Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this last set of valedictories in this Senate to farewell Senators Kroger, Furner and Farrell, who all came to this place on 1 July 2008 following their election in 2007. I will make some brief remarks first in relation to Senator Kroger, who has had a long association with the Liberal Party; I have a note here that it commenced with the Springvale Young Liberals in 1974. She has held many positions in the party in Victoria, and she spoke of her continued advocacy of what she saw as the interests of the Victorian party, particularly in relation to the issue of preferences that she discussed. As a Senator, Senator Kroger’s interests included education, the rights of children, mental health and the participation of women in political and national life. She was also active with Parliamentarians Against Child Abuse and Neglect, and I note she made a contribution on this topic this week in the adjournment debate, which demonstrates her continued advocacy.

In her first speech, Senator Kroger said:

None of my friends here today would ever accuse me of being part of the sisterhood, but I draw inspiration from two of my predecessors, former senators Dame Margaret Guilfoyle and Dr Kay Patterson.

And I could not let the opportunity pass me by without saying how excited I am as a woman to begin my career in parliament at the very time that Sarah Palin is about to shatter the penultimate glass ceiling of politics in the United States.

I trust senator Kroger does not mind that her powers of prediction were wrong. I would say this: even if Senator Kroger does not see herself as ‘part of the sisterhood’, I believe it is always a shame when a strong woman from any party leaves this chamber. We do need them. I did note one of the comments Senator Kroger made tonight that she had been bullied and threatened, but that only strengthened her resolve; and that is a response that I respect. As Senator Abetz said, Senator Kroger has served as the party's whip in this place, and that is not an easy job. And yet one has to deal with all sorts of issues that others in this place do not. I recognise her contribution to her party in that role, and I wish her and her family very well for the future.

Senator Furner has obviously served too short a time in this place. I do not think he spoke of it tonight, but he grew up in a housing commission house in Brisbane's northside suburb of Chermside. He worked as a trades assistant, a floor-covering layer, truck driver and 18 he became the youngest delegate of the Transport Workers' Union in Queensland. He went on to serve as an organiser with that union, and subsequently with the Queensland Police Union and the National Union of Workers, including as Queensland Branch Secretary.

In the Senate, Senator Furner has served on a number of committees, including the Joint Committees on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and Law Enforcement. He has made contributions to debate in many areas, particularly concerning the rights of workers and law enforcement agencies. He spoke tonight, movingly, I think, of the imperative to close the gap. I think one of the privileges we have in this place as a senator is that we have the opportunity to engage with regions and communities we would not otherwise have engaged with. Senator Furner did so but, more importantly, what he took from that was the imperative of that great national challenge and great national responsibility to close the gap.

It is, as I said, a great shame that Senator Furner's time in this place has come to a premature end. We will miss his no-nonsense approach to debate, which was on show again tonight—although I am not sure that your career as a physical trainer is necessarily one that will take off, Senator Furner; but I could be wrong! Whilst he is leaving the Senate, we do all hope that Senator Furner is going from this parliament to another parliament—in the state of Queensland. We on this side of the chamber know how important it is for us to rebuild Labor in Queensland. We wish you all the very best in that endeavour, Senator Furner; not just for Queensland Labor but also for the Labor Party, and for the very many people who expect and hope that we will stand up for them. So I hope that 'Furner for Ferny Grove' catches on! If you need help from any of us up here in campaigning, I am sure that all of us would be very happy to add our efforts to your campaign effort.

Finally, I turn now to my South Australian colleague, Don Farrell. It is with deep disappointment that we farewell Senator Farrell tonight after only one term. Don Farrell has been a leader within our labour movement. He has devoted his life to the service of the labour movement and to the Labor Party. Prior to his election, as he said, he served the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association for some 32 years, beginning as an industrial officer in the mid-70s. and concluding as State Secretary in 2008, a position he had held for fifteen years. He has been a leader in the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party in many capacities, including as State President, but perhaps the greatest part of his role as leader has been the support and mentorship he has given to so many. Many of the next generation of Labor leaders and future Labor ministers—here and in South Australia—have benefited from his support and his guidance. He is a guiding figure for so many. Tonight in the chamber, we saw people such as Kate Ellis, Amanda Rishworth and Nick Champion—people who will be ministers in a Labor government in the future—and all of them, I am sure, would refer to Don as one of the guiding figures in their political careers. In many ways, there is no greater mark of a leader than those you bring to the table, in the way that Senator Farrell has.

Since entering the Senate on 1 July 2008, Senator Farrell has served in many positions, from Deputy Government Whip to Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water—as he has said, a portfolio with particular significance to South Australia. In 2013, he entered the ministry as Minister for Science and Research and Minister Assisting for Tourism, and later as Minister for Sport. Since the 2013 election, he has served as shadow minister for Veterans’ Affairs and the Centenary of ANZAC, and tonight his championing of veterans was evident.

The departure of Senator Farrell is a loss to Labor, and to the Senate. Many would be aware of the reasons for Senator Farrell’s early departure; none more than me. I acknowledge and thank Don Farrell for his decision to volunteer for the second position on Labor’s Senate ticket in South Australia at the 2013 election. In that decision and in many others, Senator Farrell put the interests of the Labor Party first. In ordinary circumstances, we would have expected that we would both return to the Senate as colleagues. However, this was not to be the case. It is a profound regret that South Australia only returned one senator at this election and that, as a consequence, Don was not re-elected. The fact that Senator Farrell was not re-elected stands as a compelling example of the need for Labor to improve its vote in Senate elections, and the responsibility of all of us—particularly those of us in this place—to work to improve our vote; not just to return senators of the calibre of Senator Farrell, Senator Pratt and so many others to this place but, most importantly, to ensure a strong presence for the Australian Labor Party in this chamber—to give voice to the rights of Australians who most need the advocacy of the Labor Party in this place.

Don's love of his family is deep and abiding, and was evident tonight. I wish Don and his wife Nimfa, and his family, all the very best for the future. The only exception is that I do not wish his team well for the showdown next weekend!