Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the Nationals, with great pleasure, to farewell Senator Siewert—not because she's a Green but because she has served our nation and her community in Western Australia for 16 years in this place, and that's no easy task. You have made an impressive contribution. You're well respected by all in this place, Senator Siewert, for your professionalism, for the consistency in the manner in which you conduct your politics and for the way you've represented your values, your views and your community across that time.

It should come as no surprise that the National Party and the Greens are rarely in agreement on anything. But I would like to commend Senator Siewert for bringing a particular focus and a lived experience of rural and regional Australia to this place and to all the conversations she's had inside and outside of this chamber. That passion shines through, not only for the regions—ensuring that agriculture should be rightly recognised—but also for getting yoga and strength training into the parliament gym, I recall, many, many years ago. We got that done as well!

Senator Siewert also recognises, unlike, unfortunately, some of her colleagues—obviously not another regional Australian there, Senator Hanson-Young, but on that side of the chamber—that regional Australia does deserve equitable access to health and education. You've been a champion of those issues as well because you understand that the regions are the engine room for the economy. In fact, Senator Siewert has had a long service of representing the regions in the Senate through committees. The list is a long one, but I have served alongside you in the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs and the Rural and the Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.

On 11 August 2005, Senator Siewert delivered her first speech and, with a Bachelor of Science in ag and a background as a research officer with the state Department of Agriculture, said, 'I am determined to ensure our rural communities can continue to survive and in fact thrive.' That is a message that the National Party obviously shares and wants to assist with. People from right across Australia have benefited from your efforts, Senator Siewert, not just those in WA, and we're grateful. There were occasions when Senator Siewert backed our farmers, and the backpacker tax was not the first time that the Nats and the Greens joined forces to support rural and regional Australia. On 13 November 2013, Senator Siewert said:

Then of course we get to GrainCorp. This is one area where I agree with the Nationals. I am very concerned about the takeover by ADM of GrainCorp and I agree with the Nationals—

I can't say it enough, but you said it first!

It does present problems for our farmers. We should restart the inquiry into this takeover. We are concerned that it will be anticompetitive, that it will have a negative impact on our farmers, and we urge the Nationals to continue their opposition to this takeover.

Well, guess what? The Nationals did, and the Treasurer at the time, Joe Hockey, made the right decision in blocking that takeover bid, so we thank you for the strong arm over there of the Greens on behalf of regional Australia. Senator Siewert, we're going to miss you, I think. That was a great example of party politics not getting in the way of doing the right thing.

As I said, I've served with Senator Siewert not only on RRAT but also on community affairs committees, and I came into that role when we were in opposition, with two other powerhouses—former Senator Susie Boyce and former Senator Claire Moore. That dynamic trio taught me a lot about this place. They focused on being collaborative, on driving consensus when possible without compromising your views and values—and I'm going to get emotional now. It was a great pleasure, as a new senator, someone who hadn't been in politics as a staffer, to come and learn from the three of you.

I do think, as you said, part of our work should be about finding common space, because that's where most Australians, who sent us all here, are. Rachel, you approached your work always seeking to find that where you could, and I think all of us could do better to find more of that space. Over the decade I've been here, that's something that I hope we're not losing. But you did. And the Senate provides us all with that unique opportunity.

The Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices inquiry was incredibly powerful and showed me what you can do from the Senate. You don't have to be in government; you don't have to be a minister; you just have to find consensus, like-minded individuals and go with the evidence. What we were all able to achieve out of that on behalf of those women and their children was quite incredible. It will stay with me my entire life as something very powerful.

I can never thank you enough for the pragmatic, grounded approach that you brought to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee as an ag scientist.

Wherever life after the Senate takes you, Senator, I know that you'll embrace it broadly, robustly, with both hands. You'll squeeze every bit of joy out of it. I wish you all the very best on behalf of my party, and also personally and on behalf of regional Australia. Thank you very much for your service. Go well.