Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I just wanted to take the opportunity as a Senator from New South Wales to acknowledge the contribution that you've made, Senator Payne, to the civic life of this nation. As two Westies, sometimes we do not quite sound like we come from the west—perhaps the benefits of an education and the wonderful opportunities that life in politics has provided for us to meet with amazing people who have continued the education that's part of the job that we do.

My husband only knew a couple of politicians before he ended up finding me on that path. He sold a raffle ticket to Gough Whitlam. That was a very big interaction for him. But his family knew your family at St Johns Park at the bowling club. He sent me off to the Senate and he said, 'Make sure you say hello to Marise Payne; we used to know each other when we were kids.' These are the interesting things about the lives of politicians: the connections that we have that people have no idea about. But I do know what it means to be somebody who grew up in Sydney in the west at the time that you did, and what a long journey it is from where you commenced to where you have found yourself today, clearly with great regard from your colleagues. Sorry I wasn't here for much of the valedictory and I didn't get to hear all the contributions, but I will commit to reading them because it's important that we never lose sight of the people who are behind the jobs that we do here.

I looked at your first speech. 'A child from a non-political background' you described yourself, 'my aberrant and obsessional political behaviour often bemused my parents and sibling.' You spoke about your mother and brother being present and you spoke about your father, a World War II veteran, and his advice to you. I don't mean to belittle your father, but he said it's often remarked that it's difficult to make true friends and politics, but I would say from the valedictories this evening that you might have actually, over time, proven him wrong in that regard. Clearly he made you a strong woman, along with the guidance you got from your mother and from the relationships you formed, and you bought some incredible integrity to the role that you have fulfilled here in the parliament.

I want to give you my word about a task that you set yourself in the first speech and put on the record. You said:

It is also my fervent hope that the view to the future includes an Australian head of state. The debate on constitutional change should proceed in a constructive and enlightened manner, with young Australians as very active participants in that process.

I give you my word that I will pick up the baton of that battle and continue that for you in good faith for our nation.

I also had a bit of a look at your parliamentary service. While much is made of the incredible responsibilities that you undertook for our nation with integrity, intelligence and a genuine sense of work, bringing your full self to the task, I really want to congratulate you on your committee work. It is so far down in the scheme of things applauded here in this place, but it is so fundamentally vital to the good work that can be done in this place. It's a long list. You will remember the many meetings, the many readings and the many contests and battles of ideas. Really, that is where we find the recipe for the democracy that we get to serve here. I think it's in the committee work. So I want to congratulate you on your success in high office but particularly to acknowledge your committee work, because I'm sure that was remarkable.

There are two more things I want to say. One is that there's so much that you do in the work that you do, and we get to know one another. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt, and we start to call each other by first names, and the monumental impact of the tasks that we undertake is not always present with us. I just think of one very important interaction I had with you, which was about the replenishment for the Global Partnership for Education, with the support of many of the colleagues in this place. I'm going to get you to tell me after this, but it was my sense that our collective efforts inspired you to make that commitment on behalf of the Australian people. That replenishment that you offered in 2022 is continuing to have incredible impact, post your career, in transforming the lives of others in the way that the education opportunities that you and I had transformed our lives and the lives of many of the people we grew up with in the western suburbs.

In closing, I congratulate you on your excellent choice of a final quote for your speech, from the great Australian writer Patrick White, who captures the colour, language and spirit of this nation like no other Australian novelist. You quoted his poem 'Nine Thoughts from Sydney', in which he poses a question:

Where is the politician who will flower like the leptospermum citrata,

Who will sound like the surf out of the Antarctic,

Who has in his hands the knots of coolabah,

And in his soul the tears of migrants landing from Piraeus?

I think you've captured lots of tears not just tonight but in the journey of the heart that has been part of the work that you do. I just want to congratulate you and acknowledge you and all of those of you who similarly chose the Liberal Party. I can't help you with that, but nonetheless I want to say thank you for the support you've offered to Marise, and thank you for the forgiveness that you've given on the many occasions when I'm sure you weren't there for things that people wanted to have you at. Thank you for your service to the nation, and thank you for your service to New South Wales.