Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

In the political boat there are some people who actually put their oar to the water and make the boat move and there are other people who just go through the motions and let everybody else do the work. The three people we are speaking about tonight have all, in their own way, put their oar to the political water, made it move and affected the nation that they live in.

I will start with Nick. Nick, you are a typical person from Knox Grammar. I never quite knew what was going on up there but it was all very, very serious—and it seems to stay that way. Nick was a person who flew up to see me when I had just started. My memory of Nick will be that of a person glaring down the chamber at me on odd occasions because I had dared to differ from his position. Later on, Nick would join me on the other side of the chamber agreeing that we should reflect our liberty in this chamber. Reflecting on Nick's work, he stood by the $2.4 billion Telecom­munications Fund and gave respect to the coalition's National Party colleagues on that issue.

Summing up Nick, I would mention three things. I remember going into his room and seeing him lying on his back doing some sort of yoga. He said to me, 'Yoga is for your mind and Lord Monckton is for your head,' and I noticed that he was listening to Lord Monckton on a cassette! He urged being vegetarian, but even more insane than that was his disgust for milk. He called it 'the juice of cows' and wondered why children drink so much of it! We are also fellow travellers, obviously, on issues pertaining to CO2—and Nick has been a great light on that. I would like to thank Nick for his support during the dark days when we were trying to get what we believed was a right and proper process—an adjustment—around that very issue. Nick, you leave with the deepest respect of the National Party, and I mean that in all sincerity. Even other colleagues who might have been suspicious about you have nothing but the highest regard for you because they believe you are a man of honour.

I will remember Fergie as a person who has an excellent collection of scotch. I will also remember his desire for the Senate to stand on its own two feet, do its proper job and not be guided, bullied and pushed around. Fergie, if you leave that with the Senate then the Senate will be a better place. I thank you very much for your friendship and understanding. You too are a person from the country. You understand the country and your reputation as an advocate for the country was warranted. I also note that you are another person who managed to cross the floor. In fact, you sometimes did it from the chair, so you sort of sneakily got out of it; you nominated that your vote differed, which was rather shrewd. You leave here well loved and well respected.

Julian McGauran is a fellow traveller on right to life issues. We have immense respect for Julian for the work he has done there. He has been here since 1987 and he has stood by his principles from start to end. Julian was many things but one thing he never was was boring. There has been a rapprochement with regard to Julian's leaving, and I can say that his leaving is seemly but not obscene. Julian, thank you very much. We wish you all the best. You have been a great adornment to the Senate. You have been a person of true colour and true character.

To all three, I thank you for the work you have done to maintain this nation as one that believes in the principles of our Lord and Saviour, and you have never hidden behind that. So, when you are leaving, remember that we will look upon you with fond memories.