John Hogg (President) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners on whose land we meet. I think that is so important. Then I would like to thank the senators who have just placed their trust in me and given their support. I am honest, I am fair, and I am sure that as time progresses those who might not believe that will find it to be true.

On the occasion of being elected to this very high office indeed, I think it is an opportunity to reflect on my path here. In particular, I think that one does not get here by one’s good looks, charm, personality, political skills, wit or any other devices. One really achieves office—whether it be as a senator, whether it be as the President or whether it be as any other officer in this place—by virtue of a wide range of support that has been lent to one over a long period of time.

I think that is something that we should never overlook in our successes in life—that we never get there solely by ourselves. So I want to firstly acknowledge my party and those loyal people in the party who have elected me through our state council process to be a candidate for the party over a long period of time. I have witnessed in this place a number of senators who have not been so successful in their preselection processes, and of course it is a sad occasion indeed. The people who put you here are important, to say the least.

I want to thank my caucus colleagues, and I notice, in particular, that some of the members of the House of Representatives have ventured here this afternoon. Again, without their support, I would not stand before you. From my own state, I want to recognise Anthony Chisholm, the state secretary, and I have enjoyed the support of a number of state secretaries over a long period of time. I owe my success in part to my party. But, next, I want to acknowledge the electors of Queensland. Rightly or wrongly, in the minds of some people, they have returned me now on three occasions to this place, a great honour indeed.

I next wish to acknowledge my union. I am a proud unionist and always have been. In particular, my union, the SDA, has a long and proud tradition which has been fostered in my time with the union particularly by Jim Maher, who unfortunately cannot be here today, and Joe de Bruyn, who is the national secretary. Without my union, without the opportunities that my union gave to me, coming from a very humble background indeed, I would not stand before you. I next want to thank Chris Ketter, who is the current Queensland branch secretary of the SDA, for his long-term friendship and support of me. Also, last but not least from my union, I want to acknowledge Wally Major. Wally is represented by his daughter Joan here today. Wally was the person who fatefully gave me the job with the SDA over 32 years ago.

Again, as I said, one does not get here by one’s own good looks, talents or whatever else, and an enduring friendship with the Australian Workers Union and Bill Ludwig, who represents them here today, has been of great assistance to me in my career over a long period of time. I want to mention ‘Sciaccas’. Con Sciacca, Sciaccas Lawyers and his former partner, the Hon. Brian Kilmartin, who is now a magistrate, have supported me and given me great counsel over a long period of time.

Now I want to mention a name that will not mean a great deal to people outside of the SDA—a person who has given me great strength and courage over a long period of time by the name of Jim Cosgrave of Cosgrave Management Consultants, who taught me how to be patient and how to think in a positive way in developing the skills that I may well have. I thank my staff, Julie Christensen and Hazel Hubbard—who have endured me for 12 years as their employer and without whom my office would not have run successfully over that period of time—Darrell Main and of course Julia Clifford and Meredith Horne in Canberra.

I now turn to my family, because in this game unless you have the support of your family you are not going to make it. I have been extremely blessed with my family and the support that they have given me. It would be a proud moment if my late parents were alive, but obviously they are long gone. But my sister, Mary, is here. I thank you, Mary, for your support. I thank my son, Stephen, my daughter Elizabeth and my daughter Louise. You have been wonderful. You have put up with me through all of my union career and political career. I thank you for that. But the really solid rock has been my wife, Sue. Sue, you are amazing. As I said, this speech is about the people who have supported me over a long period of time; you have been a tower of strength to me and you have enabled me to achieve what I have achieved. I salute you and love you.

It is not possible in a brief speech such as this to thank and encompass everyone. But I think I have made my point that it was not done by me alone and that it was done with the support and cooperation of a wide group of people. Having said that, I make special mention of the two former presidents that I have served under: Alan Ferguson and Paul Calvert. In my time as Deputy President of the Senate they extended a hand of friendship to me that broke down party barriers, not that there were any party barriers in this particular high office. In particular, thank you to you, Alan. This period has not been easy for Alan and me. We knew that there was going to be a transition, but it has worked wonderfully indeed for both of us. I thank you, Alan.

Last but not least, I want to remind people that I come from very humble circumstances. I am proud of my heritage. Those who dig into my background will find that I have a great-great-grandfather who was a politician. He was the subject of Steele Rudd’s notice in Dad in politics, which goes back to the turn of the century. I never thought that I had anyone of that character in my background, but obviously I do and obviously it is reincarnated here today.

I look forward to working with all senators in a cooperative manner in the future. I am sure that we can make this chamber work in spite of the changing dynamics within it. I look forward to the challenges. Thank you very much.