Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

That is the impression I have formed, George. We can only earnestly hope that the Senate has exactly the same effect on Doug Cameron when he arrives here. I certainly do not want to reflect on Senator elect Cameron but I think we would all prefer that George were staying.

I do genuinely want to acknowledge George’s really deep commitment to his great causes, the trade union movement and the Labor Party. He is a fine example of someone who stands up for what he believes and does so with enormous integrity. I do want to say, on a personal note, that I respect and thank him for the great friendship that he formed with my long lost and great friend Jeannie Ferris. I know you two were very close and that you felt her loss just as much as we on this side did. I thank you for that.

At least George had the opportunity to serve here for nearly 11 years. My fellow South Australian Senator Linda Kirk had only one term in this place before being told by her party that she was no longer wanted. We on this side are genuinely dismayed that she appears to have been excluded because of her vote on conscience issues in this place. As I have said publicly, I hold a different view to Linda on those issues, but I have strongly defended her right to hold those views and to put her views on conscience issues. She and every one of us should be able to do that without fear or favour and certainly without incurring the wrath of our party. I think that really is appalling.

I am absolutely fascinated to observe that, as a result of all that, Linda is effectively being replaced here by that—to me, as a South Australian, well-known—right-wing faction chief, Don Farrell. I recall as state director of the South Australian Liberal Party having the great pleasure of running one of our most successful by-election campaigns against the said Don Farrell. We were, by dint of our very good campaign, able to deny him the opportunity of becoming a member of the House of Representatives in March 1988, when, to the shock of Mr Hawke, he lost that particular by-election. I was pleased to deny him that opportunity back then but, despite all, 20 years later we will have Don Farrell coming to Canberra—very unfortunately, I think, at Linda Kirk’s expense. So, I do want to congratulate Linda Kirk very much on her service to her party, to our state of South Australia and to this Senate. Like Jacinta, I hope you have the opportunity, Linda, to return here one day.

Senator Ruth Webber, who will be speaking later, has also incurred the wrath of her party—I am not sure why, and maybe that will be explained one day. But, as I understand it, you actually did have the opportunity, Senator Webber, to run as a candidate at the last election, despite having been bumped down the ticket somewhat. You have the distinction, of course, of being the only incumbent Labor senator to actually lose your seat at the election. Given the enormous swing to Labor at the last election, with Liberals and Nationals falling all over the place—as I sat there on the ABC TV panel with Julia Gillard on that election night, I saw my colleagues falling all over the place—you would have to feel pretty unlucky to be an incumbent Labor senator and actually lose your seat. So we do extend to Senator Webber very deep commiserations on that score. Like Linda, Ruth has only had the opportunity to serve one term in this place. And, again, I say: we genuinely hope you have the opportunity to return here in the future—though of course, I say with great conviction, certainly not at the expense of a coalition senator! You can come here at the expense of a Green—we would welcome that—but just keep us out of the picture!

We do all accept, I think, as Senator Evans noted, that the democratic will of our parties has to be allowed to prevail. We all know when we come into this game that we have to keep our preselectors happy at all times, and they are a moveable feast and it is not easy. I am always in trepidation of going before the Liberal Party state council in my own state of South Australia. We all know that we all face that risk, of losing preselection, every time we face up. But I always do, and I think my colleagues do, feel genuinely dismayed when our parties effectively give our senators and members only one term in this place. I have a few friends back home who are oncers, and it really is tough—very tough—and I think it is unfortunate when our parties do that. Once you come here and enjoy the great privilege of sitting in this place and the opportunity to serve the people of Australia, it is extraordinarily difficult to then have your career cut short in that way by the travails of your party. At least in this place we get six years, not three, but six goes very quickly, I know. So I do want to say, on behalf of the coalition, that we genuinely extend our commiserations to George and Linda and Ruth. We extend our very best wishes to you all in your post-parliamentary activities. Good luck.