Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am not sure how I feel about interrupting that interesting contribution by Senator Chapman—but that is not for me to comment on. When I first came into this place and made my first speech, I made it very clear that my belief was that the position I hold—until midnight, 30 June—belonged to the Western Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party. Not only does it belong to the Western Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party; it also belongs to each and every person who voted for Labor. That is still my view. This is not about me; it is about the number of seats that we win in Western Australia.

When presented with the choice of good news and bad news, I am someone who often takes the bad news first on the basis that things can only get better. So, in making this, my final contribution, I will start with the hard things first, knowing that it will get easier. The hard things, of course, are always to thank those who are special to you. I will start with the people who have always been there—my parents. We have been waiting for them to join us here. To my mother and to my father, thank you for your unconditional support throughout all of this and, in fact, throughout my life. To my father, I thank you particularly. This will surprise many people, because they usually see mum and me gossiping around the place, and they do not necessarily see dad and me together. He said something to me a very long time ago, and I do not think either of us realised its significance at the time. When I was still in school, he took me aside and said: ‘I just want you to remember, you can do anything you want to. You can be anything you want to be.’ Well, believe it or not, that time, Freddy, I listened—and look where we have ended up! So thank you very much.

The last 18 months have been an interesting journey for me, and coming to the end of this part of my working life has had its stresses and strains. However, it is much easier to cope with those stresses and strains when you have someone in your life that you can love—so, Warren, thank you.

I need to thank the people who have worked with me through what has been an interesting six years—probably more interesting for them than for me from time to time, because not only have they put up with the job but they have put up with me as well. Sue has been there right from the beginning and is still here. I do not know why she agreed to work with me, because she worked with me in party office. She is obviously a slow learner! But she is finally retiring from her services to the labour movement. Chris Dunn worked with me for a long time, until he decided to take his family to Christmas Island, which I think is an extreme way of escaping work in an electorate office in Woodvale. So, thank you to Sue and Chris and also to other members of the team—in particular, Karen, who has really been a constituent backstop; and Lyn, because without her being prepared to look after the office at home we would not be in the position that we are in now.

Believe it or not, there is a saying about whether or not you make many friends in politics. I think you do, although the test will be how long you keep them after you leave this place. I also think you make some unexpected friends along the way. Before I officially started as a senator, a group of us came to parliament together and were rounded up to go to what we termed ‘Labor senator school’. This is where we were educated in the refined arts of this place from a Labor point of view by former Senator Ray and Senator Faulkner. We were an unlikely group of people who, on the whole, had not met one another before. We went through our induction and then we had forced socialisation afterwards. That was an interesting experience. We all got to know a bit more about one another, but I got to know two of those people particularly well—Gavin and Claire. It is amazing how, out of a shared experience, you can form a very deep friendship. I thank you both.

Last but not least—unless I think of someone else, because this is not exactly a prepared speech—I want to thank and acknowledge my predecessor in this role, Jim McKiernan. Unlike many people who come into this place, I had a very good relationship with Jim when I took over. I still have a very good relationship with him; he has been very supportive. I would also, therefore, like to wish my successor all the best. Being elected to the Senate is an incredible opportunity. The Senate is a special place, and I do not think any of us fully realise that until we get here. As I said to others earlier—I think it was last week; there have been a few functions in the last couple of weeks—being elected to this place, from my point of view, is the real deal. This is the grown-up politics. This is where you impact on people’s lives, and there is no second chance. It is the one level of politics that absolutely has to be taken seriously every minute of the day. For those who are lucky enough to be selected or elected to be here, I want them to bear that in mind; and I particularly want my government to bear that in mind.

I also need to thank everyone who works in this place. While those of us who occupy the benches tend to be the public face of this chamber, that reflects but one role of this place. No individual is irreplaceable but each and every role in this place is. No senator would survive without any of you. So, rather than list all of you, I want to say to the staff: none of us could be what we are without each and every one of you fulfilling your roles. You help make the whole, and the whole is a very important institution in Australian democracy.

I was asked the other day what I thought of the role of a senator, and I said that I think it is the most amazing job you can have; but, after all, it is just a job. It is a very special job and it should be treasured, but it is just a job. But I cannot think of another job that actually allows you to meet and work with some of the best and brightest minds in the country, which is what I did when I was involved in the stem cell debate. No other job would have given me that opportunity.

No other job, whilst giving me such opportunities, would allow me to travel to rural and remote Australia, particularly Western Australia, and look at the confronting challenges of the delivery of mental health services, child sexual abuse and petrol sniffing. No other job, on top of those two things, would allow me to spend six years of my life inquiring into every piece of legislation that starts with ‘Tax Laws Amendment Bill’. That is quite something! And no other job would give me the opportunity to travel and to learn, and along the way try and teach my good friend Glenn Sterle how to speak French. That is something only the Senate can give you.