Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been in and out of this place since 1990, and I've met a lot of good members of parliament. I have met no better member of parliament in this place than a fellow named John Alexander. Until he was run over by the citizenship bus that's been knocking this place about and probably will further knock it about in the next few days, I found John Alexander to be the most effective local representative, somebody who has an international focus as well because of his background, someone who understood Australia's place in the world, and someone who understood the diversity of his community. Yet here he is fighting a by-election in Bennelong that was entirely unexpected—a few of us were in here when he made his speech, up behind me, about not retiring and about how important he felt his role here in the parliament was. John is a man who is so passionate about housing. We're coming to a point at this time when there are women across Australia who are becoming homeless through no fault of their own, and we haven't got provision for them—and that was the last thing he raised with me before he was hit by the citizenship truck. I hope John is very successful because, if anybody deserves to come back to this House after what happened, it's John. He's been a magnificent representative for Bennelong, and I hope and pray that he's successful and he will continue to be the member for Bennelong.