Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It's all good! The announcement that Victoria will end native forest logging was an incredible win from her tireless advocacy and, of course, that of many others as well, and the Greens will continue Janet's fight until we have a native forest logging ban nationwide.

Janet has always advocated for the protection of human rights. She's fought for a free Palestine, a free Tibet, a free West Papua, and she hasn't stopped calling out human rights abuses for the 10 years that she's been in our federal parliament. She's courageous under fire always.

Janet has reminded us time and time again in this place that poverty is a political choice, and I want to congratulate her on securing and then completing a mammoth 18-month inquiry into poverty, which gathered convincing evidence that our current social security system and income support system are inadequate and leave the most vulnerable Australians—single mums, domestic violence survivors, those struggling to keep a roof over their heads—condemned to poverty. In her words:

We have a moral responsibility as elected representatives not to relegate millions of our fellow citizens to a life of poverty.

All of this work shows what a huge heart Janet has and, despite 10 years in a place where, frankly, artifice and peacocking dominates, Janet's realness and her honesty, her unfailing sense of justice and integrity, and her deep care for people and the natural world have always shone through. She has never compromised on that, and I applaud her humanity and her compassion. I will continue to consider you a dear friend and an inspiration.

During her time with us she faced deep grief, with the passing of her wife, Penny. I was with her for part of that awful day, and I've watched with such pride as she's opened her heart again to her partner, Anne. It's clear that her heart's capacity knows no bounds. You're a lucky lady, Anne.

Janet was one of the founding members of the Greens. For anyone to spend 40 years in politics is heroic, but for it not to cruel you and darken you is an incredible achievement. She is joyful, and we will miss that ray of sunshine in our party room so much.

In her honour, once she leaves this place, I will try to emulate her habit of taking the outside path from the chamber to the office in order to get some fresh air. I won't be alone, I hope. I won't, though, be doing a cycling commute to and from the building at all hours of the day and night, as she does. And I don't plan on getting stuck in Antarctica either—as Janet famously was before she took office.

Janet joined the parliament when dear Christine Milne was the Australian Greens leader. And Christine would like me to share this brief message with you, Janet:

Janet has been an activist for environmental and social change all of her life. I was so pleased when Victorians voted to send her to Canberra to speak for them as part of the Green Team following the 2013 election when Tony Abbott and the climate deniers and fossil advocates took charge.

She quickly found her feet as a climate campaigning senator and LGBTIQ+ marriage equality champion. As a founding member of the Vic Greens with Marg Blakers—who I think is here with us tonight—and Peter Kristof, she demonstrated her long-term thinking and commitment to building new institutions and new ways of decision-making. She has been a peacemaker and a change-maker in the Greens and the community, from local government to the Senate.

Christine continues:

But most of all Janet is a defender of nature and a climate activist. I have no doubt that will continue post politics and I look forward to working with her in our ongoing battle to end native forest logging in eastern Australia and to keep 1.5 alive.

Activists and campaigners don't retire; we just change roles and platforms and never give up. Janet's leaving the parliament is the community's gain. Congratulations on a decade of driving change.

And former Greens leader Richard di Natale also wanted me to pass on his best wishes to you, Janet.

We need more people like Janet in this place. The Greens will of course keep fighting for social and economic justice, for forests, for human rights, for LGBTIQ+ rights, with the determination that you have shared with us for 10 years in this place. And I know you will keep fighting for all of those things outside of this place. Thank you for giving us and this place so much of yourself in the service of good, Janet. We are going to miss you so very much.