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

by leave—I am pleased to have this opportunity to join with Senator Evans in paying tribute to the magnificent career of Senator Andrew Murray, and I endorse and support almost everything that Senator Evans has said. Indeed, it has been a magnificent career. If you think about it, Senator Murray, in his 12 years here, has probably contributed more than many do in twice that time to the work of this chamber and the parliament. I would hazard a guess that there is no other non-coalition senator who commands more respect on our side than Senator Andrew Murray. You have earned that respect by the work that you do. Not only that—you have earned at the same time, and it is not easy to do, the friendship of senators, certainly on our side and I dare say around the chamber. Your obvious intelligence, your incredible capacity for hard work—you mentioned your job of handling the new tax system in this chamber; that would have been extraordinarily onerous for you—and your dedication to your task have been evident to all of us.

The other thing that really marks you is that you have brought to your role here extraordinary life experience. Senator Evans made mention of that, but it does single you out. We like to think that on our side coalition senators bring considerably more life experience than those from the other side, but you really do bring to this place—