Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to join my colleagues and pay tribute to our six departing colleagues. I reckon Senator Guy Barnett must have welcomed every one of us to this place who came here after him and was first to do so. Guy, what a great thing that was to do. You are looking forward to us one day repaying the favour and welcoming you back, and we look forward to that. Guy was an unrelen­tingly hard worker and, together with Russell Trood, in my early days on the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs taught me how one part of our party can join with the other part of our party and always find a compromise to do public good.

Senator Russell Trood is a rascal. I know many of us choose not to see that part of Senator Trood, who has dignity and integrity, but he is a rascal, and here's to his feeling more free to demonstrate that if he moves beyond life that is as public as this. Senator Troeth was known for her steely resolve and her generous advice, often unsolicited—but even when it was solicited much of it was given behind the scenes. She was always so giving. Thank you, Judith.

To Julian McGauran—man, are you one out of the box! Senator McGauran is probably the closest to the definition of 'expect it when you least expect it'. To have Senator McGauran's flamboyant behaviour departing this place is to run the risk of making the behaviour of the rest of us seem much more flamboyant than it actually is.

I thank Senator Minchin for teaching us about respect and for being always direct in his advice and counsel, even if it was constructive in its criticism. We cannot always rely on that constructive counsel and it is a tribute to you that I found we were able to rely on that from you. Since I have been here, you have been a shadow and a rock that has always been there. I am not sure how it will be when you are not there.

Senator Alan, Senator Ferguson, Ferg—I started working with Ferg before I came to this place, when I was an adviser to former cabinet minister Peter Reith. Alan, those were the days when you taught me about the value of the Senate committee process. You taught me what could be achieved. You showed me how we can work with great contributors from other parties, like Senator Andrew Murray, so thank you. Thank you all.