Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a real honour to be able to share in the acknowledgement of my friend Trish Crossin. We are all going to mention her attributes. So many people are going to share in making the same kinds of words, but I want to start by thanking 'team Crossin'. One of the real strengths of this woman is her family and friends—there are many of them here—and also her staff members. They work as a genuine team, and that gives Trish the ability that she has shown for so many years to live out the total commitment and passion she has for the people of the Northern Territory.

When I first came here, I knew of Trish. I had worked with her husband, Mark, in the Northern Territory years ago. Her first words to me were: 'Welcome, mate, you've got a job to do.' I was sitting beside her in the same way as I am sitting beside her tonight, but in an area over there. I then learnt the process of the Senate. She knew all the rules. Trish is a teacher—she is an educator who actually shares knowledge. One of the things she shared with me was the way in which the Senate operated. Trish gave me advice about that through the day and she also gave me advice about the other people in the place and little bits of information about them.

When I first came here, I was terrified about the need to ask a question. As you know, you are given questions to ask. You are very careful about them, and when you get one you go, 'Oh, I don't know.' Trish is the only person I know who checks every question for grammar and punctuation and then changes the question to make sure that it is accurate. Education is so important to so many of us because, as we heard from Senator Siewert, when it comes to dealing with issues about the Northern Territory and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, Trish is overwhelmingly generous in giving support and knowledge to other people about the very important historical backgrounds of her patch.

On many occasions, she has provided me with visas to come into her area in the Northern Territory. When we are there, as we have heard from Nigel and also from Rachel, there is the obvious respect and affection which is given to Trish by her people—and all Territorians are her people. She represents the Territory with pride. But there is something extraordinary about going into an Aboriginal community with this woman, because the warmth and respect that the people have for Trish is given to us because we are with her. She takes us with her as her friends and we receive that welcome with her. I have had the joy on many occasions of going into community. Nigel, remember recently that we had the full welcome with spears!

With the knowledge and the passion that Trish has, she is a valiant warrior for rights and justice. Many times in our discussions on legislation—and she mentioned some of that in her speech—we talked about things that we genuinely believed should be changed, and she took that fight up to people across the chamber and in ministerial offices. Even when we did not get the answers we wanted, the fight continued and will continue. If anyone thinks that when Trish leaves this place as a senator her engagement in the issues and her genuine commitment to equity will not be taken up in another way, they do not know 'Team Crossin'. The fight will continue.

I particularly want to acknowledge Trish’s strength in having our backs through some very difficult times. Ruth Webber is in the chamber and she knows about times when we were gathering support where we did not always have support from the areas we thought we would have it. But Trish Crossin in this place was always with us. One of her absolute attributes is her direct honesty and the fact that she will tell it how it is. It may not matter that it is not what you wanted to hear and it may not matter that she will be questioning things that you think you are doing well; she will her give her advice, though not ever in a hurtful way. I have never known this woman to be hurtful in her contribution. What I do know is that you are left in no doubt about what the impact of your decisions will be, whether you are doing it right and how you had better stand up straight too—I remember that.

Trish was very generous in mentioning the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development. We have been through issues with that group and she was always there for us to offer her support. She worked with the Friends of Indonesia on the desperate issues of poverty and need in that place. She is always there making sure that we do our job, because the overwhelming focus of Trish’s work in this place is doing her job. Nigel quoted what she told the people in the community—that when she was here to represent the Northern Territory, that was her job, and she has done it. Thank you, Trish, for your inspiration, for your challenge—always for your challenge, because that is what makes us always stronger.

We have too many endless stories about that football club. Wherever we were we had to get scores. I know the colours of the club, which is lovely! I know the work that Mark and the family and you do to encourage sport across the board in the Territory. That is a way for people to have opportunities and expectations for the future, which is what you have always said. You wanted to ensure that there was real opportunity for all the people of the Territory, particularly for the Indigenous people.

Thank you for your work in committees, because it is so important. Rachel has pointed out the way in which you do your job as chair. I see the secretariat from the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs up in the gallery. They are a great group. They have told me that you have chaired over 200 committees. I do not know how many hours that comes to. But I was told by the secretariat that six more bills were given to you yesterday. That should be good fun for you for the next few days!