that you have family living in Wallsend. That is not far from the Shortland electorate—and I see the member for Charlton at the table gesturing, rightly, that it is in his electorate.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is well looked after!

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that he is very pleased to have Ian’s family living in his electorate. It is always true to say, ‘Once a Novocastrian, always a Novocastrian.’ We up in the Hunter always stay true to our area and I know that Ian, as a graduate of Newcastle University and as a person that grew up in our area, will always hold it in that very special place in his heart. So, Ian, you will be missed. I know that Bernard will do a good job once you have gone. He will move into the job and then seek to make his mark on it in the same way that you have. He has learnt a lot from you and now it will be his time to see if he can make a difference within this parliament. But please accept my good wishes, and I would like you to pass them on to Erika as well.

There are a number of people I need to thank. I could not do my job here in this parliament, or back in my electorate, without the assistance of these people. I am always reluctant to thank people because when you do so there is always someone you forget. So if I do forget anyone—please, you are incorporated into my thanks. To all the clerks and everyone who works in the committees, I give you my thanks for the assistance that you have given me and my staff. I also thank the attendants, who look after us so well. Lupco always asks me how I am going by saying, ‘Kako si,’ and I come back with my ‘dobro’. I think he has taught every member of this parliament to answer in that fashion. The way they look after us is amazing. They seem to anticipate our needs every time before we actually ask for anything. I thank, too, the Comcar drivers who provide us with transport here in Canberra, and the security staff. We must also not forget the cleaners. When I leave my office it can be less than tidy with a lot of papers in the garbage, but when I come back each day it is clean and tidy and we are ready to start another day.

Without the assistance of the library, and those that work in the library, I think each and every member of this House would find it a lot harder to do their job. The research that is available through this library is second to none. The Bills Digest that we receive when we are researching to speak on legislation is outstanding. And if you need a little extra information, the staff in the library will always be there to help you. I also thank the sergeant’s office. Being a whip, we have to work with the sergeant’s office. When I say ‘have to’, I have to say that we rather enjoy it because they are very easy to work with.

I would like now to move to the subject of the Main Committee. I see that the Deputy Speaker is present here in the chamber as I am making this speech and I really need to put on the record my thanks to her. Anna Burke is responsible for making sure that the Main Committee runs. Her staff and my staff communicate a lot, and I might say that Anna does not just leave it to her staff to communicate with my office. She always comes around and talks to those in my office and does not leave it to someone else to let them know what she wants. She is a real leader in that Main Committee and she has done a great job. She has put her own touch on the way the Main Committee operates. It is different to the main chamber of the parliament I am in now, the House of Representatives. It is a chamber where some different and innovative things are done. When a member is making a speech, another member can ask them a question and they have to answer that question whilst they are speaking. It is called an intervention. It is something that is very different and something that really tests whether or not a member knows the topic that they are speaking on.

In the Main Committee you are a lot closer to the opposition when you are speaking and there is a lot more interchange. There is a spirit of goodwill that exists within that chamber. So, Anna, thank you for the work you do. Thank you to Mark and Chris in my office for the work that they do in organising the speakers to be up there in time. Thank you to Vicky in Nola Marino’s office, because she works really closely with both Chris and Mark. Also thanks to Mel Ackley in Chris’s office. They are quite a team. They really work together to make sure that that committee functions. So I would like to put on record my thanks to all those people.

Roger Price is the Chief Government Whip. What can I say about Roger Price? I think the first thing I would say is that I really enjoy working with him. He has brought a different perspective to the role of Chief Government Whip. He very much has the interests of all members of this parliament at heart—not only government members but also members of the opposition. He has introduced a number of very different programs and approaches that all members of this House can access. He works very closely with the Chief Opposition Whip, Alex Somlyay. Roger is a person I respect and somebody I enjoy working with.

I would like to say a few words about Alex Somlyay. Alex was chair of the health and ageing committee in the last parliament and I was deputy chair of that committee. We developed a really close relationship and I was pleased when he was selected as the Chief Opposition Whip because I knew I would continue to have a relationship with him even into this parliament. He and Roger really have a very strong relationship. Both of them tell me that their word is their bond, and that is very important in that job. Alex is a person who has been committed to this parliament as a member of this parliament for a long time. He is a former minister and now Chief Opposition Whip. Alex has recently had rather a nasty health scare. He has been in hospital. He has to have some ongoing treatment after this parliament rises, and I know that it is going to be quiet a trial. He will need the support of his family. He will have a very different Christmas to the Christmas that he usually has. But I am quite sure that he will be able to overcome his illness and that he will be back here fighting fit next year. I really do look forward to continuing to work with Alex. I have also enjoyed working with Nola Marino and Michael Johnson, particularly Nola because she is responsible for the Main Committee and, as I said, there is a close relationship between our two offices.

I would like to thank my staff back in the electorate office. I have wonderful staff who truly care about the constituents in the Shortland electorate, staff who will go right out of their way to make sure that the needs of the constituents in Shortland are taken care of. They care about each person who comes into the electorate office—the constituent’s problem is their problem. In my electorate office I have Kay, Cathy, Jan, Vicky and Melanie. Some of them work part-time. Each of them is dedicated to serving the people of the Shortland electorate. I would like to thank them very much for all the long hours they put in, for putting up with my unreasonable requests and for not walking out every time I walk into the office and say, ‘I have an idea.’ I know that they know that when I have an idea it usually means that there will be extra work for them. So thank you very much. You are a really good team and I appreciate everything that you do for me and the people of the Shortland electorate.

Finally I would like to thank my family, particularly my husband Lindsay. Lindsay stays home while I am down here in Canberra. We have two dogs. Over the time I have been a member of parliament our children have grown up and left home. Lindsay is the last person remaining in the house besides me. He often tells people that, as people are gradually walking out of the house and leaving, there is only him and the dogs left; and his main worry is that those dogs will get up and leave as well! So, Lindsay, thank you very much for all the support you give me. I could not do it without you.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to give one final thankyou, and this is to a very special person who gives me a really hard time—that is you, Mr Speaker. If there is anyone who is going to take the micky out of me or give me a little bit of cheek then it is always you. You can always bring me right back down to earth. I thank you for that. I appreciate your friendship, as I do the friendship of all my colleagues in this parliament. I wish everybody all the best for Christmas. I know that members of the opposition are going through a hard time at the moment. Once they leave here, I recommend to them that they have a nice relaxing family Christmas, as will we. There is life away from parliament and it is important that all members of this parliament have a good break and come back refreshed next year.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier today in the Main Committee I took the opportunity to wish everyone in my electorate a merry Christmas and to thank the Speaker’s panel staff. But, given the opportunity has arisen because I am not getting on my plane to go home, I would like to take the opportunity with everybody else to thank the Clerk, who is retiring after 37 years of outstanding dedication to this parliament. I want to thank him on a very personal note. Two years ago I decided to tempt fate and seek to become the Deputy Speaker. I had never sat in the chair before and, although I had been in the parliament for nine years, I actually had no appreciation of what the job was.

I remember that when I first became a member of parliament I actually did not expect to win and when it looked like I was going to I said to somebody, ‘What does a member of parliament actually do?’ When I became Deputy Speaker two years ago, I went to the Clerk and said, ‘By the way, what does a Deputy Speaker actually do?’ It was through the good graces of Ian and his staff that I managed to survive the experience. I will admit that my first week was a baptism of fire. We had no Speaker’s panel, we were sitting ridiculous hours, we were arguing over a Friday sitting, we had the apology and then we had the cardboard cut-out. So the sheer fact that I did not resign after the first week I have always put down to Ian’s good graces and magnificent help, because this place is a weird beast. As we are seeing today, it is an incredibly weird beast. The rules are arcane. There are only about two people in the place who I think fully understand them, and that would be Ian and Bernard. Without them, their guidance, their understanding, their patience and their magnificent generosity with time and information, this place would not run.

I personally can say that my experience was much the easier because of them. A couple of days in I was thinking of saying, ‘Look, I’ve changed my mind—I really don’t want to be the Deputy Speaker anymore,’ but I knew that there was always phenomenal backup and support from Ian and his staff. I want to take this opportunity to wish him well. I know he is not retiring; he is just leaving this place. Earlier this year I had the joy of travelling overseas and visiting many parliaments. Tragically, Mr Speaker, most of the people I met did not know who you were, but in every parliament I went to they all knew who the Clerk of the Australian parliament was. Everybody wanted me to wish Ian Harris all the best, because they knew it would be his final year because his 10 years were up.

I want to thank Erika, who was in the gallery. She has had to go because Ian’s grandchild, who has been incredibly patient through all this, has probably decided it is a tad boring. I want to say thankyou to Ian’s family, particularly Erika and his children, for all they have done in their support for him in this role. It is not just members of parliament who sit these weird and wonderful hours; it is the clerks, the attendants and everybody else. Their families are sitting at home wondering when they will come back as well.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Speaker for his guidance and patience through my rather steep learning curve. I also thank the Speaker’s staff and his wife, Michelle, who is also a delightful person and a great support. We often fail to remember those people who put up with so much. I forgot while I was upstairs to say thanks to my staff, particularly Lindy, who really does run the place and help me do my job. I would never forget that, so I am going to tell Lindy how wonderful she is. To Joe, Jason, Rick, Louise, Janet, Liana, Sophie and David back in the electorate: thank you for all you do. To my wonderful Steve, Maddy and John: it does not look like I am getting home tonight, so I put on the record my appreciation and thanks to you. I thank my phenomenal mother, Joan, who makes sure that I can do much of this. Also to my father, Bernie, who has had a really tough year: I give my thanks to you for your support.

I know that Ian’s great day was actually yesterday, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cessnock, and today will pale into insignificance. But, again, thank you for everything and I hope you have a wonderful time in the next phase of your life.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, like the member for Chisholm, would like to put on record some recognition of the great work which has been done in this most significant year. To begin with, I would echo the Prime Minister’s remarks about the terrible events of 7 February—the bushfires—and some of the fires in the days preceding and the days afterwards. I believe that what we have seen since 7 February has been the most remarkable unity of spirit in the community. We saw national leadership from our Prime Minister and my senior minister, the member for Jagajaga. We also saw great leadership from the state government, led by Premier Brumby. We saw a genuine outreaching of effort and commitment from political representatives from all sides of politics.

This will be a difficult Christmas for those who went through the terrible events of 7 February. You cannot expunge memories. You cannot, nor should you, expunge the conversations which you will no longer hear, the people who will no longer come through the gate of an evening anymore. But I do know that in the bushfire communities they are very resilient people. Recovery is an individual process; it is a family process. The hills, the creeks, the roads and the paddocks where people have grown up are still there, and it is upon those that we will no doubt see this Christmas some remarkable progress, but there is much more progress to be made.

It would be remiss of me not to recognise the contribution of the Deputy Prime Minister and her great work, particularly in abolishing the demon of Work Choices—the interring of what was never a terribly good idea to begin with. Also, consistent with the other speakers, it would be entirely appropriate for me to acknowledge your work, Mr Speaker, and the efforts to which you have gone to ensure that this most important institution in Australian democracy, the parliament, functions well. Your sense of humour, your sternness, your constant attention to detail and your Solomon-like rulings—including warning me today—have left me in awe of your capacity to administer this parliament. It is also highly appropriate to acknowledge the work of the staff of the parliament. I too wish to echo the comments of everyone and wish the Clerk the best in the next steps in his life.

When we look at what has been done well by this remarkable Rudd government, I should probably start with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, not least because on the chart I have he is the person most to the left. He has been doing a great job in agriculture, equally matched by the Minister for Resources and Energy. He has been doing great work, including helping set up the arrangements for the Gorgon development.

Then we move to the Minister for Trade, whose indefatigable efforts to breathe new life into the Doha Round reflect well both on him and on the attitude of this great trading nation. Then we move to Minister Roxon, the Minister for Health and Ageing. Her effort of reform is, again, remarkable, with the 70 consultations she has undertaken and the visits she has undertaken to that very important medical institution, the Sunshine Hospital, in my own electorate. She shows an ongoing and consistent interest in the needs of people who are often too vulnerable to look after themselves.

Then we have the Minister for Foreign Affairs, whose deft handling of many issues has demonstrated that he is performing his task as foreign minister with great credit to the Labor movement and in the great tradition of Labor foreign ministers, including Gareth Evans, Doc Evatt and a range of others. Then we come to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Leader of the House. His work on infrastructure matches the comparables outcomes of the other members of the frontbench—at least of the Rudd government, which appears to have more members on its frontbench than are on the frontbench of the opposition, who are not so numerous. It is hard to keep up with what is happening there.

Then we come to our Treasurer. What a magnificent and sterling job our Treasurer has done, especially when tested in the white heat of the global financial crisis. Then we see the Minister for Finance and Deregulation doing a great job, in particular removing the mandatory tendering guidelines within Commonwealth procurement for tenders which go to Australian Disability Enterprises. At Australian Disability Enterprises there are 20,000 people working on a supported wage at 600 different enterprises. They now, for the first time, have the opportunity to really get a red-hot go at the $26 billion worth of Commonwealth procurement contracts allocated every year. Wouldn’t it be great to see more people with a disability being employed through the opportunities in Minister Tanner’s reform of procurement?

Then we have my own senior minister, Minister Macklin, who is almost everywhere. In fact, some days she is everywhere. Between Indigenous affairs and the apology to forgotten Australians, she has been really implementing reform in the best traditions of the Labor government. Then we have the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. He has been doing a great job too. Many of the issues he has had to deal with are complex, such as, most recently, his decisions around dams in Queensland. The Attorney-General has been a real stalwart for the rights of people with disability, helping to drive through the ratification of the United Nations convention on the rights of people with disability. He has also been very vigilant and active in terms of the promotion of Emergency Management Australia and the work which he has done to help make sure that we can best protect Australians from bushfires, especially since the tragic events of 7 February. The work he has done to help drive the COAG reform agenda about early warning systems I honestly believe will help save lives in the future. There is no greater contribution that a member of this place can make than to help improve the safety and personal security of their fellow Australians.

The Minister for Housing has been rolling out a very ambitious pattern of work with social housing, including in my own electorate. It is great that we will finally be able to do something about tackling the scourge of homelessness and providing secure housing for tens of thousands of people, which is a fundamental need in order to be able to establish a share of the great Australian dream of a secure financial and social setting. Minister Bowen has been working very hard in a range of portfolios. I know that in Centrelink he has made sure that those agencies are working responsibly for the needs of people with disabilities. The Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy has been working on, amongst other things, improving the national accreditation of skills across our nation, trying to finally beat down some of the vestiges of our colonial structure of 107 years ago.

Then we have the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change. He has been doing a fabulous job in two very complex portfolios requiring a lot of attention to detail. Certainly his leadership in this place on the climate change legislation has been, I think, consistent with the aspirations of many of the people who voted for the Rudd government at the 2007 election. Then we come to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. How could I have not mentioned the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs? With a twinkle in his eye, he is out there promoting the interests of veterans in every RSL hall across this nation. Minister Elliot, the Minister for Ageing, is making sure that as Australians grow older they have the opportunity to enjoy the later years of their lives with support from the federal government. It is fundamentally a very important role.

We have the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery. He is very active. I should also mention the work he did in his previous portfolio in trying to identify all the great Australian diggers from Fromelles and at last bring some closure for families who wondered all those years ago what happened to their loved ones at that terrible battle in World War I. Then we have the Minister for Home Affairs. I thought his answer in question time certainly rescued the question when we saw four different attempts from the shadow minister. At least, I think she is still a frontbencher at the moment, but it is hard to keep up with what is happening in the opposition as I talk. The Minister for Home Affairs answered that question eloquently. In short, it was an exemplar—

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was his limit—a one-word answer.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson is criticising the Minister for Home Affairs for giving a short answer, but I sat here in question time and watched members of the opposition beg for answers of perhaps seven or eight words in length. I just think there is no making the opposition happy sometimes with the length of answers. I am here to perhaps break his heart yet again by continuing with this valedictory talk.

Then we have the Minister for Sport and Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth. Isn’t she doing a great job? One of the best things she has done in the last 12 months is promote the issues of Paralympians. In fact, she and I both attended the announcement and launch of the Winter Paralympics team who will be going to represent Australia at Whistler. We have the largest squad we have ever sent going to Whistler.

The good news is that I can now move on to the parliamentary secretaries and acknowledge their contributions. Of course, it would be remiss of me not to start with the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services. The member for Reid has done a great job—even though Reid no longer exists, and we wish him well in his future adventures in preselection. Then we have the member for Corio, a new parliamentary secretary, who has been working very well with the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and working hard on a range of issues.

I would also like to acknowledge all the disabled people in Australia. We hope the announcement this week of a national disability insurance scheme to be studied by the Productivity Commission can bring them some sense of optimism this Christmas.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will start with a few general, but hopefully truncated, comments about the parliament and the parliamentary departments. I start by congratulating everyone who works in this building for the way they have ensured the smooth functioning of the parliament over the course of this year. It has been a challenging year, characterised by significantly increased workloads and limited resources. Thanks to all the speakers in these valedictories, in two parts, for their contributions today. It has been a busy and successful year for all areas of the House of Representatives department. Until yesterday, 52 reports from House and joint committees supported by the department had been presented; 220 bills had been introduced and 200 were passed; the House sat for 67 days and the Main Committee for 55 days; there have been 145 petitions and 14,079 documents tabled, and there were 573 questions in writing; 15 incoming parliamentary delegations have been received; and there have been 13 outgoing delegations and 16 other parliamentary visits.

Over this year the House department, like the Department of Parliamentary Services, has continued to find budget savings while trying to maintain core services and high standards. In that regard it is very pleasing to see the good work being undertaken with other departments on wider issues and on common services. I am sure that members will appreciate the way the department is looking forward to further ways of modernising the house and increasing community access and engagement.

I could not undertake my duties of the House without the assistance of my esteemed colleagues who occupy the chair. I could not have wished for a more loyal assistant and a more capable person who is willing to learn than the Deputy Speaker, the member for Chisholm, Anna Burke. I think that her friendly demeanour is of great assistance to the way in which we carry out our duties. The Second Deputy Speaker, the member for Maranoa, Bruce Scott, could well and truly be identified as a true parliamentarian, and his assistance is appreciated. There are the members of the Speaker’s panel, who do a lot more than just preside over the sittings. I pay tribute to the guidance that the Clerk and his colleagues provide to the department and the support they provide to me and my office and occupants of the chair.

This year has seen quite a deal of change in the staffing of the department. I note the retirements of long-serving staff: Peter Mason, Judy Middlebrook and Robyn Webber; the pending retirement of Laraine Brennan and Paul Thomas; and, most importantly, the achievement of 40 years of fine service by Peter Buckley.

All members would be aware of the critical role played by the Department of Parliamentary Services. I thank the staff of DPS, led by Alan Thompson as secretary. Staff of the department have provided high-quality day-to-day services throughout the year, much of which goes unnoticed by building occupants and visitors. This is a reflection of the professionalism in the way these services are provided. DPS staff include: Broadcasting; Hansard; Security Operations; Facilities; Art Services; maintenance staff of all skills and trades; parks, gardens and landscaping staff; the Nurses Centre; the recreation centre; information technology and communications services; the Parliamentary Library; as well as project management and corporate services staff. DPS oversees a number of contractors around the building: cleaners, Aussies, the cafeteria, IHG, the hairdresser and the florist.

I am very pleased to note that the department has achieved some major outcomes this year, which include: the construction and opening of the Capital Hill childcare centre; refurbishment of the staff dining room; implementation of wireless connectivity for the computing network; security x-ray machine replacement; upgrade of broadcasting infrastructure to improve televised broadcasts; upgrade of internet security; the xerophytic grass trials to save water; and the publication of Women parliamentarians in Australia, 1921-2009. I look forward to next year. I am pleased to advise that work is being undertaken on the Parliament House website, the Hansard Production System and digitisation of many of our vital records, as well as environmental, safety and security initiatives.

I take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the House, the Manager of Opposition Business and the whips. To all of you: your leadership and professionalism is essential to the successful functioning of the House.

The robust debate and the passion that we see in the chamber every day quite often provide something of a spectacle, but it does demonstrate the desire by all members to contribute and try to make our nation a better place. I thank all members and staff of the parliament for the cooperation and courtesy you have extended to my office. I express great gratitude to my staff for their forbearance and guidance. In the Speaker’s office: Christopher, Debra, Cora, Yvonne and Penelope. And who could forget the Speaker’s attendant Lupco. To Lupco: ‘Nova godina.’ In my electorate office, I thank Berna, Sally and Jim. Sam had to resign earlier this year because of changes to the Victorian Local Government Act.

I thank the people of Scullin for their faith in me and support. Finally, I sincerely thank my family, especially my wife, Michele, who throughout my parliamentary career has many times had to be a single parent. Earlier this week, on Tuesday night, I took a little bit of truancy and returned to Melbourne for my daughter’s year 12 speech night. When I was feeling a little bit of guilt about taking time off, I realised that I had not attended any of her school activities for the whole of her year 12. It was a special night for her as she was the outgoing SRC president and was receiving an award. I was very proud to be able to witness how she has managed to get over the trials and tribulations of being the child of a member of parliament. To my oldest son, Ben, and his wife, Kerry, and their two lovely daughters, Zara and Asha, thank you for always being there. To Emlyn and his friend Clare, who will spend Christmas in Bogota, in Columbia, we will all be thinking of you.

As we are approaching Christmas, I wish everybody in this place—members, senators, all the staff and their families—a safe and happy Christmas. We all know the importance of family and I am sure that you are all looking forward to a well-deserved break. May you all come back in 2010 for inspiration.

Tonight I would especially like to pay tribute to Ian Harris. As we know, Ian Harris will shortly retire from the position of Clerk of the House of Representatives after a long and distinguished career in the parliamentary service. In the first part of today’s valedictory, when I was waiting to get the MPI for today, I was handed a letter and I recognised the signature. I thought: what is happening? Is somebody playing a joke on me about the MPI? I will now read this letter—and you will understand that, because I recognised the signature, I was a bit bemused by the fact of the signature:

Dear Mr Speaker

I understand that Ian Harris will retire today as Clerk. I imagine that there will be some tributes paid to him by, amongst others, your good self. Given that Mr Harris served as Clerk during most of the time that I was Prime Minister I wonder if you would be good enough, in your remarks, to publicly convey to Mr Harris my warm thanks and respect for the wonderful job that he did as Clerk. I always found him courteous, professional and thoroughly even-handed in the assistance and advice he tendered.

With all good wishes.

Yours sincerely

John Howard

That is a well-deserved comment by the Prime Minister about Ian’s role.

Ian was born in Kurri Kurri, where he attended high school before going to university at Newcastle. He did a bit of teaching, tutoring and broadcasting before he found his calling and joined the parliamentary service in 1972. Ian became Clerk of the House of Representatives on 27 July 1997, having served as Deputy Clerk since 1991. So he has had 18 years at or near the top. I think we can say that he is largely responsible for what we have today—a department that provides very effective and valued support to the House of Representatives and the parliamentary institution as a whole.

One of the features of Ian’s clerkship has been the outward focus of the department and the House. This has been achieved through a strategic engagement with the community in order to promote the parliamentary institution and knowledge of the parliament. This has involved an engagement at the international level with a view to promoting good governance support for parliamentary administrations in emerging democracies.

I am not going to list all of Ian’s contributions as that has been done elsewhere, but I do note that he has done a great deal to promote knowledge networks among parliaments around the world and has considerably enhanced Australia’s reputation and international credentials. Notably, in April 2003 he was elected as president of the international Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments, the ASGP, having previously served as vice-president and executive committee member. He remains an adviser to, and honorary member of, the executive committee. Ian’s work in the international environment has benefited many parliaments in our region and further afield. The benefits to our parliament, through contributing to democracy strengthening and the improved understanding of other parliaments and cultures, will last for many years.

Ian’s contribution has been acknowledged in the past. He was awarded the University of Newcastle Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence in 2000 and the Australian Centenary Medal in 2001. Most significantly, in 2007 he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly through the administration of the House of Representatives and its committees, to promotion of parliamentary practice and procedure and to assisting the understanding of the functions of the parliament internationally.

Ian has had a strong commitment to the community and to sport, having served as president of ACT Public Service Rugby League from 1993-95 and as secretary of the Tuggeranong Rugby Club in its early years. In an earlier draft of this speech it was noted in brackets that these years were not too successful—that has been deleted, but I thought I should add that for the record! Ian was also chair of Queanbeyan Skillshare from 1996 to 2005.

As noted earlier, Ian is married to Erika. Ian and Erika have four daughters and four grandchildren. I take this opportunity to thank Erika for her support and contribution over the years, and I am pleased to see that she is still in the gallery, having managed to listen to most of this valedictory discussion.

One of the things I have to bring to the attention of the House is that, whilst Ian is a Kurri Kurri boy, yesterday he was inducted into the Cessnock Hall of Fame—and I look forward to this event being featured in the local member’s newsletter!

On behalf of the House I wish both Ian and Erika all the best for their future endeavours—personal, family and professional. I doubt whether we could ever say enough to truly indicate Ian’s value to the institution of the House of Representatives and, through it, the Australian parliament. I wish you all the best.

One of the quirks of being the Speaker is that you often get notes passed up to you by, as I describe them, ‘the unwigged’. But I have said enough about the unwigged and the view I get of Ian from my position, and I will leave it at that. Ian knows that from time to time I ignore his advice. This has led to the great weight of ‘Harris 2’—other paragraphs had to be added because I created new precedents. But on this occasion I am quite happy to read verbatim a note that has just been given to me by the Clerk. It says:

Mr Speaker,

Would you mind accepting from me, and passing on to the House, my thanks for comments by you, by other members and by the former Prime Minister about the service I have been privileged to provide. In recognition of bursaries and scholarships that helped with my education, I always wanted to work in the public sector. To work for the House and the parliament is like winning the lottery of life.

I am also extremely grateful for the support I have received from the Speaker’s office, from parliamentary colleagues, especially Laraine Brennan—also retiring, as has been mentioned—and from my wife, Erika.

I have great pleasure in reading those comments into the record.

Monday, 30 November 2009

The SPEAKER (Mr Harry Jenkins) took the chair at 10.00 am