Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am going to be fairly brief tonight, but I do want to take this opportunity—and I know that there will be a more formal opportunity next week—to congratulate you, Mr Acting Deputy President Back, on the incredible service you have had in this chamber and in this Senate. We were all shocked and saddened to see your decision to retire from politics, which I know you made for your reasons. I do not understand why anyone would ever want to leave this place! The idea that you would want to retire strikes me as very odd and strange behaviour. But apparently there is a world outside this place—hopefully, I will never have to experience it!

Tonight I briefly want to touch on something that is very hard for a Sydneysider like me to do, and that is to talk about another city. I want to talk about the City of Launceston, that I was privileged to be able to visit with Ross Hart, the local MP, and with Senator Helen Polley, who is the shadow assistant minister for ageing and the shadow assistant minister to the leader for Tasmania, a few Fridays ago.

The City of Launceston—it is very hard for us—