John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When Paul Calvert arrived in Canberra to take up his seat as a Tasmanian senator, we had high hopes that the former Warden of the Clarence Council would bring a wealth of experience and vitality with him. We were not disappointed. Senator Calvert was not a high-flying lawyer or a corporate heavyweight but a man who had made his living from the land and who had shown his practical approach through the school of hard knocks—local government leadership, the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania and rising to the position of President of the Senate. This background has shone through brightly during his 20 years of service to the people of Tasmania and, more recently, in his national status as President of the Senate. Senator Calvert has always kept his feet firmly on the ground, resisting the temptation to believe that high office brought special airs and graces, always remaining highly approachable and applying a large dose of common sense and practicality to his parliamentary service.

Paul Calvert has also been a close friend of mine over many years, and that friendship has been something I have greatly valued. His advice has always been positive, and his willingness to consider issues has been driven by a thorough knowledge of his home state and of the parliamentary process. His ready smile and friendly approachability have been hallmarks of his personality, and I know that this has been appreciated by his colleagues, in particular his junior colleagues who have been feeling their way into new jobs here.

For some years, he has also been loaded with additional responsibilities to help his colleague Senator Eric Abetz to provide a good level of representation for the Liberal Party in the southern area of Tasmania. Because Tasmanian voters have recently supported Liberals better at a federal level in the northern half of the state, we now see six of our eight federal Liberal parliamentarians based in the north. While this imbalance may be rectified at the coming election, it has meant that Senator Calvert and his staff have had a heavy workload to bear, and I congratulate them on their sterling effort.

The past 10 years has seen Senator Calvert exert his quiet and firm style of personal leadership through these roles, firstly as Government Whip and secondly as President of the Senate. In both roles, he has earned additional respect from those around him by his ability to deal with challenging tasks in a calm and measured way and by his ability to draw respect for his roles through the way he personally has done his work in an efficient and positive manner. But this is a measure of Paul Calvert in his life; it is the measure of what this institution is going to lose now that he has decided it is time to retire.

I know that Paul has said it has been a privilege to have been able to hold the special role of President of the Senate. I would also like to say it has been a privilege to have him in that role, and he has carried out his duties with dignity, leadership as well as honour. He has brought respect to the institution he has represented both here and overseas. To Paul and his wife Jill, I personally wish you both a long and healthy retirement and I sincerely thank you, Paul, for your outstanding contribution to the life of the Australian parliament and your dedicated representation of Tasmanian interests in this place.