Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

It is a valedictory, not an obituary. Janet, we want to thank you, congratulate you and wish you well most sincerely in this place. I wont repeat the biographical details that Senator Chisholm has outlined save to say that your place in Australian political history is a notable one and an important one. To have played a role in the formation of your party, of the Greens in Victoria, is no small feat. To then have seen it grow as it has—much as some of us may not like that!—to have seen its support grow and to have had the opportunity to serve that party in the nation's Senate is something that you and your family should be very proud of, more particularly the pride in how you conduct yourself and the work that you have undertaken during your time in the Senate.

As has been acknowledged, that work has stretched across a whole range of different portfolios and areas, some of which, of course, we've had vast differences in. I note your long list of foreign affairs and human rights engagements that you made in your remarks. Many of those I'm sympathetic to. Some we will have points of difference in. One you mentioned, of course, was when most recently I got to move the motion censuring you. I suspect you are pretty happy that I moved it too though! It's that passion, that determination that you have brought to the Senate—a genuineness and a passion across the different causes that you have championed. You have done so consistently, be it in the areas of human rights, as I said; in areas of multiculturalism; in standing up, of course, for forests—and perhaps we should have a commitment that every remark made in this valedictory should mention the Leadbeater's possum just for the sake of ensuring that that is driven home on the way through; in areas of transport and infrastructure, where we look forward to the Insta journey of your bike ride back home from Canberra; and across the realm of science, research and innovation.

I'm sure we also acknowledge the particular role that you have played in advocating for equality for LGBTIQ+ peoples and particularly the work during the marriage equality debates. I know very well the work that you did with Louise, with Dean, with David and with others. The way in which you reflected on that committee process is an important testament to how you all applied yourselves to be the best of this Senate and to ultimately achieve an outcome that I was pleased to sit with you on the same side for. I acknowledge your critical role in getting to that point. You did that along the journey and with the personal challenges that you had, and the way in which you came back to this chamber following the tragic death of Penny and the professionalism and determination with which you have conducted yourself and applied yourself is a real credit to you and obviously to the love and support of your family, of your friends, of your staff, of your colleagues, of your fellow party members and of all of those whom you acknowledged throughout your remarks.

Congratulations to you and Anne. I hope it wasn't news to Anne! But we do wish you all the very best in the years ahead. May you get much pleasure from the continued advocacy and campaigning that I have no doubt that somebody of your spirit will do, but also from your great exploration of the wonderful world around us that I know you will take your zest and love of life into. I know as well that you will do so with the type of passion that you've deployed throughout your service in this place. We wish you well.