Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the government, I want to note with great regret on our part that an esteemed and highly respected member of the Senate staff, Mr John Vander Wyk, has announced his retirement from the Senate to take effect on 22 September, after some 32 years of fantastic service to the Senate. On behalf of the government I congratulate John on his extraordinary dedication to the task of serving one of Australia’s great institutions, the Australian Senate. I want to thank him on behalf of all coalition senators, past and present, who have served with John in the roles he has performed in those 35 years and to say, on a personal note, how much I valued his guidance and assistance when I first came here as a somewhat younger, junior and fresher opposition backbencher and found his help and guidance invaluable.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Look what’s happened!

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, he has failed in later years to keep me on the straight and narrow. It has been a tremendous record of service—to think that someone would devote 32 years of their working life to serving this chamber, to making, as I say, what is an extraordinarily important institution in the governance of this country work so well and to assisting so many senators, past and present, in the performance of their important duties. On behalf of all coalition senators, we wish John very well in his retirement and thank him very much for what he has done for all us.

Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to speak on the same matter and say to the minister and to John Vander Wyk that we could not have expressed it better; we share your sentiments exactly and we would repeat them. We will be writing to John to express our appreciation as a party. Those of us who are here and who have been here from the Democrats thank you and say well done for your service.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—As far as the opposition is concerned, we would like to associate ourselves with the remarks made by the Leader of the Government in the Senate. It is a significant record to put up with us for 32 years. However, it is not a case of putting up with us; we would like recognise your service as being long and meritorious service by you, John. In the time I have been here you have provided me with excellent advice, and I am not sure that I could have survived as well as I have done without your input. You have had a range of roles in this place, and you have served those roles very well. You have also served the Senate well and all the individual senators who have come in and out of this place. I am sure you have seen and heard many interesting things in that time—if the walls could only talk! From Labor’s perspective we want to recognise the service you have given to this place and to us; we thank you very much for that.