George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I wish to make a few brief comments in respect of your imminent retirement from the chair of the Senate. It is probably the last late evening you will ever spend in this place and, as we all do, you are probably thinking, ‘Thank God for that!’ I do not want to take a lot of the Senate’s time. Other people will have things to say about your performance in this chamber. I have been here probably half the length of time you have, and I do not think I have ever had a cross word with you, Mr President, throughout that period of time. I think the measure of the contribution you have made to the Senate is probably not in what you have done in this chamber but in what you have done outside this chamber in the role of whip, which we know can be a very demanding job; in the role of President; in the role of consultation; and in the role of helping people set up structures—in doing a lot of the things outside this chamber that probably raise the esteem of our politicians much more than the things we do in the chamber, which tend to actually lower the esteem of politicians in the long term. I think you should walk away from this place proud of what you have achieved as an individual, proud of what you have done for the community of Tasmania and proud that your name will live on as someone who has actually contributed to the development of our society and community through the political system. I want to take this opportunity to wish you and Jill well for the future. I know you have set yourself up pretty well. If I ever get down that way, I will bring my clubs with me and we will see if you can still hit a ball straight.