Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

In my three minutes I will try to pay tribute to a collective 49 years of parliamentary service—firstly, to Senator Mark Bishop, who I knew at law school. He was involved in the Young Labor Club and at that time I was involved in the Liberal Club. It was a youthful indiscretion. Some people do drugs when they are young; I just did the Young Liberals. We had a mutual friend, the late Terry Connolly, who was then a brilliant law student and a great Australian who went on to become the ACT Attorney-General in a Labor government and passed away all too suddenly a number of years ago when he was a Supreme Court judge. That was our connection.

I got to be reacquainted with Mark Bishop some 25 years later in this place, not realising that he was in the Senate and not realising that it was 'the' Mark Bishop I went to law school with. I have enjoyed our many discourses on public policy. I particularly enjoyed a session during estimates when he called 'Order', which I think became a YouTube sensation, when he banged the table so hard that Senator Doug Cameron's cup of coffee or tea just flew off the table. That was a magnificent effort. I think it was the most watched estimates session in the history of this parliament. It was a great effort. I do not think it is fair to say that Mark will be retiring. He has too much to offer in terms of good, common sense advice. I wish him and his family all the very best for the future.

Now to Bozzie. I did not have much to do with this bloke for the first five years here, until we were bonded as a result of an issue, and the issue was the way that licensed post offices were being treated both in the bush and in the city. I have to say—and, Bozzie, I hope I can get away with this—that I thought, 'He's past his prime. There's not much there. He is lobbying me about issues.' That was until I got to know him. Bozzie, you were and are magnificent in your advocacy for those small businesses—in your passion and tenacity. You have lost none of it in terms of your sharpness and fighting for those individuals. It is great that Angela and Phil Cramp, who run a licensed post office, are in the visitors gallery today. I think it is a tribute. They came down from Wollongong, because you are fighting for them.

Bozzie, I do have some bad news for you. You are not going to change your number, because I am going to harangue you about competition law. There is some unfinished business, and this person on the crossbenches will be following that through. It has been an absolute privilege to work with you. I have actually learned quite a few things from you in the last few months. I wish that I had got to know you better earlier on. I have thoroughly enjoyed working together and the friendship we have developed. I wish you and your loving family—the family that you love very much—all the very best.